Help! Bought an online test bank not sure what to do!

RunnerRN2015, ASN, RN · Apr 17, 2014

There are several test banks circulating at our school from various editions of the textbooks. Some people refuse to use them but others use them as study guides. It seems like every test has a few questions from them, although sometimes the questions are reworded enough to make the answer different than the test bank answer. Some say it's cheating, others say they're just using available resources. Surely the instructors know the availability of test banks these days. As far as getting kicked out for using them, I have no idea. It's not like you had a bootleg copy of the actual test.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Apr 17, 2014

Odds are someone in your class is going to come forward...

SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP · Apr 17, 2014

In some programs, that could be grounds for dismissal. We are not allowed to purchase or use test banks. We can use the published study guides that accompany the text books. But our handbook specifically forbids test banks. Let's hope this doesn't come back to bite you :eek:

mrsboots87 · Apr 17, 2014

It depends on what you mean by test bank. Was it a student NCLEX study package, or was it the instructor edition. If it was the student set, the you are fine and the instructors should know better than to take questions from student practice test banks. If it was the instructor version then it would depend on the school. Honestly though, in either situation it would be a good idea to come forward. Dot say you bought the bank. Just let the faculty know you noticed the questions on the test were similar/the same as questions from a friends test bank subscription that most of the class used. They won't drop you all. Say you didn't know the questions were coming from there. Better than someone else coming forward an you getting lumped in wht possible "cheaters" trying to hide what happened.

mrsboots87 · Apr 17, 2014

You can even leave an anonymous letter under your lead instructors door after hours so they know but don't know you used the questions too if you're worried.

Blossom7 · Apr 17, 2014

"It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it." -Maurice Switzer

Racer15, BSN, RN · Apr 17, 2014

This happened at my school. Students were kicked from the program over it.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Apr 17, 2014

OP you probably not use your real name.

Yes this is cheating and can get you dismissed from the program. If you are not an instructor and you did not buy them from the publisher and you bought them off one of the hundreds of pirate sites....yes it is academic dishonesty.

In today's world I am ever surprised that instructors do not use different material and make up their own question (or at least re-word them).

'Test banks' are at the center of UCF's cheating scandal - Orlando Sentinel

applesxoranges, BSN, RN · Apr 17, 2014

Eh, I side with it's not cheating if it was a legit copy of the test bank not obtained to cheat. There should be hundreds of different questions on it and so how would you know which ones would be on the test? However, not saying anything after realizing the tests were the same will look bad when someone comes forward. It is legit to practice NCLEX style questions from practice test banks and many publishers market practice test banks to students.

So the school probably won't look kindly that you guys used a test bank to study.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Apr 17, 2014

If it was the instructor's version, yes it's cheating. Granted teachers should reword the test, but it still shouldn't be done.

I remember in my LVN program we were all in the classroom & one student pulled up answers to a quiz we just took on the projector. Obviously the teacher wasn't in there, but the DON of the program was there & everyone in the room got in trouble. We all had to write a paper on academic dishonesty.

NicolleM · Apr 23, 2014

Since the previous post over half the class was dismissed for academic dishonesty. But the others were dishonest and are still in the program. I'm not worried about the liers, I'm worried about my appeals because I did tell the truth about having it.....