HESI during Nursing school?

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So, do all nursing schools make you take HESI's?

We have two a term, and have to pass with a combined total of 75% to continue on. Even after reading Kaplan, and Saunders I still have no clue what the heck I'm doing. I have taken 5 so far, and I'm just as lost as when I took my first...

I read that a lot of schools make you do a HESI exit exam, but we have two a term for 2 full years...Why?

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Our school makes us do a HESI for the end of each semester. I have heard of plenty of schools that don't do HESI's at all. I have no insight as to why/why not schools decide to have HESIs - I'm too new to the whole thing for that lol.

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Yes, we had to take one at the end of every semester. The only one that counted was the last semester (needed 75% to pass), the previous others were more for practice purposes. Good luck to you.

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Specializes in Pediatric Mental Health.

Endicott College in MA makes you take (and pass) two or three a semester and the exit HESI to graduate.

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We do one at the end of each semester...and remediate if our scores do not meet standards set by the school. Our final HESi counts in our grade for the last semester. We've been told that doing well on HESi is predictive of performance on NCLEX; I hope that's true!

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Specializes in NeuroICU/SICU/MICU.

We had one at the end of each class (1-2 per semester, depending on how many classes we took) and an exit HESI. The course HESIs counted towards around 5% of our grades, and in order to get the points you had to score an 850 or higher. We have 2 tries to pass the exit HESI with an 850, otherwise we have to take the Kaplan NCLEX course to be allowed to graduate. In our case, it's being used as a way to show the state board of nursing that the university is doing something to try to improve their NCLEX pass rate (right now we're at something like 88%).

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No HESI exams here.

I do wonder if it is an attempt by the schools to protect their NCLEX pass rates. Fail those that dont pass the HESI and there is no need to worry about that student failing the NCLEX also.

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Specializes in NICU.

I had to take HESI's in nursing school, and had to take an exit HESI exam with a minimum passing score in order to graduate. It is supposed to be a predictor if you will pass NCLEX on the first try. I found NCLEX to be easier than HESI. There is a HESI book to help you study. However, I found Saunders to be the best study guide, for HESI and NCLEX.

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Specializes in Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes.

The HESI was optional at the school I attended during our last semester. Personally, the Kaplan and Saunders material helped me more when it came to studying for NCLEX.

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No HESI exams here.

I do wonder if it is an attempt by the schools to protect their NCLEX pass rates. Fail those that dont pass the HESI and there is no need to worry about that student failing the NCLEX also.

That is exactly why they do it. They know that if you do well on HESI, you are more than likely to do well on NCLEX. My school requires an 850 on the exit HESI in order to graduate. They have it tied to one of our easiest classes (seriously--we didn't even have a book for that class!); if you don't pass the HESI, you have to retake the entire class.

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Specializes in ED.

i took HESI and we had to get a 850 to get out. I failed the first time when i studied a lot, but i didnt care about the 2nd one and got a 862 :o

I didnt bother about HESI and just Kaplan and it helped me pass

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
Our school makes us do a HESI for the end of each semester. I have heard of plenty of schools that don't do HESI's at all. I have no insight as to why/why not schools decide to have HESIs - I'm too new to the whole thing for that lol.

Especially since only the people that sell the program to schools make these high claims of accuracy.

Independent studies of HESI and ATI show that it's a good tool, but not an iron-clad predictor.

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