HESI exam

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I was curious!!!!

Do all nursing schools make their students take HESI exit exams before they are allowed to graduate? My school in Texas does and we have to score 900 or above before they will allow us to graduate. They give us 3 chances before we have to do remedial classes and repay to take the test again.

The school's thinking is that if you don't pass the HESI, you probably won't pass NCLEX.

Well I didn't pass the first HESI...had to make 900...I made 895. In our class 27 out of 57 did not pass...So we get to do it again Dec 19th. The teachers have given us 5 case studies to do on line, 5 practice test/scoring 70% to do at school and we have to attend 3 lectures on diff. subjects before we're able to take the test. Doesn't sound bad...but I still have 5 perceptor days to do at the hospital, besides studying for a final for Pro Practice class and studying for HESI. In my personal opinion I think I would of been better off just studying my HESI book and CD, instead of having to jump through 13 more hoops, running back and forth to school to do excess work. Can you tell I'm really tired of all this mess. LOL

Specializes in Pediatrics :).

Hmmm...we do the HESI twice (2nd semester and then 4th semester), and I think it's just a diagnostic tool for us-to see what we need more work on. I don't think it matters if we pass or fail, but if we actually learn from it. I haven't taken it yet though, so maybe I'm missing something.

It is a bit frusterating though, ours is scheduled during finals! So evil! :chair:

Specializes in LTC/Behavioral/ Hospice.

Our school just changed their policy. We have to pass an exit exam to graduate. It isn't the HESI, but something similar. We are given 2 chances.

I know the school I'm interesred in makes you take the HESI exam BEFORE your even accepted. What is that about?

I am so mad at the Med Surg HESI right now I can't see straight!!!

At my school (ADN program) we have to take HESI after each section of nursing, each one being all inclusive of what you've learned that semester and the previous ones...Fundamentals, OB/PEDS, and then MedSurg. We didn't have to pass the first one, we had to have an 850 on the second one and then we had to have a 900 to graduate. HESI is indeed a very difficult test. I just took my final one Wednesday and passed...YAY ...but out of our 26 students only 10 passed. These aren't students who are borderline in class or borderline in clinicals..these are straight A or B students who are awesome nurses and have awesome test taking skills. We didn't have a very conducive environment for test taking (people coming in and out, one of the instructors began rambling about the student newspaper 5 minutes into the test, it was like 52 degrees in the computer lab...etc). Those who didnt' pass get 2 more tries before they have to remediate.

I think passing HESI needs to be reconsidered as a stipulation of graduation. When you have a lot great students not passing, something is wrong. Its a great test to make you learn how to read questions and practice NCLEX style questions, plus it has the printout option that shows which areas you did bad in and which you did well in, but it should not be required to pass. anyway, just my two cents...

Good Luck to those who do have to take it...I feel your pain :uhoh21:

:nurse:

Specializes in Oncology/BMT/ MICU/ SICU.

I attend a BSN program in Texas and we have to take at least 2 HESIs at the end of each semester. In first semester, we took a Fundamental's HESI that counted as much as an exam grade and we also took a Pharmacology HESI and it counted as our final. This semester, in second semester, we took a Med/Surg HESI, that just counted as extra points if you scored an 880 or above and a Psychiatric Mental Health HESI that counted as the final. Next semester, third semester, we take an OB and Pedi HESI and they each count as finals for the two classes respectively. In fourth semester, we are required to take a final comprehensive HESI and we must make at least an 880 to graduate. We are allowed two tries to achieve a score of 880, and if a score of 880 if not achieved, then you have to repaeat the last semester of the program.

Our school has dropped the HESI, and now uses ATI tests (atitesting.com). They come with books and cds to study from, we have to take proctored pre-tests (that count for nothing, just practice) in subject areas (musculoskeletal, respiratory, etc) during the semester when we are trying to study for our subject area tests that count towards our grades, and we just took the med-surg ATI test -- we had to make in the 60th percentile to keep from remediating. IMHO HESI tests were much easier (the first year we did the Fundamentals and Psychiatric Nursing HESI exams). ATI tests are worded difficultly and have grammar and spelling errors, and their SQL server is overloaded leading to problems when a lot of people are trying to take tests at the same time. I wish we had HESI tests to take instead of ATI tests.

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