test bank questions

anonymousstudent · Feb 22, 2011

Yes, studying the questions on the test before you take it is cheating. Good for you for not doing it, don't get sucked in.

kgh31386, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 22, 2011

If they are just practice questions bought from the book publishers...sure it's ok. But if the teacher is getting the questions from the same bank, then no it's not ok

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Feb 22, 2011

Sometimes I wonder when teachers will wake up a little and realize that one.

dallet6 · Feb 22, 2011

Weird they have them. The publishers aren't supposed to sell them unless they first verify you are an actual teacher. We discussed this at school once. Someone tried to buy them and the company called to see if they worked there. Needless to say, they were expelled

LIG RN · Feb 25, 2011

Does your student manual address the issue?

Have any of your instructors prohibited the use of them, either in writing or verbally?

For some STRANGE reason people believe that teachers do not know of this. They do. They know that EVERY book's test bank is readily available all over the internet.

Funny though many students believe that USING a test bank is a Guaranteed "A"------- this is wrong-- Al lot of people will look at test banks and miserably fail.

Most teachers will pull form at least 3-6 different books--------So---let's do the math-------

Test is on 6 chapters

Teacher uses 5 sources

Each TEST BANK contains 20-40 questions------so we will say 30 average

6 x 30 = 180

180 x 5 = 900 Questions that the teacher can pick from, Not to mention that they may alter the question or answer-------

Many times Test Bankers fail. You have to be able to NOT just memorize questions, but also understand the rationale behind them. On the other hand--------------How many times have you heard in NURSING school that you should practice as many questions as possible, so would it not make sense to LEARN all of the material in question form, versus reading plagarized power points.

Now, what about using NCLEX practice books for a test, is this wrong? Even if they are from the same manufacture of the book and the questions cross match between the 2?

Example--------

Test Bank----What color is the sky?Red, Blue, Green, White?

NCLEX Book--Blue is the color of? Sky, Grass, Snow, Blood?

Another book- Red is to blood as ???? is to Sky?

It does not matter how the questions are asked or where they are from. If you know the answer you know it.

Did you ever take a class, and the teacher told you what was on the test, the exact questions??????? Yes---Anatomy, in the class every student had the test bank sitting directly in front of them.All they had to do was look at the stuff, know what goes were and============Instant "A"--------------- Oh, it does not work that way. Why, because it is a lot of information, that requires constant studying and memorizing......TO MASTER it.

The bottom line is if you do not understand the material in front of you, know matter where it is from, in the end you will fail.

Moogie · Feb 25, 2011

I'm not sure the student who gets access to a test bank is going to memorize every single question. Someone who is that ethically challenged will likely figure out a way to transcribe the answers onto a smart phone, inside of a hat or hoodie, something.

It's a very different matter when an instructor tells students that XYZ will be on the test and uses his/her lecture notes, PowerPoints, or review questions as part of the test. That is not academic dishonesty. Believe it or not, there are some instructors who are naive and don't know that students will cheat. There are others who don't care. Most instructors don't have the time to write new test questions for every quiz or exam. Most don't draw from several sources---mostly because students will (rightfully) complain if the material on which they are tested did not appear in any of the course materials made available to them.

The use of a test bank is academic dishonesty.

To the OP, look at your school policies. While others may tell you not to get involved, most schools have policies that mandate students to report suspected academic dishonesty. If you don't say something, you are condoning that behavior and are just as guilty as the cheaters are.

Moogie · Feb 25, 2011

Putting on my moderator hat for a second:

I'd like to bring the attention of participants and viewers on this thread to a sticky written by one of our senior staff members, NRSKarenRN. This excellent post addresses the issue of academic dishonesty and should clear up any concerns. Thanks in advance for reading.

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/7-2010-must-489951.html

LIG RN · Feb 25, 2011

To the OP: Before you go to your administration, remember that "the proof is in the pudding", with out the "pudding", ========Slander (what you have now committed) will also be addressed in your student manual----------- and the fact that you spoke with administration, will not remain a secret. Make sure that there are NO skeletons in your closet and your bedside manor and skills are impeccable.

I have seen this played out first hand and it is not pretty.

To Moogie: a cannot agree with you more in regards to teachers turning the other cheek, not having time

or wanting to update, change or revise tests. The major issue with the OP's dilemma is now that she knows, I'm sure she has spoken to others, thus breaking the rules of any institution in regards to now passing the information on...

If I was you, OP, I would make sure the teacher is a "teacher" and will help dissolve the issue. But, often times their hands will be tied when it comes to making a change or being able to edit/make new tests from their own material.

RN4OU · Nov 30, 2012

I've seen students accused of cheating for buying a test bank online, they were later failed and were going to be forced to retake the class after a semester suspension and an ethics class. However, legal counsel was brought into the picture and in the end the students won. The final verdict was that the students would be crazy to not purchase any tool that would help them study for exams. They said the test bank is used by instructors to give instructors "ideas" of how to create "their own" test questions and that the ethical views of the instructor are just as flawed as the faculty is accusing the students ethical views of being because the instructor was taking the work of someone else, copying it exactly, and presenting it as his own work in the form of a test.

Any instructor who says they don't know that anyone can buy a test bank online for as cheap as $10 is likely not telling the truth. If the instructors and universities are that concerned over students using test banks for cheating they need to require the instructors to form their own questions and not rely on the work of the publishers.

rmorganv2 · Dec 14, 2012

julimom said:
Any one know if using test bank questions with rationales to study for exams is cheating? Someone in my class bought the test bank questions for our book and some are studying them and doing better than before. I haven't done it because I don't know if it's legit.

It is definitely cheating. This just happened to my nursing cohort. Someone had the test bank, those people were kicked out and now we all have to pay for their stupid mistake.

tara1245 · Apr 8, 2013

You might want to read this article about test banks. Test banks | www.palmbeachpost.com