The "Curve"

Published

So after being in a BSN program for my second year I have come to have mixed feelings on the "curve". Many instructors do it many different ways, whether it be by extra credit questions, or using the highest grade and tapering accordingly, or whatever. However I have come to feel uneasy about the curve. It inflates our grades on exams an avg of about 8-10%. I have heard a professors theory on the curve and it once pacified my concerns, however I have forgotten what she said. So I'm asking you all out there, what is your theory on curving nursing exams, and what theories have you heard for rationales by professors?

Thanks!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My professors don't grade on a curve at all...they say grade inflation means they could be passing someone who is not truly prepared to sit for NCLEX. Ya know, the whole "This is gonna hurt me more than it hurts you" / "This is for your own good" mentality...hehehe :yeah:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

I have no idea because my teachers don't curve, they are in the much needed motto of "Not everyone is a winner." We seem to be losing that and it's a shame. We are creating a society of coddling and entitlement, everyone is a winner and gets a trophy blah blah blah.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in IMCU.

No curve at my school.

What is your school's NCLEX pass rate?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in critical care, PACU.

they curve to compensate for the deeply dysfunctional questions they tend to torture us with

we also had a professor give us an extra 4% because the average was so crappy he felt bad for us

also...at my school (a cal state) one prof told me you get reprimanded and have to change up things if your class average is too low

Up Vote Up Vote ×

our pass rate was 88% last year...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Vascular Surgery.

At our school it depends on the instructor... some of em' curve heavy. We have a mid 90's 1st time pass rate tho...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatric Hem/Onc.

What is this curve you speak of?:D I *think* some of my prereqs may have had one, but it wasn't enough to make a difference. I'm an overachiever so I go into every test assuming there won't be one.

Once you're into clinicals, there's no curve in my program. Period. Our first exam last term, the class average (as in the entire clinical class of about 100) was a 75. Passing is 75%. When I mentioned to our instructor that two thirds of us scored at 75% or below on that test, know what her response was? "Hopefully those people will realize their mistakes and adjust their studying strategy."

It sucks, but there's no curve on the NCLEX either. My school had a pass rate of 92% last year.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

the "curve" (the bell curve) http://www.netmba.com/statistics/distribution/normal/

if used accurately there would be those failing any way......

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.
the "curve" (the bell curve) http://www.netmba.com/statistics/distribution/normal/

if used accurately there would be those failing any way......

Exactly - the 'curve' most students see is instead a uniform inflation that instructors use so that the grade distribution is what they want it to be, while still flunking the students they want to flunk. I only ever saw true curve grading used in organic chemistry, as the tests in that course generated very nice bell curves that were well below the 90/80/70 breakdown for traditional percentage grading.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

Apparently our last year pass rate was 100% and my school doesn't do the HESI or any other of these standardized tests that if you don't pass you won't move on. We have some NLN testing tomorrow that is mandatory and I am told is HESI or like HESI, to take but it his no bearing on our grade if that makes sense, it is just supposed to let us know where we are at but if our grade is below average we still move on it just shows what areas we might need more improvement in. Our director told us they know a lot of school use this to keep students from graduate but they have no plans of doing this in the near future at least.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

We don't have a curve... I am pretty jealous! In fact, our grading scale is even higher!

75-83 C

84-91 B

92-100 A

Gross! Our professors have the mentality "we aren't teaching you so you will make good grades, but so you will pass your boards"

We have a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX, but I believe that is partly because our professors make our Senior Exit Exam for Nursing incredibly hard, so when you take the boards they almost seem easy. The pass rate for our senior exit exam first try is around 75%

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion