Interviewer asked about my GPA

Nurses New Nurse

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I had an interview last week for an ER position at my first choice hospital and about half way through the interview, the nurse manager asked what my GPA was. It made me pause for a second because I thought no one cared about that outside of school. I told her the number and then she went on to ask me more questions.

Has anyone else been asked their GPA during an interview? I thought it was kind of weird! I always tried to make the best grades I could during school and now I'm glad I did.

BTW, I got the job!!! :nurse: I beat out 4 other people and I almost started crying when they called me with the job offer. I was in the ER during my preceptorship and I LOVE it.

Specializes in Family Practice, Primary Care.
I never said people don't ask - and I guess I assume all nursing students have great GPA's because that is what it took to get into nursing school and maintain your competitive edge in the program - what I said was that it's not all there is.

GPA has subjectiveness to it. For example, people can fluff with art classes or electives. That's why admission into a program is good when they isolate their prereqs and those classes only.

GPA can be questionable based on what determines the grade for the course. One nursing program may be known for having 3 tests and that composes the grade vs. a program that uses 2 tests, an exam, and 2 papers or a group project. You know?

GPA can be skewed by which teacher you get. We know which teachers grades heavier on papers vs. those teachers who have killer tests.

That's the point. Ironically, the people who had THE highest GPA's in my program have yet to pass HESI 3 times out. I have a great GPA and the difference between mine and theirs is miniscule but I passed Hesi with a superior score. Our class of 20 had grades on top of each other. We all excelled - and that had to be established over and over again. One problem in programs like these is that good students are the norm. We all are the top dogs in other classes and now there's a group of top dogs. It has to be established that we're all smart so "get over yourself".

So - point taken? Let's not forget work ethic, physical, get your hands-in-there-and-do-the-physical-work work ethic. Attendance. Etc.

If I was an employer, I'd look at GPA but I'd want the complete package and I'd take GPA with a grain of salt.

How can work ethic matter if you are a new grad with no experience? Everyone is going to say they're a good worker, and you choose references who will say nice things about you. GPA is technically objective data.

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There were cheat sheets I refused to use floating around my school with questions and answers to previous tests. I know for a fact I could of increased my GPA by several points had I have cheated. Especially since I missed A in 3 classes by a fraction of a point. I may not have a 4.0 but I have my integrity.

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I just applied for an externship that required a transcript. Just because someone can maintain a 4.0 GPA, doesn't mean they have a good bedside manner, doesn't mean they don't have a good bedside manner either. However, if you're looking at 2 applicants, one with a 4.0 and one with a 2.5, the one with a 4.0 will probably get the interview. You don't know the circumstances each of those applicants were under during nursing school. The one with the 4.0 may have had all the time in the world to study, or maybe not. The one with a 2.5 may have been working full time with 2 small children, or may have had all the time in the world. Who knows? I just don't think it's right to judge by someones GPA, especially before you even interview the person.

It could go the other way. The one with the 4.0 could be a mom with three kids working at a hospital while enrolled in a full time nursing program taking 19 credits. My friend was like that. In that case, it should tell the employer this person can handle lots of stuff and still do well. I bursted my behind working fulltime and taking 20credits and still aced everything.

I don't think employers use GPAs only as a deciding factor. I know C average students who are great at the people and great at what they do during clinicals or even work and so it wouldn't be wise to judge them by their grades.

On the other hand, i know one hospital here in philly that only takes BSNs wth 3.2 GPA or above. I did an extenship there and they required 3.0 for externs so i don't know if this 3.2 is an increase or if they have different requirements for nurses. For a specific position, they needed people with 3.5 and above. I thought that was a little over the top.

Honestly, some hospitals don't care. I put my GPA on my resume but my employer didn't ask for a transcript or even a letter of recommendation. They just hired me (a week after the inteview)...who knows if they checked my references instead cuz i had four of them. I know i wasn't the only applying for that position...well, the position said "experienced nurse but will consider new grads".

This is a good hospital and i know people who applied and were turned away. It makes me wonder what made them not get the job if this employer doesn't ask for stuff like that. Another girl was shadowing on the same floor with me the same day i interviewd.

it's wierd but thing is some hospitals care and some don't care when it comes to the GPA.

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There were cheat sheets I refused to use floating around my school with questions and answers to previous tests. I know for a fact I could of increased my GPA by several points had I have cheated. Especially since I missed A in 3 classes by a fraction of a point. I may not have a 4.0 but I have my integrity.

I think it's why employers don't use gpa as a deciding factor. Some don't even consider it. Although i have to say the only cheat i saw in my school was someone who never made anything beyond a C. I was actually amazed at how far she'd gotten in the program. Anyway, her cup runneth over, she couldn't pass the third class and was kicked out. I think cheating in nursing is scary and dangerous because we're gonna end up having someone who has no clue as to what they're doing.

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I had my 2nd interview the other day (landed the job BTW :yeah:) and was asked what my GPA and position in class was.

The DON who interviewed me first didn't ask about my GPA.

