Texas Excelsior Students

Medic2RN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Aug 21, 2005

HI there and good luck to you!

I'm currently waiting to take my CPNE next month. There are 2 testing sites in Texas: Plano and Amarillo. I will be testing at Amarillo. Personally, I don't think it matters where you test. The important part is to know your stuff and you should do fine anywhere!

Keep studying!

:balloons:

krob0729 · Aug 21, 2005

I'm fixing to start those classes my self. I was told to NOT go to the one in Plano. They will do their best to flunk you because of some kind of resentment thing or something since there are soooo many nursing schools in the dallas area and they all have to do a whole semester of clinicals. I didn't know there was one in Amarillo. I'll have to check that one out. Good luck to you. I'm fixing to take micro myself. Let us know how it goes.

RN34TX · Aug 21, 2005

The Amarillo site is fairly new and didn't exist when I took the CPNE. I lived in Dallas at the time (about 20 miles from the CPNE test site) yet flew all the way to Wisconsin to test because I'd heard so many horror stories about Plano.

In addition, I had a supervisor at work who also worked as a CPNE examiner on the side. She actually bragged to me that her site (Plano) had the highest failure rate. She had no idea at the time that I was already in the Excelsior program.

In their defense, however, I've spoken to people who say that the rumors are all untrue and that they are the product of bitter failed students who would have failed elsewhere as well and that I wasted my money and time going to Wisconsin when I would have passed just as easily in Plano

But....once I got to Wisconsin I had a conversation with the shuttle driver who had been transporting students between the hotel and the hospital for several years and he acted surprised that it was my first time testing. He told me that many students had already failed somewhere else and then come there and end up passing.

You can look up and read a lot of opinions and stories from people who have opinions one way or another about the different test sites.

I really don't think that anyone really knows for sure whether or not it makes a difference where you test but many rumors are out there.

SierraC · Aug 22, 2005

The Amarillo site is fairly new and didn't exist when I took the CPNE. I lived in Dallas at the time (about 20 miles from the CPNE test site) yet flew all the way to Wisconsin to test because I'd heard so many horror stories about Plano.
In addition, I had a supervisor at work who also worked as a CPNE examiner on the side. She actually bragged to me that her site (Plano) had the highest failure rate. She had no idea at the time that I was already in the Excelsior program.
In their defense, however, I've spoken to people who say that the rumors are all untrue and that they are the product of bitter failed students who would have failed elsewhere as well and that I wasted my money and time going to Wisconsin when I would have passed just as easily in Plano
But....once I got to Wisconsin I had a conversation with the shuttle driver who had been transporting students between the hotel and the hospital for several years and he acted surprised that it was my first time testing. He told me that many students had already failed somewhere else and then come there and end up passing.
You can look up and read a lot of opinions and stories from people who have opinions one way or another about the different test sites.
I really don't think that anyone really knows for sure whether or not it makes a difference where you test but many rumors are out there.

Hi , I believe that the CE's and CA's for the most part rotate from site to site..when i tested in NY the CE's and the CA's were also staying in hotels.... I have heard rumors too about certain test sites having lower passing rates but as I learned while studying for the CPNE ....most of the negative comments come from people who did not pass. So just take that into consideration. A great site that I found was http://www.alittlesarcasm.com...there are alot of posted experiences on there .Good luck to you

gidget21608 · Aug 22, 2005

:icon_hugThanks so muchefor yalls help. My CPNE is still quite a while aways, but all of the comments help tremendously. Like I said earlier, I'm doing micro now and hoping all turns out well. I will keep in touch, yall do the same.

missnurse01, MSN, RN · Aug 22, 2005

Hi! congrats on starting the program! i just graduated from ec and am waiting to take boards. good luck to all your studies.

RN34TX · Aug 23, 2005

Hi , I believe that the CE's and CA's for the most part rotate from site to site..when i tested in NY the CE's and the CA's were also staying in hotels.... I have heard rumors too about certain test sites having lower passing rates but as I learned while studying for the CPNE ....most of the negative comments come from people who did not pass. So just take that into consideration. A great site that I found was www.alittlesarcasm.com...there are alot of posted experiences on there .Good luck to you

That may be true which is why I fully admitted that I really didn't know how true the rumors are but thought that everyone should get as much info as they can prior to selecting a test site.

As much as people who passed the first time around are quick to say that the exam is the same around the country, I cannot dismiss the fact that I've met people who failed at one site, then passed at another and will swear that the two sites were different in how strict or lenient they were or how fair they were.

I also cannot dismiss the fact that my own supervisor was a CPNE examiner and fully admitted and bragged about the Plano site having the highest failure rate.

I may have passed just as well at Plano but I wasn't willing to bet $1500 and the possibility of having to take it again on it.

Jo Dirt · Aug 23, 2005

I'm in Indianapolis right now and have just completed the second day of the CPNE workshop offered by Chancellors. So far so good. They are very nice and while I

haven't taken the CPNE so I can't say for sure, their advice and tips on what to do/how to study at the CPNE seem very sound.

I did read the feedback sheets on the site in Amarillo (this is where I'm testing Sept.23-25) and while there is only one feedback sheet on this site because it is so new, the tester had a positive experience.

I also hear from the instructors that CE's and CA's at all testing sites have lightened up a lot on testers for one reason or another.

sjt9721, BSN, RN · Aug 23, 2005

I'm fixing to start those classes my self. I was told to NOT go to the one in Plano. They will do their best to flunk you because of some kind of resentment thing or something since there are soooo many nursing schools in the dallas area and they all have to do a whole semester of clinicals. I didn't know there was one in Amarillo. I'll have to check that one out. Good luck to you. I'm fixing to take micro myself. Let us know how it goes.

