Test Banks - Surely Not

[howsoon]

So, every time I go out on ebay or places like half.com, overstock, etc. & look for my next semester books, I keep seeing "test banks" for sell. What's the deal? Surely these people don't actually have the test banks from the publisher, do they? (It seems to me more likely that its the questions from the cd that comes with the book.) And wouldn't most consider purchasing them unethical? I mean, I guess if you KNEW your instructor didn't use the test bank, I could see it being a good study guide, but I don't think most instructors go into much detail regarding where their test questions come from. Thoughts?

[motivated2nurse]

Well, the fact is test banks are for sale and accessible. But think about this, if you get the test bank, your grades would be high BUT can you pass the NCLEX? I mean what is a nursing degree if you cant pass the NCLEX?

[Kevin RN08]

I did Saunders religiously as part of my test prep routine and frequently saw questions on the test. But many times I saw the same question with differant answers or a change in lab values.

Would I buy a "Test Bank"? Not unless it was part of a review course (Saunders, Zerwekh, Mosby ...). Buying just the questions and answers gives you nothing toward the required content and as I said above what if your instructor "modifies" the questions.

Here are some more questions for you: Is it ethical? Are you sure which test bank your school subscribes to?

[cursedandblessed]

nope not ethical, especially if it's the one your school uses. i have seen questions on my tests that appear to have come directly from test success for fundamentals, and the optional study guides sold for my textbooks, reviews and rationales, and my nclex study books. so i don't know where the questions come from for my tests.

i use these books, because yes, i can kick out a knowledge answer easily in a multiple choice question, but the nclex style questions still mess with my mind sometimes.

[HOLISTIC88]

hey i am in nursing 1, so a good amount of the questions come from fundamentall success cd? we are taking our final soon for HESI

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

Well, the fact is test banks are for sale and accessible. But think about this, if you get the test bank, your grades would be high BUT can you pass the NCLEX? I mean what is a nursing degree if you cant pass the NCLEX?

Doing poorly or average on tests doesn't mean you'll pass the NCLEX either, lol.

[HOLISTIC88]

yea i have seen it all the time, peopel that have test banks always fail the NCLEX...i am always liek see i told u this would happend

[caliotter3]

Recently there was a big crackdown on test bank sellers, so you should see less of this type of material for sale.

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

It's more than unethical, it's cheating.

I also thing it's lazy for instructors to use test banks.

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

I had a teacher this semester pull a test question out of a bank that included the word "hypervigilance." Upon doing the test review after we got our grades she was reading the question out loud, and said, "Oh, I don't know what 'hyperviligance' means."