What happens when everyone fails?

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So, I studied at least 30 hours on the material covered on the exam I took today. It was on the renal and hepatic system (along with pancreas and gallbladder issues). I really feel like I know the information but the exams are so freakin difficult and even the smartest kids in class were upset after taking it. It was a 75 question exam and we only had 1 1/2 hours. I'm pretty sure the whole class failed because our instructor usually posts the exam results the night of, but instead all I got was an email (mailed to the whole class) saying that we have to meet tomorrow morning (when we don't normally have class) to go over the exam with her. Has anyone ever had an exam where everyone does awful? Do you think she'll grade on a curve or make us retake the exam or remake the exam? We have a care plan due next week and then the following week is our next exam on the neuro system...I just feel so overwhelmed and discouraged, especially because I really feel like I know the material, her questions are just really big on critical thinking and what she thinks is the priority.....grrrr...there are no lectures in class and only a couple small ones online with the teacher's powerpoint (her reading the powerpoint). I had to do research on the computer to figure out what half the stuff was on the powerpoint because the 250+ pages she assigned (which I read about twice over) didn't have that info on it. Nursing school just feels so unfair!!! Any idea what might happen now? :cry:

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You are not alone.

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The right thing to do when the majority of a class fails a test or does really bad on it is to look at other causes besides the students. It could be the test questions or the material wasnt presented properly. You come to expect to have a small % of students to fail or do bad but when its outside a normal curve then there was a problem

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Just un update....I somehow managed to score 86% on the exam!!! The majority of the class failed....but she's just leaving the scores as is.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Good for you!! :yeah:

I didn't fail any exams but none of ours were ever curved even if a majority didn't pass.

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yay! i always do this-freak out when i actually did okay! congrats on doing so well

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Specializes in Psych, EMS.

You go girl! But just fyi, usually when everyone or nearly everyone fails, the professor will accept more than one answer on certain questions. It happened all the time last semester, I wish they would just use standardized tests instead of their own sketchy, ambiguous, carelessly worded questions. :banghead:

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Specializes in Acute Mental Health.

If the majority of the class fails, I would hope the instructor would take a long look in the mirror and figure out how she/he first failed in teaching the class. One of my instructors actually stood before us and told us she failed us because so many of us failed an exam. She told us she missed something in her teachings and the proof was in our grade. I thought that was very admirable. How many instructors assume responsibility for their teaching?

We were able to retake the exam the following week after a more indepth lecture.

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Specializes in Med-Tele, Internal Med PCU.

We had a self study meds test where 80% failed to some degree or another, we were given the option of counting it or not. Then we reviewed the test in depth, later we had a quiz (unannounced) that every one aced and that grade was used for the test. Those who passed were given the option of taking it (extra credit) or not.

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