Failed -- unacceptable reason

FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN · Oct 18, 2019

What was the question and how did you answer it?

Editorial Team / Admin · Oct 18, 2019

Failing because of 1 point in an exam means you have been borderline for quite some time. Repeat the course, and this time understand why you were so close to the edge and have a plan to prevent that. If you aren’t able to repeat the course, then look into another school with the same understanding and plan.

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 18, 2019

9 hours ago, yolonono said:
So, I am out of my nursing program because I did not pass an exam by one point.

No, you are out of the program because you missed many questions throughout the course -- putting you in a position of needing a better score on the last test to pass the class. Answering any one of those questions correctly earlier in the course would have "saved" you. Had you not been "on the edge" to begin with, you could have been able to miss that particular question and still passed the course overall.

That's a mistake that a lot of students make. They focus on that 1 last question, when their course failure was really due to missing a lot of questions over a period of time. Even on that last test, answering other questions correctly would have given you a passing score.

To be successful in your career in the long run, you need to realize that you didn't know the material very well for that class -- as reflected in your test average for it. Repeat the class, learn the material and pass the course with room to spare. That is what will be best for you (and your future patients) in the long run.

ruby_jane, BSN, RN · Oct 18, 2019

The real tea being poured here may sound unsympathetic, and I'm sorry you're miserable. It stinks to want something and to have a roadblock in your way. You will likely not get this overturned. What is your next option? When can you start again?

Nursing programs are horribly stringent because the institution wants to turn out nurses who can pass that NCLEX and safely practice. It won't always be this way. You just need to make it through.

myoglobin, ASN, BSN, MSN · Oct 19, 2019

I will say that I encountered many, many nursing exam questions which were poor at best or simply wrong (in terms of the stated answer). In most cases it was not possible to successfully challenge these (with the exception of my final two semesters due to an excellent professor willing to give credit if you could support your rationale). I often felt that I need to average at least a "93%" in terms of knowledge in order to obtain the minimum passing grade of 83%. I do believe that the "key" number which nursing programs should have to publish is their "graduation" rate, rather than their NCLEX pass rate (or board pass rate in the case of advanced practice). The way I look at it I would rather fail the NCLEX (or ANCC boards) than the program since should I fail I can intensively review, and take the exam again. However, in the case of nursing school depending on the program one might not even be eligible to retake the course (my program was one retake and then you were out and zero retakes for clinical courses). My advice is to find a program with a high retention/graduation rate that is within your price range. I would be hesitant to repeat at an institution that wouldn't engage in reasonable/rationale discourse. Also study for "mastery" as if you need almost 100% on the exam. Plan to give away at least 5% on poor or simply incorrect answers.

AnneOR · Oct 20, 2019

I'm feeling unhappy at people stating "if you failed something by a bit you were basically failing all along." That is not true for many things. There are some tests that need to be passed at a certain grade and if you get 95% on everything but fail that one test by the smallest bit you fail, period.

I'm not sure if people who have practiced for awhile are assuming that school today is like it was when they took it, but it probably isn't, and remembering that when you are responding to questions is important.

OP - I'm sorry. I am seeing that at my school. It is demoralizing to be told you are wrong when you have evidence in front of your eyes that you aren't - or the book is. I'm watching intelligent people cry from failing exams that were so badly worded or had just enough wrong things on it that it'd be hard to really thrive.

Your syllabus probably has who to escalate things to. If you've escalated it up that far then go up to the department lead, a VP or the President. Google some articles about how to escalate it depending on the type of school you are at (a 4 year university vs a community college vs a nursing only school likely have different tactics.) Take a breath. Rewrite your case, ask a couple of friends to look it over for clarity and to give you suggestions. Keep it succinct so it doesn't distract from the point, if relevant provide a few references to back up what the book says, make sure they are reliable medical ones. Be confident.

caliotter3 · Oct 20, 2019

7 hours ago, myoglobin said:
I will say that I encountered many, many nursing exam questions which were poor at best or simply wrong (in terms of the stated answer). In most cases it was not possible to successfully challenge these (with the exception of my final two semesters due to an excellent professor willing to give credit if you could support your rationale). I often felt that I need to average at least a "93%" in terms of knowledge in order to obtain the minimum passing grade of 83%. I do believe that the "key" number which nursing programs should have to publish is their "graduation" rate, rather than their NCLEX pass rate (or board pass rate in the case of advanced practice). The way I look at it I would rather fail the NCLEX (or ANCC boards) than the program since should I fail I can intensively review, and take the exam again. However, in the case of nursing school depending on the program one might not even be eligible to retake the course (my program was one retake and then you were out and zero retakes for clinical courses). My advice is to find a program with a high retention/graduation rate that is within your price range. I would be hesitant to repeat at an institution that wouldn't engage in reasonable/rationale discourse. Also study for "mastery" as if you need almost 100% on the exam. Plan to give away at least 5% on poor or simply incorrect answers.

Good post. Reminds me of the prerequisite class that I managed to bomb. I had an A the entire term and going into the final. I don’t have any idea what happened to cause me to come away with a C for the final grade. I was so downhearted I didn't even bother to make an appointment with the instructor to go over the exam to see what was what. Who knows, maybe he transposed a score. I never went to find out.

caliotter3 · Oct 20, 2019

On 10/17/2019 at 11:00 PM, yolonono said:
So, I am out of my nursing program because I did not pass an exam by one point. However, my answer that I chose for the question was taken directly from the book. I tried to challenge it, but it could not be accepted for who knows what reason (?) I am pissed....not sure what to do anymore...spoke to all people of the nursing faculty and they've been dismissive about it....please help. I am miserable right now

OP, since your program director and others have been dismissive, you need to go one step above her/him. In my school it was the dean of the College of Letters and Science. I went there when I had a problem that could not be resolved in the nursing department. Take your text and show them the correct answer at your appointment! You could very well prevail.

B52, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 20, 2019

Some instructors are too lazy to create their own exams based on the material taught and read. Instead, they pull questions from other textbook manuals, which can be confusing. I still remember a question about a drug classification. Nowhere in the textbook or lecture notes was that drug mentioned. I knew the answer because I was working as an LPN in a drug rehab facility. Many students got that question wrong. It could have been the cause of someone failing the class.

JKL33 · Oct 20, 2019

12 hours ago, AnneOR said:
I'm not sure if people who have practiced for awhile are assuming that school today is like it was when they took it, but it probably isn't, and remembering that when you are responding to questions is important.

I do think it is probably worse.

The test banks and lack of instructor connection with the material and tests are all inappropriate AFAIC.

But it's still sort of true; even if it's only one test that was failed there are usually at least a couple of handfuls of other questions where points weren't earned in addition to the faulty question.

Regardless, if a student can demonstrate a black and white discrepancy the points should be given back; it's completely unacceptable to not give them back.

Leader25, ASN, BSN, RN · Oct 22, 2019

On 10/18/2019 at 2:00 AM, yolonono said:
I did not pass an exam by one point.

The one point is not the issue,it should have been passing by more than one point,you are too poor on the subject matter, too close to the edge.You need to study more and retake stop complaining,it is not a good grade by any means.