hesi exit exam

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Hi All,

I am new here to the forum, my name is Holly and I am in my last semester of nursing school. This past Saturday we all had to take our exit hesi exam, well myself and over half of the class failed it (we currently have 54 students in our senior class). I did everything to prepare for this exam and was told to expose myself to as many questions as possible. I went through the entire saunders book from front to back, over 1200 mosby question cards and additional questions in another nclex book I had, plus I did questions from the hesi cd rom which I sucked at. The only book I didn't read was the hesi book b/c I was told it wasn't helpful from previous graduates. I can take the hesi one more time this semester and if I don't pass the second time I can't graduate in may, if I flunk it the third time I am out of the program. I have been a straight A-B student throughout my education for the past 7 years, I am also a member of sigma theta tau, but if I don't pass this computer exam I am not good enough to be a nurse, meanwhile I owe $123,000 in student loans b/c I go to a private college. I called the people from hesi to see if they had any resources for students to be more successful on this exam and they said no, all they do is sell exams to colleges. Any advice would be appreciated? I need to learn how to answer hesi questions.

Thanks Holly

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Oh, Holly. I feel your pain. I really do. I am so sorry for you, and I'm even more sorry that no one's respnded here yet.

I'm kind of in the same boat. Good student. Always have been very dedicated to my studies. Straight A's in my undergraduate degree (career-changer to a community college nursing program), and average in the 80-90 range on most of my nursing school tests. Our first crack at the HESI exit exam is April 1, and I am honestly more terrified of it than I am of our midterm this Tuesday, which is 40% of our grade.

Last night, I did the 120-question Med-Surg section on the CD that came with the HESI evolve practice book. Scored a 55% :eek:! I mean, utter embarrassment. Thank god it was in the privacy of my own home. Feeling like garbage, I got up this morning and took the 75-question comprehensive exam on the same CD. Felt MUCH better about it when I was taking it; still only scored a 65% :eek::eek:!! I want to throw up. We've worked too hard and come too far to have it end like this, right? I'm a midlife career changer. Was a straight-A student in my 20 year old undergrad degree and have consistently scored in the 80s on my nursing school tests. No one's ever gotten an A in our community college nursing program.

I am beside myself with fear of the HESI, and hearing your story has made it even worse. I can't believe the preparation you did for it, and the results you got.

I don't have any words of wisdom, but just wanted you to know I read your post and am thinking about you, wishing you the best. I hope you're able to find something that makes it easier for you.

I keep telling myself that maybe the actual exam that counts won't be as difficult or tricky as the practice questions on the CD. Did you do them? Were the questions comparable? I even thought that the questions I did last night seemed harder than the ones I did this morning.

Did you find that the caliber of the questions on the actual test were comparable to the ones on the HESI practice CD? I'd love to hear more from you. Have you had your second attempt yet? Please update us here, and let me know if there's anything that's helped you. Best of luck.

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Thank you, the test is very much like the cd rom and I sucked on all of them too, my best word of advice, study your hesi book, I didn't do that and I probably would have passed had I did. Two of my friends used the hesi book and scored in the high 900s their first time. I did what everyone else says to do expose yourself to questions and do the saunders book, didn't work for me and over half of my class failed. We do our retake on March 28th and all I am doing is studying the hesi book and I am enrolling to an online prep course on evolve for 4 weeks for $60. The key with hesi is you have to learn how to think like they do in order to answer the questions, and maslows heiarchy of needs is big with hesi. Hope this helped, good luck

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Specializes in Critical Care.

We take it for the first time April 17th. Not looking forward to it. NCLEX is easier, from those I've known that have taken it.

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Thanks for your replies! Holly, do you have a link to the online HESI prep course? I have a friend I know would be interested in it in addition to me. Thanks!

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I was told that the Kaplan review is very helpful for both the Hesi and the boards. My clinical instructer gave us stats on her students that used it and the ones that did not and she has worked at the college for 26 years. It is expensive, but I am told worth it. It teaches you how to test, not just the material. I am going to spring for it, it will pay off in the end. Kate:specs:

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Well I just wanted to let you all know that I was unsuccessful on my third hesi and was terminated from the nursing program. 120,000+ dollars in debt, 128 credits in nursing I can't do anything with because I can't sit for my boards, and running out of options because my sciences will expire with most programs next year, filed an appeal with the school and denied twice, now I know why there is a nursing shortage across the nation, even good students get terminated from programs, got a nursing job offer last week and had to turn it down, meanwhile the bills are piling and my loans are going to go into repayment soon and we don't have enough money in our savings to get us through the winter, if god is watching down I hope he does something soon to get me out of this mess:bluecry1:

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Specializes in ICU/CICU.

i'm sorry youre frustrated. I can tell you that none of the students that are in my program enjoy taking HESI's. they're a bunch of crap! and DEFINITELY not a reflection of your abilities of a nurse.

Good luck when you take it next!

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there is no next, I am done and the school is done with me, unless my lawyer can fight this policy of politics I may as well go into another profession, the school will not back down on their policy, it's three strikes your out and I am out, officially terminated!!! So what the hell do I do with 128 credits in nursing that I cannot use,,those bastards, how can they do this and get away with it???

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oh and by the way the hesi book sucks, dissected it 4 times above other measures and after 8 weeks of intense remediation my hesi score dropped 138 points, their remediatin is a joke, half the stuff on their exams are not in the hesi books or your nursing books for that matter..trust me I know..trust me..good luck to all of you but I am beyond ****** and policy and politics..

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Hi this is my first time on. I'm have to take my hesi for the 4th. The closet I've came to passing the exam was 893, we need a 900!!! I'm wondering if ANYONE, ANYONE, ANYONE have any notes or tips or ANYTHING!!!??? I'm so TIRED of this test!! I NEED HELP PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!!!!!!

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