It ain't over

Home Health Columnist / Guide · May 17, 2008

Many schools are using predictor test these days to help prepare students for NCLEX. HOWEVER, this should have been known to you upfront at start of your nursing program with periodic reminders throughout the program. Remedial tutoring in NCLEX type questions also needs to be part of this educational process.

Stress and school overdrive maybe turning your brain to mush...I would only do pleasurable activities for the next few days to give yourself time for brain rest.

If you were fully informed of this test ahead of time, no way around it as they do correlate to taking and passing NCLEX. From many posters writings here, some graduated from school but never passed the NCLEX exam.....and are trying 1-20 years later!

Our NCLEX discussion forum may offer you some advice. Best wishes for the coming weeks ahead.

Helper4Life_RN · May 17, 2008

As a matter of fact this was just told to me last semester. I've been in this school for a long time because I started part time and they decided last semester to make this a requirement. I'm stuck, I guess

Jules A, MSN · May 17, 2008

Our school made us do it in the last semester and wouldn't pass you if you didn't pass to their satisfaction. If you normally test pretty good you really shouldn't have any worries. Get a Kaplan book and start working on their specific type of questions. It seems that the scores necessary to pass the predictor don't translate into the same as having to get a 75% to pass a nursing course. Many schools do this so try not to stress. Good luck. Jules

lvnandmomx3 · May 19, 2008

It ain't over
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Hello...I just completed pinning and graduation on Friday. It's really weird that the day I waited for has come and gone and now I have another stressor. My school will not allow the students to take NCLEX until they have passed a RN predictor course. My school is paying for us to take Kaplan and we have to pass it before moving on to take the big tests. I'm so frustrated I can't even get above 50 percent on the qb questions. My brain feels as if it's frozen. We start the Kaplan course next week. I feel all hope is gone. I don't feel I'll do well enough to pass Kaplan. I almost feel this is a punishment of some kind. Why don't schools just stay out of my future. I don't like the fact that my school is dictating whether or not I can take NCLEX since Im now graduated and trying to move on. Are there any other students out their whose school is doing the same thing to them and do you know if there is a way to get around it. I planned on taking Kaplan regardless but I don't want this to be the determinating factor for me taking NCLEX:madface:

The schools do this because if you go to take nclex and fail it is ultimatley a reflection of the school. Statistics of nclex pass rates are on the BON for schools exp: 50/50 students graduated but 25/50 failed nclex while the school had 100% graduating class but 50% nclex rate....Not good for the school.

I graduated from a private LPN course we did not have to take a formal review course (we did have a exit exam not sure the name of it though), we did have to turn in 3 independant test of 80% or higher in order to get our papers sent to the board for ATT. There were students who cheated and by one mean or another to turn in these test and in the end it hurt them because a few of them faild nclex the 1st time.

luv4nursing · May 24, 2008

My school tried to implement that if we didnt pass the HESI exam after two attempts, we would have to repeat the ENTIRE LAST SEMESTER! Eventually after the whole class raised h-e-double hockey sticks about it and went to the head of the school, they changed it to if we didnt pass the hesi, we had to take an NCLEX review class that the school paid for. Lucky for me, because I had to take the review class and so did many other ppl in my class. Our main argument was we were not made aware of this from day one, so I believe they changed it the following year and told the students in orientation of the change in policy. The new class will be required to pass the HESI or repeat the final semester! I feel for them!

The program I was the second class they put thru in an online format (the regular in class version had been around forever though)...and it looks like they are going to make it more and more difficult each year...so Im glad I was a part of the pioneer group while they worked out the kinks.

Helper4Life_RN · May 28, 2008

Wow....interesting.....Since my school didn't inform us of this policy unitl they implemented it last semester I fill it's highly unfair to enforce this upon students. I'm in the process of contacting my BON to see if this is legal. I can see giving us a review course but telling someone they can't take NCLEX after I paid all this money to go to the school in the first place and then having to pay for my boards and pearson seems highly unfair for them to dictate when I take the boards. Thanks for all the comments:nurse:

BBFRN, BSN, PhD · May 28, 2008

You school most likely implemented this new policy, because they had lower than acceptable NCLEX pass rates. You can contact the BON if you want to, but the BON may have put the school on probation for low pass rates. The BON is not going to tell the school that they can't make you take the HESI, and the HESI is a tool that lots of schools use to weed out their potential NCLEX failers, who may bring down their overall pass rates. If your school is on probation for this, you are most likely not going to be able to avoid taking the HESI. I would suggest just taking the test- at least you'll know where you stand before you take the NCLEX.

Helper4Life_RN · May 28, 2008

I understand. My school is using ATI which is the worst test ever. Since we have to take Kaplan regardless the students who passed the ATI RN predictor test and don't really have to take Kaplan at this point. Find themselves glad that they took the ATI because their scores in Kaplan are telling them they may not pass NCLEX. So are these test really able to predict anything. I don't think so