94 or higher is an A?

PVCCHoo · May 10, 2016

Probably everyone on this board has to deal with this at their nursing school.

We need an 80 to pass and a 93 for an A.

I graduate on Friday and about half the people that were there on the first day won't be there.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 10, 2016

The LPN/LVN program that I completed in 2005 had the following grading scale:

93 to 100 = A

85 to 92 = B

78 to 84 = C

The ASN program that I completed in 2010 had the following scale:

94 to 100 = A

85 to 93 = B

77 to 84 = C

Zooey72 · May 10, 2016

It is what it is. One of the posters here wrote something that I have taken to heart. (paraphrasing)

"If you got straight A's in your pre-reqs, don't think you will get them now. On your first day of class you can look to your left and look to your right and see people who have done the same. You may be the exception, but don't count on A's in nursing school".

I got almost all A's (1 B+) with my pre-reqs. I will bust my ass and do the best I can, but even my best gave me a B+ in A&P2. My school has a 93 or higher being an A; with that standard my A&P1 grade would have been a B+ (still would have gotten an A in micro though).

Point being is get the best grade you can get. Some people can pull straight A's, some can not. I think the bigger concern should be for people who barely made it in. From everything I have heard (and believe) that although the pre-reqs are not easy, they are nothing compared to nursing classes. If you squeaked by the pre-reqs and got in, the demands of nursing school may be too much. I got close to perfect grades, but it scares me that my best only got me a B+ in A&P2.

MJane29 · May 10, 2016

I can definitely relate to this. I am currently in an accelerated BS program and a 94% and above is an A, 87%-93% is a B, and 80-86% is a C. It is particularly frustrating in our program because all of the students in my cohort entered with a least a previous bachelor's degree, and most completed their previous degree(s) with impressive grade point averages. Exam content is often very difficult and unpredictable, and when paired with the exceptionally strict grading scale creates an "uber" competitive atmosphere/culture. I am in the midst of finals for a 17-credit spring semester course load and am literally biting my nails, praying that I am able to put up the exam scores necessary to maintain my current grades. There is so little margin for error. :-/ My best advice is to make every effort to refrain from comparing yourself to others. I have come to the realization that the only thing within my control is the amount of effort that I put in. If I put all of myself into something and I fall short, so be it. I can take some comfort in knowing that I did all that I could. Sadly, I must admit that this is a work in progress, as I am still diligently working toward changing my thought process to incorporate this mantra. :)

Zibbie · May 10, 2016

I'm not in a nursing program but I thought 94, 90 for an A- was normal? I feel like that is pretty standard so that scale is tough but not far off. Maybe where you went to school before was the exception?

BeachsideRN, ASN · May 10, 2016

I've found that the majority of programs work this way, often without rounding up either

mrsboots87 · May 10, 2016

Why would the lower the passing standard to get a higher pass rate? It is the programs job to weed out students who won't have the minimum competency to practice safely as a new grad nurse.

The passing rate isn't meant for you to vent about a program and ask for leniency. Schools with higher passing rates don't have easier programs or lower passing standards. They have more vigorous entrance standards. They do the weeding before the program starts. Schools with lower passing rates usually have more lax entrance standards so the weeding out is done while in the program.

Instead ad of getting frustrated with the lassi g standard (which is very similar across the board, your program is not exceptional or harder because of it) focus on studying. And doing your best to pass.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · May 10, 2016

The program I attended does NOT have + or - in the letter grade, you only get "whole" letter grades. Their grading system at the time was simple.

90 or greater = A

80-89 = B

75 - 79 = C

Clinical Grade was Pass/Fail, and if "Pass" then your grade would = theory grade. Fail = out of program.

What also has to be noted is that the program utilizes a points system for determining your final grade. It's possible to fail a number of exams and still pass the course if your points totals are high enough. This also meant you knew where you stood as far as course grade at any time because you knew how many points were possible at that time and how many points you had earned. They did NOT do any rounding of grades. I know of classmates that failed out by (literally) 2 points or got passed to the next class by being 2 points above Fail.

Nursing programs tend to have very difficult/tough grading scales and they set their standards pretty high. They keep track of who passes and fails the NCLEX and what grades were earned during school. By looking at the data and pass rates, they know what they must do to ensure high pass rates on the NCLEX. At my program, there were a couple of students that managed to earn straight A grades throughout the program. There were a couple of students that couldn't earn higher than C grades, most earned solid B grades. None of my classmates, including the "C" students, failed the NCLEX.

Oceanblu · May 10, 2016

Wow I really did not know the majority of nursing schools has a similar grading scale like this. And it makes wonder how some Allnurses members can keep a 4.0 in nursing school.

Oceanblu · May 10, 2016

Why would the lower the passing standard to get a higher pass rate? It is the programs job to weed out students who won't have the minimum competency to practice safely as a new grad nurse.
The passing rate isn't meant for you to vent about a program and ask for leniency. Schools with higher passing rates don't have easier programs or lower passing standards. They have more vigorous entrance standards. They do the weeding before the program starts. Schools with lower passing rates usually have more lax entrance standards so the weeding out is done while in the program.

You make a pretty good point and I understand where you're coming from. And it's true they do have sosome pretty lax standards. And they admit 130 students each year and usually it seems that only 111 students be surviving and gets to graduate.

Jensmom7, BSN, RN · May 10, 2016

And this is why we need to stop giving a trophy to every kid who shows up to an event.

Learning about competition and that not everyone gets an automatic A in life isn't a bad thing.