My nursing program has a bunch of different instructors who lecture on different topics, then they all write their own test questions on their topics. We have required readings on each topic, powerpoints from the lecture of each topic, and required questions to answer on the topics in our required Davis NCLEX review book. I read every page in the book and take notes and make outlines merging info from the pp and text. I also do the Davis NCLEX questions.
My problem is: We had a test today (which went bad for the majority of students). I found out that about 15 questions (out of 50) came straight out of the Lipincott NCLEX review book. I really think this is unfair for 2 reasons: The few people who just happen to have bought the Lipincott book and use it to study got all of those answers right. The rest of us got most of those answers wrong because either a)the information in the question was not ANYTHING we focused on during our lectures and b) the answers we had to choose from seemed to use different rationals for the correct answer than I think the info from the text would suggest.
I don't usually complain, but come on. I think the practice of instructors taking questions DIRECTLY from a review book that we are not required to use is lazy. Even if it's not laziness, it's something I'm pretty sure isn't fair and I don't agree with. I am in a 2 year ASN program and the point is keeping my high GPA so I can get into a good BSN program. I will worry about NCLEX when it's time.
Please tell me if you agree/disagree, or if you are aware that this is common. If it is, I guess I should just suck it up:)
Thanks!
BTW, I graduate in 3 weeks and this is the first I've heard that instructors do this.
All of my teachers get their questions from various places and many times its from study guides or NCLEX books we are not required to have. Your not going to be able to get access to every place the teachers pull test questions from but you should still have the information to be able to answer any question given to you successfully. Yes I do understand not everybody will make 100's on all tests (and nor do I) but the goal is to still be able to answer them all successfully. If you believe the test was unfair because it was not material your teacher or previous teachers covered or you believe the questions went against what your book said then go talk to your instructor about it. Believing it was unfair because it was from a book you do not own however would not be a good argument. I would strongly suggest you use as many resources as possible to study for your exam. Borrow different books from classmates that you do not have, visit the school library, and online resources you are able to assess to look at various practice questions.
My question is not "should I suck it up?" It is actually "is this common practice?" because, like I said, I've always gotten the impression that my instructors make up their own questions.
We were under the same impression in my class that our teachers made up at least some of their own questions. However, our teachers told us themselves this semester that they may make up some of their own questions but not the majority of them. The majority of the questions comes from test banks they are given and many other resources (like NCLEX books). One teacher said it is very difficult to come up with test questions in the same style/wording we are use to because they are not professional test writers.
Hello I'm new to this site and I'm preparing for the NCLEX exam, and it is so frustrating being that I been a nurse for 8 years so far but I relocate from PR to PA, and I need to take this exam, and is so difficult because once you are on the field going back to theories and client needs, is so different,and so many things have changed and in reality there is a lot of thing that you do differently, also I am thorn between the on line review from Kaplan or do self study gosh I really need some advise.... Please Help:o
Life is indeed unfair. If you are an adult I am mighty surprised you haven't figured that out by now...
Anyway, it is realistic to say that you really don't ever know where your instructors are going to take test questions from. Most of ours come from the textbook test banks but in this final semester of nursing school, we have covered various things that aren't in the textbook. I don't know where those questions come from. I would imagine some book somewhere. Maybe my classmates have it, maybe not. Maybe the questions are instructor originals, I don't know.
The bottom line is, study the material and you should be able to answer the questions. Like another poster said, when it is time to take NCLEX, there will be no book to get questions from.
You said the comments you have gotten aren't helpful. What kind of help are you looking for? Fellow students to form a brigade and storm your nursing instructors, demanding they stop using using the Lippincott book?
In my ADN program the professors told us to study from various NCLEX books and that some questions would be pulled from such books. They were right. I bought some very cheap older versions of NCLEX books from half.com and used them to round out my studying. I found that when I did this, I did much better on the exams (not to mention the actual NCLEX). It really helps with the critical thinking. And yes, I did on occasion find a few questions I had studied word for word on the test. I took it as a bonus for being well prepared. I'll bet if you had studied from that book your professors used for your test question you wouldn't be complaining.
Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.
I would rather my instructors take more questions out of review books as they are usually better questions. The ones they make up have a definite slant as to what they are looking for. They may have 4 equally correct answers and we have to be psychic to figure out what the instructor was thinking when they wrote it. Case in point: Most of our questions are teacher generated this semester and more than half the class is failing with 3 weeks left in the program. Up until now, they have used test banks from various sources. Last week we took the NLN "diagnostic readiness test" which gauges your approximate odds of passing the NCLEX first time. I scored in the 97th percentile with a 96% chance of passing the first time. I am failing this semester, which if I don't pass this last class, I fail the program. Makes no sense to me.
My past instructors also took questions from NCLEX type books and ATI books. I see that you are frustrated but the test has already been taken and you only have 3 weeks left. You will be out of there in no time. Good luck!
I think you should be thankful that you are ALREADY practicing NCLEX type questions. Not just from one source but random ones. Variety prepares your critical thinking pad in order for you to answer any type of questions thrown at you during your actual exam.
" They may have 4 equally correct answers and we have to be psychic to figure out what the instructor was thinking when they wrote it "
and that my dear is what we call PRIORITIZING. there will be plenty of those on the nclex. You might be frustrated now, because you just want to pass and graduate already. But I think once you sit for your exam, you will be thanking those instructors for preparing you well.
My instructors took questions from every NCLEX review guide out there at one point in time. They even took them from the CDs off of some of the books we have. (This actually does get you ready for the actual NCLEX test)
Yup did does suck when some people have an edge because they have an alternate format book that just happens to be used. Some of my friends never reviewed the questions on the CD with the text, I did. So when I saw the exact question on the test, I knew the answer, some of them did not.
I myself tend to hit the book store on the weekends and review and answer questions from different books while I sip a coffee at the cafe there. You don't have to buy a bunch of different books to be competitive... you can always do what I do or heck, does a public library have NCLEX review books to borrow?
PS I also found the test questions better when the teachers did NOT make up their own!
No, I don't think it's fair, and I would probably say something. I sure as heck would not want to be the patient of a nurse who may have passed nursing school because they memorized questions from an NCLEX book.
It is extremely lazy and unprofessional for your professor to be using questions from a book that he/she is well aware students are using to study for the NCLEX. It's not like you are sophomores or juniors, you are seniors about to graduate who are probably doing hundreds of those questions a week.
Along the lines of fairness, I hate reading stuff like this. Our school was so strict about everything, and literally wanted to fail people to prevent poor nurses from entering the workforce. I've talked to friends in other nursing schools around our area who tell me it's basically a joke. That is sad.
This is easy. Get a lippincott book that way you can pass the nursing exams and NCLEX. Kill two birds with one stone. Nothing to get upset over. If this bothers you, can't wait to see how you will do in nursing.
I don't think it's unfair. You should still know the material, so with critical thinking and good test taking skills, you should still do fine. I had about 5 NCLEX study guides through school and this was starting from semester one. I liked to use them for supplemental studying because they had nice review sections in there. And it started me off early as far as learning how they phrase questions.
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mpihl
76 Posts
All of my teachers get their questions from various places and many times its from study guides or NCLEX books we are not required to have. Your not going to be able to get access to every place the teachers pull test questions from but you should still have the information to be able to answer any question given to you successfully. Yes I do understand not everybody will make 100's on all tests (and nor do I) but the goal is to still be able to answer them all successfully. If you believe the test was unfair because it was not material your teacher or previous teachers covered or you believe the questions went against what your book said then go talk to your instructor about it. Believing it was unfair because it was from a book you do not own however would not be a good argument. I would strongly suggest you use as many resources as possible to study for your exam. Borrow different books from classmates that you do not have, visit the school library, and online resources you are able to assess to look at various practice questions.