I am of the mind set that a great GPA indicates book smart it doesn't mean that it will indicate great nurse.

I am proud of my GPA and class standing but I don't think for one second that because I have a high GPA, that I am or will be a better nurse than someone who has one lower than me. Nor do I think I am not as good a nurse as the couple of students who graded higher than I did.

Wooow.....position i class? never been asked that question. On the other hand, i only had two interviews at two hosp i applied to in MD and none of them ask for my gpa or class standing. i wouldn't know my class standing if they'd asked. i did have my gpa on my resume but the manager didn't even have my resume in front of her when she was interviewing. The other one had it but she hadn't had the time to look through it and when she did glance through it, she only looked at my job history and went "so you work as an extern."

i hope hospitals don't focus on class standings and gpas only. I had a letter of recc. from my current nurse manager and most of the people on my references where nurse managers i'd had or clinical instructors. Some hospitals ask for LoRs from clinical instructors so they can determine the candidates work ethic

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Specializes in pediatric transplant.

I wasn't directly asked what my GPA was during the interview, but all the hospitals I applied to required transcripts and most "suggested" not applying if your GPA was not above a certain specification. I suppose that was their roundabout way of finding out! :wink2:

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Specializes in ICU, CVICU.

Here's a different perspective.

When I was interviewing, I had my GPR on my resume (it's high) and I had a couple of nurse managers (after seeing my GPR) say things to me like "I can tell you are really hard on yourself" or "I can tell that you are a perfectionist and you won't be happy if you can't get everything done in a shift." It was said a little judgmentally and I thought "great, I'm being punished because I worked hard in school".

I was offered both those jobs but it didn't make me feel very good during the interview.

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Wooow.....position i class?

Yeah, I was a bit taken back with the position in class/class standing question. I told her I honestly didn't know my rank in the class. She then asked top 10%, 25%?

Told her I'd have to assume that I was within the top 10% since very few of my classmates made honors. I told her if she really wanted the exact rank in class I could honestly and exactly tell her I not ranked #1 in class and I wasn't ranked the last in class. She laughed. I asked if she wanted an exact position in class because I could call the school and get my ranking. She said, its not that big of a deal, I was just curious.

Whatever the reason for asking my GPA and rank, I got the job :yeah:

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I still say GPA is a small indicator of an individual. Many of the people I saw graduating with honors were single, no kids, and used the "study guides" provided by the previous class. A "study guide" as they called it was nothing more than answers to the tests given out by the previous class. We were told specifically not to use them or it'll be cheating. Of course by the end seems like everytime I went to a study group everyone would whip out the "study guides". One girl was telling me I should use them because 30 questions from a 90 question test were on the "study guide" word for word. I thought this was strange because she failed that test. When I asked her about it, she replied, "well that's all I studied." pfft.

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Specializes in LTC, case mgmt, agency.

In my opinion I think nursing managers look at your GPA as more of a tie breaker or a very small part in actually getting the job. I think they look at your personality and how you answer key questions ( which are different for each hospital/unit ). I think it matters but they don't use it as " the sole reason for hiring ". They may also use the GPA as a means of " tie breaking ". For example, if they have 2 nurses interveiwing and both have similar experience, etc. then they may look at GPAs and use that to " break the tie ". But, in all honesty, who truly knows except that manager? We can only guess as to the why they ask, or why they do or don't call back. I mean good grief, there's a nursing shortage and you have a license. You'd think they would be greatful to have you apply. Some of us are working " short staffed " all the time and it is a shame. :no: I'd be greatful for any additional help!:up: For me, knowing someone graduated from NS and passed the state boards would be enough. :confused:

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In my opinion I think nursing managers look at your GPA as more of a tie breaker or a very small part in actually getting the job. I think they look at your personality and how you answer key questions ( which are different for each hospital/unit ). I think it matters but they don't use it as " the sole reason for hiring ". They may also use the GPA as a means of " tie breaking ". For example, if they have 2 nurses interveiwing and both have similar experience, etc. then they may look at GPAs and use that to " break the tie ". But, in all honesty, who truly knows except that manager? We can only guess as to the why they ask, or why they do or don't call back. I mean good grief, there's a nursing shortage and you have a license. You'd think they would be greatful to have you apply. Some of us are working " short staffed " all the time and it is a shame. :no: I'd be greatful for any additional help!:up: For me, knowing someone graduated from NS and passed the state boards would be enough. :confused:

There isn't a nursing shortage in all parts of the country. Some places like where i live have excess and they aren't even hiring. Some hospitals here have GPA limits - you need a certain GPA to apply. In this day and age where people here are doing everything they can to get those few positions left, i'm sure GPA does make a difference because there's a large pool of applicants and every little quality on the resume counts, including the GPA listed.

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Specializes in LTC, case mgmt, agency.

Did not mean to imply there is a shortage everywhere.:imdbb: Only expressed what I see where I live and from what I hear in area I live. :heartbeat Again though, I think they do use GPAs as a way to weed through the applicants if more than 1 or 2 apply with similar resumes, interveiwing skills, etc.

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