Sorry, but this doesn't make any sense to me. EC folks come in and do their testing with EC examiners. They (students & instructors) have nothing to do with other area nursing schools so I don't know where any resentment would come into play.

Regarding another post...The shuttle driver from Wisconsin doesn't seem to be the place to get your career advice. Just because people failed at other places & then passed in Wisconsin doesn't mean that their testing site is better. Maybe it's not the fact that other places are harder, but that Wisconsin is too lenient. Did anyone think of that?

Maybe I'm stirring the pot a little bit. :chair: Sorry for that! I just don't want everyone jumping to conclusions because of stories/comments/innuendos that are spread around like wildfire.

Good luck to all you guys...wherever you test!!!

RN34TX · Aug 24, 2005

Sorry, but this doesn't make any sense to me. EC folks come in and do their testing with EC examiners. They (students & instructors) have nothing to do with other area nursing schools so I don't know where any resentment would come into play.
Regarding another post...The shuttle driver from Wisconsin doesn't seem to be the place to get your career advice. Just because people failed at other places & then passed in Wisconsin doesn't mean that their testing site is better. Maybe it's not the fact that other places are harder, but that Wisconsin is too lenient. Did anyone think of that?
Maybe I'm stirring the pot a little bit. :chair: Sorry for that! I just don't want everyone jumping to conclusions because of stories/comments/innuendos that are spread around like wildfire.
Good luck to all you guys...wherever you test!!!

You are stirring the pot but that's what makes it fun and interesting:

"Sorry, but this doesn't make any sense to me. EC folks come in and do their testing with EC examiners. They (students & instructors) have nothing to do with other area nursing schools so I don't know where any resentment would come into play."

That's not entirely true. Some EC folks may "come in" and by that you are assuming that they are from out of town which in some cases is true because I saw two of the examiners at my hotel so they were staying there as well.

But...two others breezed in on friday afternoon and still had nametags identifying themselves as nursing instructors at local Wisconsin nursing schools so this is a part time job to them, they don't all fly around the country at different CPNE sites like others have suggested.

My supervisor, who also was a CPNE examiner did this only part time in addition to a full time nursing instructor position at a Dallas area community college, she did not fly around to the other sites, only the Dallas/Plano site.

Others that I've talked to who have taken the CPNE at Plano have also identified that many of the examiners are full time instructors at El Centro in Dallas, and for those who are not from Dallas this school is notorious for having instructors from hell and I've worked with graduates of their program (not bitter failed students, actual graduates) who will not recommend that anyone get their ADN there because the instructors can be so difficult and unfair. Just because you work for EC administering the CPNE on weekends to make extra cash does not necessarily mean that you approve of or believe in the program.

"Regarding another post...The shuttle driver from Wisconsin doesn't seem to be the place to get your career advice. Just because people failed at other places & then passed in Wisconsin doesn't mean that their testing site is better. Maybe it's not the fact that other places are harder, but that Wisconsin is too lenient. Did anyone think of that?"

Well if too lenient means that I'm not getting sent home because I didn't give a bed bath to an examiner's satisfaction or was subject to being a casualty of her already bad mood and failed because I smelled like smoke (that did happen to a student at Plano) they are then I'm even more glad that I went to Wisconsin.

I have a great idea: Let's all find the most difficult place to pass this exam and go waste our time and money to get sent home!

Sorry, I don't need the ego stroking of saying that I passed at the most difficult place to pass in order to brag that I'm a better nurse to everyone.

As far as the shuttle driver goes, I didn't seek out nor receive any "career advice" from him as I was already there in the process of taking the exam.

I'll give you one thing: Yes it is a lot of rumors, stories, etc. and I represented all of mine as nothing less than my personal experiences or that they were rumors that I'd heard as well.

I just remember being a student at one time who was looking desparately for any help and advice as I was very frightened to take the CPNE and I, as a student would have wanted someone to tell me their experiences and even if I didn't follow their advice, at least I'd be making a more informed decision.

I'll never know whether I would have passed at any of the sites as well but one thing I did know is that I was not going to have to take it twice and I'd do anything to insure that it would not happen.

It may be all stories and nothing more, but as a student I found it strange that one horror story after another kept popping up about Plano and I have yet to hear about anyone who failed in WI and complained that they were treated unfairly. I know people who have failed there but none of them blamed the examiners for it and would re-test there again.

Failed Plano students always seem to pick another site the 2nd time around.

EC is not going to tell you everything and your best source of advice and info is from actual graduates of the program.

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Aug 24, 2005

I have to wonder how much of these stories are similar to urban legends? When my husband went through 3 1/2 years ago we heard similar stories. He took a prep course in Long Beach, CA and according to all the students there (and the instructors) Long Beach was the most horrible and terrible CPNE out there boasting an incredible 90% FAIL rate. I refused to believe that but the students there were quoting that figure as gospel truth. Of course the instructors boasted a 90% pass rate for students who took their course. It was a great prep course, my husband was complimented many times during his CPNE on his level of preparation and exactness. He took and passed his CPNE at the Plano location. Get this, we had heard rumors of how this was one of the easier CPNE's in the country to pass. Students from his CA prep course were flying to the DFW area to take their CPNE at Plano! Of course he doesn't know the exact figures but it appeared as if only 3-4 students of 20 were not going to pass, but he was released early so he didn't see everything.