What the heck is up with nursing school tests??!!

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OK, I just had my first test of my second semester of nursing school. I was thinking that maybe things will be new and the faculty will learn how to write a decent, straight forward test this time, but no......I studied 12 hours last night for the test (they did include a test matrix to guide study) and thought I had everything down pat. Wrong! I missed 21 out of 62 questions! Other people in the class many questions also, ranging from 15-27. One girl did only miss 7. And as you guys may already know, a 75 is passing...and I made a 66. This was a common occurrence last year where the questions were badly written (as in not leading to a clear answer) and the rationales in the key made no sense. Thankfully, I made it through last semester with all As and 1 B, which made me think that maybe I had it down. Wrong! I'm going to need a minimum 6 questions nullified just to pass. And I was thinking I was going to get a least a mid B. :crying2:

Long story short: does anyone else have his problem in their nursing program where the questions to your exams make you go "huh?" And on top of that, included typos and rationales that don't even match up with the supposed correct answer? And then include stuff that you hardly went over in class or in reading? Please don't tell me school has messed up testing skills. Even if they aren't the only, that's still pretty bad.

I'm about to start studying now. I would have started yesterday, but I started cramping really bad. Today is the day! I still feel miserable about it all though. I'm not even sure about my clinical paperwork that I finished a couple of days ago. My aim is to get a B. Even just a flat 80 is cool. This is the last test before the final and I teetering around a 78 now, so....I better it done!:uhoh3:

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Specializes in Family Practice, ICU.

Good luck to you. Just don't give up. Even if you don't pass the class this time around, if they'll let you retake it, retake it. Everyone, even the most successful people, have setbacks (Colonel Sanders, Babe Ruth, Dave Ramsey, practially everyone). The difference between a successful person and a non-successful person is that the successful one kept going, while the non-successful one gave up.

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Specializes in ICU, M/S, Psych, Tele..

Good question! :smokin: I have experienced this first hand...had a teacher who said, "my lecture IS the test!"...so my classmates and I recorded all the lectures, stayed awake for 2 nights rewinding the tapes, listening to her voice day and night. We get to the test, we all failed cause it was entirely another subject. Had another instructor to tell us that we were having a test on Diabetes, we get to the test...it's on the GI...

How did I survive???...I read EVERYTHING that was given to me...but mainly the textbook...If the material on the test isn't coming from the textbook, I believe you may have grounds to file a grievance--my school had this policy...

Everyone that was failing kept asking me what I was doing...I was reading the textbook, and then using a reference book to go over the stuff that I was unsure of...then I'd practice NCLEX questions on all of the stuff I'd been studying during that period....What you have to do is RELATE all of the information you're learning to The Nursing Process, the ABC's, Maslowe, The Basic Human needs....

For example, if the subject was respiratory, then I would do all of the A&P on the subject, the systems related to it, the diseases associated with it, etc..

There's a book by the Princeton Review called,"What smart students know"...this book changed my life in school forever...I only got "A's" in science since reading this book . And was busting all "A"s in nursing school...Thanks Princeton review!!!'

I became more objective ( reading), practiced the 3 r's method, and taught the subjects to my kids :redbeathe:redbeathe...

btw: you may want to have your eyes examined...you could have damaged them during prereqs....(happened to me)...all of the internetting, and late night reading, ruined my eyes...I wear glasses now. But when I got into nursing school I was deterred from reading cause my head had started hurting cause I was squinting and didn't realize it....

Wow! I hope this helps you some....unless you've been there and done that, you can't speak on the subject of studying and getting to the test and being somewhat amazed at the questions...this is when you have to be a waaay more critical thinker.

Happy reading!!!:heartbeat:heartbeat

:)

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ooops, didnt check this in a day.

yea i got it now, thanks for clarifying guys.

i was just confused cuz i thought that BSN was easier because the classes were spread out and didnt have to deal with as much NCLEX questions, but my mistake guys!

Nursing is HARD!!! but i like it, because now when i go walk around town i can spot out people who are having problems and what not. feel somewhat powerful, lol.

To us and our future success nursing!!! cheers.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
ooops, didnt check this in a day.

yea i got it now, thanks for clarifying guys.

i was just confused cuz i thought that BSN was easier because the classes were spread out and didnt have to deal with as much NCLEX questions, but my mistake guys!

Nursing is HARD!!! but i like it, because now when i go walk around town i can spot out people who are having problems and what not. feel somewhat powerful, lol.

To us and our future success nursing!!! cheers.

From what I was told from a few friends that have a BSN and from researching myself because I plan on doing the bridge program. Most of the first year of the 4 years was doing the things we have do have done as Pre Reqs. Then they had pretty much the same 2 years we have of nursing classes that are mainly NCLEX style testing, then the 4th year, the last year, was a lot of papers and care maps and classes to enable you to get a more supervisor type role. So more leadership type classes and so on that dealt more with delegation and stuff. They said it wasn't as NCLEX test heavy. I know here you can do the BSN all online once you are working as an RN.

Those with BSN's can clarify. But it seems to make sense to me since both titles sit for the same boards and bear the RN title. But their are more advancement type opportunities with the BSN.

I know I have much of the pre reqs done already for the BSN as well because my previous school required more. So that will help when I go to do the bridge.

I think it's fair to say an ADN or ASN degree is more like a 3 year degree (if you go head on full time) when you count all the pre reqs you do before starting the program.

My goal is eventually a masters and to be an educator although the way to get there is heavy on papers and apa and all the stuff I LOATHE LOL

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I'm in a three year BS program. We needed to do a year of pre-reqs before applying, similar to an ADN program I suppose.

Most of our senior year is in preceptorship, we spend the last two terms working one-on-one with an RN 25 - 30 hours a week ( we have clinicals all three years, 8 hours a week for sophomore year, 15 hours a week for junior year and the first term of Sr year). During that time, there's a one credit online class as well, so there's still research and papers (and while we have clinical paperwork of course, for the most part we did full care plans in sophomore year, when they were teaching us about the nursing process).

The classes that are different from the ADN programs in the area are epidemiology, Public Health (called populations) and nursing leadership. We're also required to have 15 - 20 credits of upper level electives, statistics and a year of a foreign language.

Any nursing theory class we take (including our patho & pharm classes) have had NCLEX style exams though.

Peace,

CuriousMe

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I'm in a three year BS program. We needed to do a year of pre-reqs before applying, similar to an ADN program I suppose.

Most of our senior year is in preceptorship, we spend the last two terms working one-on-one with an RN 25 - 30 hours a week ( we have clinicals all three years, 8 hours a week for sophomore year, 15 hours a week for junior year and the first term of Sr year). During that time, there's a one credit online class as well, so there's still research and papers (and while we have clinical paperwork of course, for the most part we did full care plans in sophomore year, when they were teaching us about the nursing process).

The classes that are different from the ADN programs in the area are epidemiology, Public Health (called populations) and nursing leadership. We're also required to have 15 - 20 credits of upper level electives, statistics and a year of a foreign language.

Any nursing theory class we take (including our patho & pharm classes) have had NCLEX style exams though.

Peace,

CuriousMe

So it sounds like if your program had been 4 years then that first year would have been doing pre reqs basically too? It is a lot of the electives and a few science ones I have already done that my other school required so that is nice. My current school didn't require them for the ASN or ADN so I was worried they would go to waist until I saw they are required for the BSN

The program I was looking into for my bridge it didn't look like had clinicals for that year, you have to go to the campus for orientation and the rest is strictly online, it's a local university with a huge campus as well. Our last semester of my program is the preceptorship where we are basically with a nurse most of the time, work her shifts and hours but we still have a couple classes to take then too..

Currently we have clinicals all semesters with the precptorship being the last semester. After the second semester in the summer students can take a class during the summer to and be eligible to take the LPN boards.

Anyway, thanks for sharing, I enjoy seeing all the differences in the school. Well except when I see a difference where the grading scale is a lot less strict than ours, then I get jealous :p

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So it sounds like if your program had been 4 years then that first year would have been doing pre reqs basically too? It is a lot of the electives and a few science ones I have already done that my other school required so that is nice. My current school didn't require them for the ASN or ADN so I was worried they would go to waist until I saw they are required for the BSN

The program I was looking into for my bridge it didn't look like had clinicals for that year, you have to go to the campus for orientation and the rest is strictly online, it's a local university with a huge campus as well. Our last semester of my program is the preceptorship where we are basically with a nurse most of the time, work her shifts and hours but we still have a couple classes to take then too..

Currently we have clinicals all semesters with the precptorship being the last semester. After the second semester in the summer students can take a class during the summer to and be eligible to take the LPN boards.

Anyway, thanks for sharing, I enjoy seeing all the differences in the school. Well except when I see a difference where the grading scale is a lot less strict than ours, then I get jealous :p

Well yes, our freshman year is prereqs....it's just not done at the university where my SON is (my university doesn't offer the non-nursing classes). I didn't list out my preregs, they're standard....45 credits (we're on quarters). So, a year of A&P plus lab, college algebra, a year of writing classes including a research writing class, nutrition, Intro Psych, human development over the lifespan as well as a couple social science electives. I think that's all...but feel like forgot something.

The other classes I listed were designed to be completed during the program in addition to our 10 or so credits of nursing classes per term.

Our state doesn't allow RN students to sit for the LPN boards midway through their program. They decided that the education programs were to different, so took that option out.

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Specializes in Family Practice, ICU.
I think that's all...but feel like forgot something.

Maybe Chemistry and Microbiology?

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Maybe Chemistry and Microbiology?

Yup :D

I'm a chem minor, so mentally deleted the chem classes I took. But yes, Micro was required as well :)

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Well yes, our freshman year is prereqs....it's just not done at the university where my SON is (my university doesn't offer the non-nursing classes). I didn't list out my preregs, they're standard....45 credits (we're on quarters). So, a year of A&P plus lab, college algebra, a year of writing classes including a research writing class, nutrition, Intro Psych, human development over the lifespan as well as a couple social science electives. I think that's all...but feel like forgot something.

The other classes I listed were designed to be completed during the program in addition to our 10 or so credits of nursing classes per term.

Our state doesn't allow RN students to sit for the LPN boards midway through their program. They decided that the education programs were to different, so took that option out.

My first school I attended were quarters also. I was able to get a lot of classes knocked out that way, granted I was at school a lot but it was nice to get so many knocked out in a shorter period of time.

I am not going the LPN route but I know that in order to take the boards the students have to finish the first year and also take a class during the summer. Once they finish that class then they take the boards. I probably should have went ahead and signed up for it just in case something happens 3rd of 4th semester but I wanted to have my last summer off to enjoy with my kids LOL

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Good question! :smokin: I have experienced this first hand...had a teacher who said, "my lecture IS the test!"...so my classmates and I recorded all the lectures, stayed awake for 2 nights rewinding the tapes, listening to her voice day and night. We get to the test, we all failed cause it was entirely another subject. Had another instructor to tell us that we were having a test on Diabetes, we get to the test...it's on the GI...

How did I survive???...I read EVERYTHING that was given to me...but mainly the textbook...If the material on the test isn't coming from the textbook, I believe you may have grounds to file a grievance--my school had this policy...

Everyone that was failing kept asking me what I was doing...I was reading the textbook, and then using a reference book to go over the stuff that I was unsure of...then I'd practice NCLEX questions on all of the stuff I'd been studying during that period....What you have to do is RELATE all of the information you're learning to The Nursing Process, the ABC's, Maslowe, The Basic Human needs....

For example, if the subject was respiratory, then I would do all of the A&P on the subject, the systems related to it, the diseases associated with it, etc..

There's a book by the Princeton Review called,"What smart students know"...this book changed my life in school forever...I only got "A's" in science since reading this book . And was busting all "A"s in nursing school...Thanks Princeton review!!!'

I became more objective ( reading), practiced the 3 r's method, and taught the subjects to my kids :redbeathe:redbeathe...

btw: you may want to have your eyes examined...you could have damaged them during prereqs....(happened to me)...all of the internetting, and late night reading, ruined my eyes...I wear glasses now. But when I got into nursing school I was deterred from reading cause my head had started hurting cause I was squinting and didn't realize it....

Wow! I hope this helps you some....unless you've been there and done that, you can't speak on the subject of studying and getting to the test and being somewhat amazed at the questions...this is when you have to be a waaay more critical thinker.

Happy reading!!!:heartbeat:heartbeat

:)

Wow, your teacher is so wrong for that! I mean, they might as well not say anything at all!

Yea, I used to read all my chapters last semester except in one class. I made a B in that class and made an A in all others. Reading really does help. Yet, I still have read a complete chapter, just skimming. It's so much to read in a few days. I'm trying to read (skim and note) the stuff now, since I have a bit more time than I did last time. I got the Saunders NCLEX review guide to help me break it down the essential knowledge. I'm doing the practice questions at the end of the chapter, questions from the CD-ROM that came with the Saunders review, and questions from NCLEX 4000 (a guy in class bought it and allowed everyone to load it to their computer). So it helps in getting used to the questions and I like the way I can customize it to whatever subject area I want. I'm looking at everything in those chapters to the best of my ability. :sigh: Then I may have to look at the PowerPoints too. But really, though, the PowerPoints are from the publisher of the book, so I might as well read the book! I do have a few additional notes on them, but they are more like side notes.

When I go to church in the morning, I'm praying to pass the test with the information I got from yesterday through tomorrow night. And a little more review while I'm on the bus on the way to class. I will have 90 min to spare.

My whole class is going to be nervous Monday morning.

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