Hesi exit exams

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Does anyone think this should be illegal? This was not in our student handbook nor did it state the 900 and above we must recieve in order to graduate. The school also states we fail the last course we took regardless of the actual grade we earned. THIS STAYS ON OUR TRANSCRIPT THAT WE FAILED A NRSG CLASS! WHEN THIS IS NOT THE CASE. They also are charging us a semesters worth of tuition for taking the hesi exam after unsuccessful tries of not passing with a 900 or above. This is not a separate class. Where is this money going? If we don't have to actually repeat the course, yet have to pay. I was done with school in October, but not able to sit for boards yet nor recieve my BSN in which I successfully completed all requirements for each course clinically and classroom.How can this be stopped? This is for the NCLEX to decide not a study guide for the NCLEX. Why should this determine my future of whether I become a prudent, successful, caring nurse that I know I would be?

my school makes us take the HESI exam too. We have to get an 850 I think to graduate. Not only that we have to complete 3000 questions from this NCLEX review cdrom thing with and 80% on each section(their all divided up like 400 med surg so 80% on that etc, its confusing) to even sit to take the HESI, and if you fail the HESI twice you have to PAY and sit for the Kaplan state review. My class is so mad, the december graduates only 7 people were actually able to "graduate" b/c they passed HESI.

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Specializes in ICU/ER.

Excuse my ignorance. But I have no idea what HESI even is, I have never heard of such a thing till I joined this site and read posts of people stressing out about it.

I graduated from University of Saint Francis in Indiana. I know nurses who have graduated from IPFW as well as Ivy Tech-Ball State and Purdue and have never heard them talk of this test the "HESI". What is it? Where do you take it? your school or a test site like where we take NCLEX? out of curiosity since it wont apply to me anyways. What do people think that have taken HESI and then boards? Similiar? Any one know the pass rates of people who take Nclex who have passed this HESI?

I am only assuming it is a way for schools to bump up thier NCLEX pass rates, by having the students take an NCLEX style of test before taking boards.

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Specializes in My first yr. as a LVN!.

Racing-mom, youre right its mainly for the school and point blank I think its a joke. My school is just now offering one and then the students who took it have to wait until Friday for results... LMAO! HA! Im not regressing back to school, Im progressing to NCLEX, so forget them ... they have been nothing but a disorganized MESS! It pretty much complies a lot of things, somewhat similar to both what you learned in school as well as some NCLEX, some in NCLEX style so to speak... one of my classmates took it MOnday and he said there were 110 ques. and some he had never even heard of before... and hes still waiting results and takes his NCLEX this Saturday so now its kinda like what the point for results? Anyway I passed on it... Im ready for NCLEX...!

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I know that this is the deal at some nursing schools. The nursing school I just graduated from in december did require us to take the HESI, but it didnt count towards anything. That HESI was hard as heck. There were so many questions I just guessed on. We were just supposed to use the information to see where we were weak. Consequently, I just finished an RN NCLEX review course and I cant tell you how many times the instructor stated that the HESI exam is TOTAL BS.

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Who had a lawsuit about the hesi exam last semester?

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I know how you feel about the HESI. It sucks. My school used to make it a graduation requirement until 6 people out of last year's class didn't pass and didn't graduate. Someone threatened to sue, and it is no longer a graduation requirement. It does however affect my final grade. If it is really hindering you from graduating, getting a lawyer (while it may seem extreme right now) may not be a bad idea, especially if it is not written in your syllabus or major requirements. Hang in there, it will be ok. To study, I used the Saunders book and the HESI book, but really, just take your time on the exam. Think out each question and don't rush through it. It can be done!

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My sister and Aunt alongside with their classmates are suiing their school. They ascertained an attorney. They were never told about taking the HESI exam until about a month before graduation. Like most of you who wrote, they also graduated and got pinned. Than they took the HESI exam and failed. Another thing, most students were given preferrential treatment over other students. Some students in their class where given up to six chances to re take the exam while others were only given three chances. What is that all about???

I agree with what is being posted here. HESI should only be used as an assessment tool. It the students are failing than that would also show that the instructors are too. Its all about getting money and vanity... not helping the students.

If the school advertises their NCLEX pass rate is 99%, that is necessarily not true. They only count the students who passed HESI and took the boards. In my sister and aunt's case, 80% (approx) who completed the course still has not passed HESI. The one who did pass HESI, quite a few of them took the NCLEX RN exam twice. Go figure.

I understand everyone's frustration. My aunt is an MLPN, and works at a chicago university hospital. She is very respected there. She will be moving out to Minnnesota, she was offered alot more money at a trauma hospital and the cost of living is cheaper.

My concern, people who say they will try to fight whether they have pass HESI or not because they strongly feel this is wrong. Have given up the fight. Most got busy working and making money. A few of my aunts classmates who said they would stand by here... did not.

