New Excelsior LPN-RN Student

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I really hope some of ya'll can help with some of my questions I seem to have a difficult time finding the answers to. I just enrolled into the college and I am waiting for my Official results on what I need to take. I know some of the things I need to take because I clearly have never taken them, so I just plan to knock them out so I am able to begin starting the Nursing Theory classes. One thing I am kinda freaking out about is that I came into this believing I would only need to pay the app fee (80 dollars) the enrollment fee (1000ish dollars) and then my exam fees that range from 300ish to 400ish. I just went onto my registration page to sign up to start a class, and it was saying something like 1000 dollars?!?!? Please tell me I am doing this all wrong!! I also thought that it was a self paced thing, but I am seeing 8 weeks and 16 weeks?!? I carefully asked many questions to the admissions people and called multiple times before enrolling and now I am freaking out because I was under the impression that I would pay the enrollment fee and then just pay 300ish dollars to "test out" of the classes. Can someone help me please?!? Am I looking at the wrong screen, or did I totally have no clue what I was signing up for?

Another question is, since I have not received an official report of what classes (general education) I need to take, I am wondering what would satisfy the college math course, and what is the difference between the Humanities Elective and the Humanities Core class? I'm totally confused so I would greatly appreciate some help figuring out all these questions! Thank you so much in advance!!

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

There are classes that are $1050 or so and there are exams that are around $300. One is an 8 week facillitated online course. The other is a self-study preparation and then you take the challenge exam. There are only two courses offered right now and it is a first for the associates program.

I can't help you with the math, per se, as my math credits came from passing Calculus II and I'm guessing you don't want to go that route.:sarcastic: I believe college algebra is the minimum and you may be able to take that credit for low cost through Excelsior's U-Excel examinations.

Humanities classes include arts, ethics, foreign language, philosophy, literature, music, religion, speech & theater. The EC Exams that usually count: bioethics, ethics, intro to music, intro to philosophy, or interpersonal communications) My humanities requirement was fulfilled by French 101 and Speech Fundamentals

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Almost every class I have seen is nothing less than 1000 except for Information Literacy. I thought that I just get a study guide and can buy a practice exam and then take a test? I do not see where I just sign up for the class and start to study, then go to PearsonVue to sign up to take the test? The reason why I wanted to go to EC is because I didn't have to actually take a class, I could just sign up, study and then challenge the class?

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

You don't sign up for a class unless you want to pay the $1000 and follow the syllabus (with the exception of Info Lit).

You go to your My Excelsior. Go to Registration. First there is "Course Registration" (this is where you sign up for Info Lit), under is "Exam Registration" Click on Register for an Exam. As long as your enrollment fee is paid (or at least in an active payment plan) you can register for a challenge exam (Transitions, Health & Safety, etc. or any of the general education exams that you wish to challenge). You will be sent an authroization to test and then register with PV to schedule your exam. Since this isn't as high security as the NCLEX exam you will have more testing sites to choose from. You can pull the exam content guide for whichever exam you are taking that includes all the recommended text books, lists of journal articles (all available through the Excelsior online library for no cost) that will help you prepare and sample exam questions.

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Ohhhhhh! Okay, so the best, fastest and the cheapest route is to challenge the exam and not take the course? Are all the courses that are required for the Associates available to be challenged (except Information Literacy)? Thank you so much for giving me a dose of adenosine :roflmao: (yes, very corney but I was really freaking out after paying about 1200 dollars to enroll!)

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

The only course required is information literacy. The courses are being offered for the first time for associates degree students. You can take the courses if you would like. But most are successful using the exam content guides, text books, outside resources such as studygroup101, and then just sitting for the exam.

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Thank you!! :up:

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
Thank you!! :up:

Just remember: courses are classes (8 or 15 weeks in length). For the most part, you will be taking exams, not courses. I know, it gets confusing!

I compiled a bunch of info here that you might find helpful: https://allnurses.com/excelsior-college-online/excelsior-college-distance-808335.html

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Thank you LunahRN! This was very helpful. How long did it take you to finish the program?

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There are classes that are $1050 or so and there are exams that are around $300. One is an 8 week facillitated online course. The other is a self-study preparation and then you take the challenge exam. There are only two courses offered right now and it is a first for the associates program.

I can't help you with the math, per se, as my math credits came from passing Calculus II and I'm guessing you don't want to go that route.:sarcastic: I believe college algebra is the minimum and you may be able to take that credit for low cost through Excelsior's U-Excel examinations.

Humanities classes include arts, ethics, foreign language, philosophy, literature, music, religion, speech & theater. The EC Exams that usually count: bioethics, ethics, intro to music, intro to philosophy, or interpersonal communications) My humanities requirement was fulfilled by French 101 and Speech Fundamentals

Hey justbeachynurse. Did u Clep the French. If so Which book did u used to study for it

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
Thank you LunahRN! This was very helpful. How long did it take you to finish the program?

One year, one month, and one day. Exactly. :-D

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Hey justbeachynurse. Did u Clep the French. If so Which book did u used to study for it

No I took two years of French at a traditional college. I'm only using CLEP for developmental psychology.

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