Nursing school and passing grade.

Nurses General Nursing

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i know this topic might not make sense to some, but it's a reflection on what i've read in this forum in the past. can someone explain to me why different nursing programs have different cut off passing grades to progress to the next level in nursing school(i know of 70,75,78, and even 80 to be minimum passing grade or better still a c). in light of that, i was wondering if there are different curriculum and or different minimum passing grade for nclex from state to state. just wondering.

Specializes in Pediatrics.

The NCLEX is a national exam so it is the same from state to state. Differant school set what they want for thier standards of passing. The school want thier grads to pass the NCLEX on the first time, the higher the percentage of grads that pass, the more applealing they are for students, and it keeps thier accrediation. Those high standards are there to weed out those students who most likely would not pass the NCLEX

Yeah, it's true about the different passing rates for different schools. The school where my friend graduated from required a 80 to pass on to the next nursing course, unlike the one I got accepted to and graduated from, which required a 78 to pass. They do want their students to pass NCLEX the first time, since BONs make these records public and some people consider this when applying to colleges....also, not to mention the fact that we are dealing with lives here...I don't want a nurse taking care of me who didn't make the grade. Regarding NCLEX, this exam is tailored to the individual, so no one really knows the minimum requirements for passing except you gotta get most of your questions right....in the end you just know you passed or failed. :heartbeat:nurse:

There is not a set passing grade for the NCLEX, rather one passes or fails based upon total number of correct answers compared to an average of ones peers. The number of correct answers will vary and is set by a panel of judges from the testing company in response to what is deemed sufficient knowledge for a competent nurse. Thus someone taking the exam say in 1995 may have "passed" with a lower number of correct questions than a new graduate taking the boards today.

Most all nursing programs/schools, especially the best start teaching and testing their students from day one using NCLEX methods and standards. In essence "teaching to the test", but done so that graduate nurses are familiar with the exam and how to take the test.

The NCLEX does not have a set number of questions, rather one must complete the exam in the time period allowed (five hours). Using the CAT system (Computer Adapted Test) the first few questions are easy, they the computer begins to give either harder or easier questions depending upon the number of correct answers you give. Once a student has given enough correct answers to "pass" the exam, the computer will stop giving questions. This explains the difference in number of questions answered by those who have passed the boards. Some pass the boards with taking only 75 questions, others 120, others still more.

What schools and review courses do by assigning passing grades is correlate one's grades or scores into the likely passing of the NCLEX. Reams of information come back to nursing programs regarding NCLEX pass and or fail rates. Schools also know which of their grads have passed or failed the exam and can also use that information to adjust their programs accordingly.

With this information nursing schools can make certain links between student performance while in the program, versus their passing NCLEX. Since the aim of every nursing program is to have as high a board passing rate as possible, changes can be made to "weed out" those students who are bringing down the average.

Admission and retention standards into nursing programs have many factors, and some have to do with politics, especially in the case of colleges and universities, especially public ones. If the bar is set too high there can be calls that the program discriminates against certain groups who perhaps are or were educationally "disadvantaged" before entering college. The chairperson of the nursing department may see her programs NCLEX passing rate drop, but may face stiff opposition from the head of the college/university to put into place things to reverse the trend. Sometimes it is only when the program is threatened with loosing accreditation that action is finally taken.

If a program can produce class after class of graduates who passing the boards >90% of the time, with exam grades of C+ and retention GPA of 2.8, they are doing quite well. However if an other program has the same standards and their passing rate is

It also happens that a "C" student in a really good college/nursing program equals a "B" student at another program. Much depends upon the population the school draws it's nursing students from. A nursing program at a college that draws mainly well educated above average high school students is going to have a different complexion than say your local community college that serves a poorer area.

Personally think what defines a "competent" nurse upon graduation has changed.

Up until the late 1980's or early 1990's many hospitals gave long orientations that not only built upon what one learned in nursing school, but allowed one to gradually get one's bearings as a professional nurse. Those days for the most part are over.

Hospitals want nurses by and large who graduate and are ready right out of the box. Orientations are expensive and require staff, and in the meantime one is paying a GN or new RN who might not be up to full speed in terms of pulling her weight, at least that is how the hospital may consider things.

Can remember back in the 1980's when NYS still had it's own boards, it was not uncommon for a GN who failed the exam on her first attempt to be kept on working as a GN until she could take the exam again (and hopefully pass), in six months or so. Of course those days are long gone. If one cannot work as a full RN please see security on your way out the door. *LOL*

In general it seems that less selective schools use a higher "passing" number than more selective schools.

I know of one school that upped its passing grade from 75 to 80 after it landed on probation due to low NCLEX pass rates.

Remember, the school is only as difficult/challenging as it decides it needs to be. Some schools really are easier to get through than others. But then, those easy schools have lower pass rates on NCLEX.

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