I am learning alot about this field. Its not so compassion, and it lacks team effort and loyalty. Where has the honor gone?

I have been through alot myself with my nursing program. I just keep praying everyday, that something will change. Principle where did it go?

Good Luck to Everyone! My prayers are with you! Maybe, you guys can tell us when you will be taking your HESI and we can all pray together for you.

Keep fighting.

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I find it so completely appalling that a school could prevent someone from graduating based on an exam that is supposed to serve as a study tool for the nclex. my school used it as a guide for preparing people for the nclex, but if you didnt take it, you didnt graduate. They used to do it so that if you didnt pass HESI, you didnt graduate. Do you have to retake the whole course for that semester? was it part of the syllabus? I would start with the higher ups at the school first and go from there. One word of caution: I dont know how your school is, but my school was very old school and very conservative and if you had a gripe, you better come prepared. So maybe doing some "homework" about this whole hesi deal first will benefit you. Good luck and remember, there is a light at the end of the very long, exhausting nursing school tunnel!

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Specializes in ICU.

We were told that HESI is much like the NCLEX and having a 900 means we are more likely to pass the NCLEX (ofcourse the schools want their students to pass the NCLEX to boost their ratings). Anyway, if we don't make a 900, we must take a review course (offered free at school) before we can graduate or else this means we do not meet the requirements. I just see it as a way of them making sure we are "prepared" for the NCLEX. BUT I DO FEEL THAT IF THE SCHOOL OPERATED AS THE OP'S SCHOOL, THAT WOULD BE VERY UNFAIR!

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I'm graduating in May, I have passed the Hesi. However, about 22 people out of 89 or 90 (number changes frequently) in my class didn't pass the Hesi; they had 4 times to take it and pass it. My school also has the requirement that you must get an 850 or higher otherwise you get an F in complex care (with preceptorship). These 22 people are allowed to walk, and get pinned but must finish complex care in the summer and graduate (officially) in August.

After the 22 people didn't pass for the fourth time there was much confusion about their future. First of all, you are only allowed to fail 2 nursing classes and after that you can no longer attend my specific nursing school. After having to met with the Dean, some other nursing school administrator, and BSN committee it was decided that they all would get Ds in complex care instead of Fs. They decided this because it would set off red flags if 22 people failed and a D is passing according to the University but not the nursing school (76 is passing). I think it is insane that nursing schools put so much stock in this one test. It also just plain stinks. Sending happy thoughts and strength to all of you studying for the Exit Hesi. :smilecoffeecup:

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We were required to take and pass the HESI with an 850 or higher. I honestly never saw it as a big deal (that being said I took it twice with 1000+ both times). We were told early on we had to take and pass this test to graduate. Through our entire program all our tests were given in NCLEX question format. I feel we were very well prepared by our program. We took it the first week of our last semester as an assessment. It didnt count for anything, just showed you where you were and what you needed to work on. We then had 3x to take it for real and pass it. We had an entire class devoted to NCLEX strategies in this term. We had the print out from our assessment at the end of the HESI exam. Our instructor showed us how to read all the bars and graphs to see where our weak areas were. We had a book on NCLEX test taking strategies we had chapters on. Out of 30 in my class about half didnt pass the first real time, 4 still havent passed. They recieved an incomplete in the class, but still got to walk and be pinned ect. They are required to go through Kaplan review, then they take it again. If they still do not pass (which my college has never had happen) they will repeat thier last semester and have 4 more tries to pass. We were told this would be the case from the very beginning. I feel for those who had it thrown on them with no warning. Just some advice though... take that anger and all the energy you are using to fight the HESI and study your butt off for it! I didnt think it was nearly the monster everyone makes it out to be. Yes it is difficult.. Yes it is stressful, but its a test! Figure out your weak areas and study them, figure out why they are weak and fix it. Med/surg is the biggest part of all versions of the HESI, even specialty questions usually have a med/surg base. Know your lab values, know drug calc. The HESI cd that comes with the HESI book is a very good study tool. The questions are VERY similar to that on the actual test in the way they are delivered and worded. Dont be put off by the % scores you get on them though, I never got above an 85% on the CD, but passed my hesi with 1000+. Take the questions and make sure you read the rationales at the end. Good luck! Anxiety about the test is not your friend on test day!

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My school has a benchmark of 950 in order to be allowed to take the NCLEX. We can attend pinning if we have not reached the 950 requirement. I was allowed to take the early HESI midway through this semester. I made a 953.

The number of the benchmark is set by the head of the department, I guess. With my school, they set the benchmark high, so they know their numbers will not be affected. See, we have the highest pass rate for the NCLEX in the state. If they keep the benchmark that high, they feel like we are more likely to pass the NCLEX.

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