Hesi: I Feel Like I Need a Miracle..

AZMOMO2 · Nov 9, 2012

I suggest the Prep-U RN 10,000 Lippincott quizzes. They are an adaptive quiz that gets harder as you get higher on their "mastery" leveling system.

It will get you to thinking more in the NCLEX and HESI style.

Also do you practice NCLEX questions outside of what you do just for school? Hit up the bookstore and do NCLEX questions for the topics you are covering... it not only helps you study, but it also gets your mind into the NCLEX/HESI mindset... make sure to read the rationals for the questions... including the tips to answering them not just why they are right.

Soliloquy, MSN, APRN, NP · Nov 9, 2012

I suggest the Prep-U RN 10,000 Lippincott quizzes. They are an adaptive quiz that gets harder as you get higher on their "mastery" leveling system.
It will get you to thinking more in the NCLEX and HESI style.
Also do you practice NCLEX questions outside of what you do just for school? Hit up the bookstore and do NCLEX questions for the topics you are covering... it not only helps you study, but it also gets your mind into the NCLEX/HESI mindset... make sure to read the rationals for the questions... including the tips to answering them not just why they are right.

Hey AZmom, I have a book and I do questions. I'll take your advice and apply it. I have the Hesi again in a week...

rumwynnieRN · Dec 6, 2012

My scores have not be good for the HESI. Our school wants us to have an 850, but in my HESI scores have consistently ranged from 577-825. I have more HESIs coming up and I know I've improved in nursing but I just feel really discouraged right now. They make us do test questions on the Evolve website and I tend to get between 56-80% right on the questions.
The stories I read on here, people are pulling in the thousands for the Hesi. I'm going to graduate for sure. I know I know my work, but answering the questions...for whatever reason I get it wrong. And that makes me nervous for the NCLEX.
Insight and additional information please.

My school does the same thing -- we need to have a 900 to pass. I had the same anxieties you have, and whatever I used at first, I always got an estimated score of 700, or something below 800. It didn't help me that I only had a few weeks to study while the rest of my classmates had the entire summer (I was in summer school).

The thing I figured out after a while was there was a pattern to the questions, and you really have to change how you think. I really don't think HESI questions are similar to NCLEX questions -- I think they're harder, and their approach is different. I had to find some other way to approach the questions. When I finally took the exam, I got a score of 1031 (...totally not what I would've gotten before). Some of my classmates haven't passed it after taking the second one, and we graduate next week.

That's what worked for me in the end. I know it's frustrating because it really isn't a measure of what you know and what you can do, it's just a test, and the whole "you-can't-graduate-until-you-pass-HESI" is ridiculous.

Too bad nursing schools won't be changing that any time soon, at least not where I am.

CareMare · Feb 16, 2013

The thing I figured out after a while was there was a pattern to the questions, and you really have to change how you think. I really don't think HESI questions are similar to NCLEX questions -- I think they're harder, and their approach is different. I had to find some other way to approach the questions.

How were you able to do this? I need to get in HESI mode and think like HESI, but I do not know how! What was your approach?

NinaBelle, DNP, APRN · Feb 16, 2013

My school does the same thing -- we need to have a 900 to pass. I had the same anxieties you have, and whatever I used at first, I always got an estimated score of 700, or something below 800. It didn't help me that I only had a few weeks to study while the rest of my classmates had the entire summer (I was in summer school).
The thing I figured out after a while was there was a pattern to the questions, and you really have to change how you think. I really don't think HESI questions are similar to NCLEX questions -- I think they're harder, and their approach is different. I had to find some other way to approach the questions. When I finally took the exam, I got a score of 1031 (...totally not what I would've gotten before). Some of my classmates haven't passed it after taking the second one, and we graduate next week.
That's what worked for me in the end. I know it's frustrating because it really isn't a measure of what you know and what you can do, it's just a test, and the whole "you-can't-graduate-until-you-pass-HESI" is ridiculous.
Too bad nursing schools won't be changing that any time soon, at least not where I am.

Exactly, Hesi is a different beast from NCLEX. What I got was the Comprehensive Review for NCLEX RN Examination book. I also purchased hesistudy.com, its a question bank based on hesi like question. I also did Hurst Review the second time we did our HESI and I seen a big difference. My first hesi was 920 the second one was 1030. The HESI is based on content, if you know your content you should at least score an 850, so I do recommend to get HURST review online, go through their packet. Good luck.