My classmates using Test Banks in Nursing school

[HalfBoiled, BSN, RN]

Please note: I do NOT promote the use of any use of test banks.

This is something I've kept in the back of my head for a few years and never really had a chance to speak about it until very recently. This situation involved a group of 5-8 students in my cohort. I'll just refer to them as my classmates.

During my last year of nursing school and in the beginning of preceptorship, one of my classmates invited me to a study group for our last Med/Surg 2 rotation final. We have gone over almost everything we could cram into our heads. Prior to my departure, one classmate mentioned something called a Test Bank. At first glance, I thought it was practice questions copy/paste from Quizlet. My classmates said that they have been using it since third semester as a study guide. I declined and didn't want to bombard myself with more information. I would just look up Quizlet for any practice questions when I got back home. After the final, my classmates asked me not to say anything. I ignorantly nodded my head as my mind checked out for Spring Break or anything nursing related.

I would hear the words Test Bank again from other college students while I was prepping for Preceptorship in my nearby Starbucks. I googled it out of curiosity and discovered its controversy with all college students and staff.

I hate to say, I chose to NOT do anything. I had no proof. Preceptorship was days away and reporting this to my class advisor would be another thing I have to add on my busy plate. Initially, sought advice from this forum and seen variations of They are cheating themselves. They will not pass NCLEX. I left it at that and minded my own business.

This was over three years ago. I graduated. I passed NCLEX. I found a job. I focused on my own nursing goals. I forgot about my classmates until I recently ran into them. We did a lot of catching up and found out they all passed NCLEX (most under 100 questions) and are all happy with their jobs.

[imhorsemackerel, LPN]

Oh, wow. I've never heard of them either and also assumed they were just Quizlets. Too bad we have a conscience?

Well, good to know that they're at least happy with themselves. Hopefully the cheating doesn't catch up with them if they decide to take a short cut that might harm a patient.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

You have no proof, so here is what you do. You put your head down and you do the right thing for YOU. The less you worry about your classmates the better off you will be. You have no moral obligation here. Accusation will reflect badly on you, not them, because you have no way to prove what you are saying, therefore making this about slander, not about academic honesty. I would like to say it will come back to bite them, but often it doesn't. That isn't your concern. Yourself and your own level of knowledge and standard of nursing practice is.

Good luck in school!

[bgxyrnf, MSN, RN]

imhorsemackerel said:

Hopefully the cheating doesn't catch up with them if they decide to take a short cut that might harm a patient.

It's a pretty huge leap from using a test bank to study to "taking a short cut that might harm a patient."

[Yuweezy]

I don't really see that as cheating. A lot of textbooks or nclex practice books come with test banks. You learn how to approach problems by reading the rationales and stuff. It kind of preps you for the NCLEX in a way as well.

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Yuweezy said:

I don't really see that as cheating. A lot of textbooks or nclex practice books come with test banks. You learn how to approach problems by reading the rationales and stuff. It kind of preps you for the NCLEX in a way as well.

There is a huge difference between practice questions and test banks. Bottom line, if you have access to the potential test questions before an exam, it's cheating.

[S7ud3n7_Nur53]

Sorry I tried googling and still don't quite understand...

How are people getting access to actual questions that might come up on their exams? Do teachers not write the exams themselves? Or at least modify questions? When I was in undergrad I was given unique and personally prepared questions by my professor. I have not been to nursing school yet (hopefully I start in January), so does this have to do with nclex prepared-ness? Are teachers giving exam questions similar to nclex questions and that's why they use a test bank?

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Spring18RN-App said:

Sorry I tried googling and still don't quite understand...

How are people getting access to actual questions that might come up on their exams? Do teachers not write the exams themselves? Or at least modify questions? When I was in undergrad I was given unique and personally prepared questions by my professor. I have not been to nursing school yet (hopefully I start in January), so does this have to do with nclex prepared-ness? Are teachers giving exam questions similar to nclex questions and that's why they use a test bank?

People are buying test banks online, not always from a reputable source like the textbook publisher (who won't typically sell test banks to non-educators). Writing test questions that are valid and reliable is NOT easy. Until I did coursework for my MSN, I didn't realize how difficult it was. Test banks are, at the very least, a good starting point for exams because they have been prepared by professional item writers and have some measure of validity and reliability built in. For educators, it's not just as easy as whipping out some multiple choice questions from the top of your head.

[Apple-Core, ASN, BSN, RN]

I'm confused as to why this is considered cheating? Aren't they just like practice exams with questions that are close, or similar, to ones you'll get on the actual NCLEX?

I'm not disputing your claim, per se - just trying to figure out what the test-bank is providing that is considered cheating?

I've read through the thread - I'm still none the wiser!

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Union-Jack said:

I'm confused as to why this is considered cheating? Aren't they just like practice exams with questions that are close, or similar, to ones you'll get on the actual NCLEX?

I'm not disputing your claim, per se - just trying to figure out what the test-bank is providing that is considered cheating?

I've read through the thread - I'm still none the wiser!

Test banks are intended for the instructors, period. Exams are often given directly from this resource — a resource that is not intended for students but only for educators to use. They are not "practice questions," they are potential exam questions. Does that clarify?

[G019, BSN, RN]

The NCLEX is a practically a bank of 5k test questions. I'm sure it would be quite difficult to remember them all. As one poster said just focus on yourself. As long as it doesn't affect your grades directly just focus on being successful. Good luck!

[HalfBoiled, BSN, RN]

To clarify, there are two types

1. NCLEX testbanks

2. Nursing School Textbook testbanks

NCLEX testbanks are paid public resources for New Grads. Acceptable and execte

Textbook testbanks are suggested Exam questions made by the book manufacturers (probably a little more info for this) sent primarily for educators. There shouldn't be any reason why a student would have access to this resource.