How many of you...

calivianya, BSN, RN · May 11, 2013

Wow, that's ridiculous. We took it once in my program, following the fall semester of senior year. It was not for a grade and not required to pass the program; it just determined if we were allowed to choose a specialty area for our clinical practicum in the spring. The logic was that if you didn't do well on the HESI you needed more med-surg review, but if you did very well and were competent on the HESI you could afford to work in a specialty because your knowledge was good. I think it's insane that a school would use it for a GRADE... that test is hard!

gabriellegoss · May 11, 2013

The HESI exams are actually much "easier" than our unit exams (at least to us).. I think it really makes you study hard when it's worth such a large percentage of your grade!

RLtinker, LPN · May 11, 2013

Actually, we just have ATI as well, it is usually worth about 5% of our total grade depending on the level we test at. Is it more difficult or easier then ATI?

gabriellegoss · May 11, 2013

I think they are about the same difficulty level, ATI is a little more pathophys based.. HESI involves pathophys PLUS knowledge of how to answer the question being asked.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · May 11, 2013

My program uses the HESI exams every semester AFTER the 1st, but they're not for grade purposes. They use it to get you used to how NCLEX questions are written... by someone other than our professors. They also use it to guide you, the student, in what you need to study/concentrate on for later. But it's definitely NOT for grade purposes. I'm sure they also look at the questions in aggregate to see where their own instruction is lacking and improve their side of things.

ItDepends · May 12, 2013

We take the HESI at the end of each semester and it becomes a progressively higher percentage of our grade. For example in the first semester it was worth 10% and in the final semester it is worth 40% of our grade. Evolve case studies are a great help in preparing for the HESI exams!

Ele123 · May 12, 2013

My school uses the HESI. After Foundations of Nursing, we take the HESI during the last week of class and our score is about 10% of our grade in the class, so I just took it. If we don't get a 850, we have to retake the HESI when we come back in August. If we still don't get the 850 benchmark in August we are put into "learning communities" and take the test again near the end of the fall semester.

Julesmama28 · May 12, 2013

We take a Kaplan exam each semester, it counts for 3-5% of our grade, we get full points if you reach benchmark.

gabriellegoss · May 12, 2013

Where do you find the Evolve Case studies?

Ms_barnesRN · May 12, 2013

It's required, but only 10% of overall but must be passed with a 77% also to pass the class, this done every semester but not sure if the overall % changes every class.

Ms_barnesRN · May 12, 2013

My teacher told us HESI and ATI are about the same just different companies but content is close to similar.

melizerd, ASN, RN · May 13, 2013

We are required to take it every semester as part of our clinical course. If you get 850 or more first semester you pass it, second, third and fourth you need 900 to pass it. I've found it to be a really valuable tool because it forces you to get used to taking an exam on a computer, in a room with others, and have a pass/fail stress on it!

My school has really pushed the HESI and it really seems to be working because for the last 8 quarters we've had a 100% NCLEX pass rate!! In the last 2 quarters there were 108 students that took the NCLEX, they all passed the first try so it must be working. I would also say that my program (and ADN program) is quite hard, 80% is our failing percent mark, and that's a C+. It's known in the state as being one of the better ADN programs and we get hired in the hospitals ASAP too. So it's a combination of things but the HESI is definitely part of it.