Help!!! Can they really do this???

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I am a first year lpn student. I have found out some bad news from the second year students:

The second year students had to take some NCLEX predictor tests with ATI and Arnette. The majority of the students did not pass. They are being made to do some remedial work and are being told that if they do not pass the predictor test, they will not be allowed to graduate from the program and therefore will be ineligible to sit for their boards.

(Some of the students passed the Arnette test by Arnette standards but not by the school's standards)

Can they really do this to students who have passed and completed all other aspects of the program?

Do students have any recourse anywhere? Is there some means to fight this?

I am so afraid of this happening to me when I get there. It seems to me they should help the students improve but not prevent them from graduating after all hard work, money, blood, sweat and tears.

Does anyone have any advice on the matter???

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I only passed one of the ATI tests, out of the hundreds that I took, yet I passed my classes and my boards.

I didn't like those dang things, and I don't see how a predictor can truly predict anything if you can pass your class!

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i graduated last june...we had to take a madatory test towards the end of the year....our instructors said it is a reflection on how you will do on boards.......i did pass but the majority didnt do so well and they ALL passed boards.....i remember thinking after this test...if this is like the boards...i am screwed.....i also thought that after the boards.....hehe.....did good on both......just like i tell my kids on those state mandated test.....dont get all stressed about them....

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

It seems that most school require some sort of an exit exam these days. I had to take ATI, but it was the first time for a new LPN program. I did okay, but in 2006 they did not mandate that one pass in order to graduate and sit for the boards.

Unfortunately, there may not be a recourse (at least one I am aware of). The BON wants to know that you successfully completed a nursing program before sitting for the boards, but I am not sure if they have any say on WHAT each program institutes on an individual basis in order for them to pass.

And, none of these 'predictors' can adequately determine how one will fare taking NCLEX. Most, for example, say that they did horrible when studying Kaplan, but I don't know one person that failed the actual NCLEX exam. I could not earn more than 55% on Kaplan, but passed the first time with 85 questions in 40 minutes on a dark and stormy day.

Best of luck to you, and do not take on what happened to other people. Study hard, stay focused.

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.

Yes, they can do this, and no I don't think it's fair.

What the schools are doing is covering up for the fact that they have a substandard nursing program.

The degree is required in order for you to be able to take the state boards. If they only grant degrees to the students that are most likely to pass the state boards on the first attempt, then this artificially raises their pass rate with the state.

In otherwords, if they had 40 seniors, and only 10 passed the NCLEX-PN predictor, and only those 10 were granted degrees, and those same 10 passed the first time, then the school could advertise that they have a 100% pass rate....which would cover up the fact that they had several seniors that was never granted degrees.

Personally, I think the State Boards need to put a stop to the practice. The entire purpose of the accredidation is to take out substandard nursing programs.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Yes, they can do this, and no I don't think it's fair.

What the schools are doing is covering up for the fact that they have a substandard nursing program.

The degree is required in order for you to be able to take the state boards. If they only grant degrees to the students that are most likely to pass the state boards on the first attempt, then this artificially raises their pass rate with the state.

In otherwords, if they had 40 seniors, and only 10 passed the NCLEX-PN predictor, and only those 10 were granted degrees, and those same 10 passed the first time, then the school could advertise that they have a 100% pass rate....which would cover up the fact that they had several seniors that was never granted degrees.

Personally, I think the State Boards need to put a stop to the practice. The entire purpose of the accredidation is to take out substandard nursing programs.

:yeah::bow:EXCELLENT summary! It is true...all of these programs advertize falsely. The entire game is a farce, but it will never stop. This is how money is wasted, resources never made available and people are discouraged.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

All of the pupils in my class had to take an exit exam written by ERI (Educational Resources Inc.) a few weeks before completion of my LVN program in 2005. There were 22 people in this class, and 6 individuals did not meet the school's passing standard.

The 6 people who did not do so well were allowed to graduate, but the school refused to send their NCLEX eligibility paperwork into the state board of nursing until these test takers got enough "remediation" to pass the ERI exam.

Yes, the exit exam is a method to keep NCLEX pass rates artificially high. The schools do not want to send graduates to take NCLEX if there's even a slight chance they might fail. NCLEX failure means that the school's pass rate drops.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Yes, the exit exam is a method to keep NCLEX pass rates artificially high. The schools do not want to send graduates to take NCLEX if there's even a slight chance they might fail. NCLEX failure means that the school's pass rate drops.

Which will lead to less admissions to program, leads to less money=close program. Doesn't mean that the students were idiots, just means that the program sucks lemons and that is it...

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Time for a happy update... :dancgrp:

They are going to allow the students to keep taking retakes until they pass!

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Hey there...I feel your pain. I just graduated in December and we had to do Arnette....let me tell you DO NOT let your Arnette scores take over your mind set......I did just that and my last 10 weeks of school were HELL. I passed by Arnette standards, but not by my schools standards. I am a 3.8 GPA gradaute...had almost all A's my entire time. My school had the same standards....you will not graduate....which is simply NOT accurate...they just will not sponser you to sit for your NCLEX. BUT my school made us remediate....with 3000 questions, and then you had to take the Exit Hesi. Arnette is a lot harder than the NCLEX and the HESI. According to Arnette I only had a 25% chance of passing!!!!! YOU WILL DO FINE, Not only did I get a 1100 on the HESI (which predicted 95% chance of passing NCLEX, but I passed my NCLEX with 85 questions. DO NOT LET THOSE TESTS STRESS YOU OUT....it is not worth it.

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