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.

Passing is a 75, which is a C. It's a pretty normal grading scale, not like the one's I've been seeing from some schools. Still, it's not good enough. My instructor said that "You're skating by passing" or something like that. Some of my classmates are not passing at all. :eek: And I think they do actually read, or try to. I hope they do pass. They do pay attention and are dedicated. We already lost 5 people since last semester, which was our first one. Something just isn't clicking. The critical thinking maybe? It's usually a strong point. Damn, I always thought I was good at that.

No, we don't get guided reading. It's very seldom. So there is always that risk that something will come out the book. However, it still seems like most of the material, if not all, comes from lecture. Then the elaborations come from the book. So it really is both I guess. It depends on the teacher.

At least it's better than being told to "Google" the answer. Yes, that what happened ion Health Assessment. We would ask a question and instead of givng us the answer right there so we would know it for future reference, we get told to "Google" it. ***** I could "Google" my way through nursing school, then. Maybe that's why we don't know anything. We don't have a good basis. Gah! I came into the class at the beginning of the semester answering questions and participating in class and thought I knew my stuff. Wrong!

Well, clinical is tomorrow. I'll see how that turns out. Last time was awkward.

Books and Basics

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Specializes in IMCU.

Yep I do check the answer keys. I also want to be sure I got something right for the right reason -- it has helped me a great deal.

Good luck.

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I don't know if I want to be a nurse anymore...has anyone ever had doubts? Like, seriously? I don't think it's for me anymore and don't really want to invest more time if it's not. I just feel uncomfortable.

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I don't know if I want to be a nurse anymore...has anyone ever had doubts? Like, seriously? I don't think it's for me anymore and don't really want to invest more time if it's not. I just feel uncomfortable.

What aspect don't you think is for you?

I ask because there are plenty of aspects of nursing school that are uncomfortable....but that doesn't mean that nursing will be that way. Nursing school is many things, challenging, demanding, frustrating and rewarding.....but it's not often comfortable. In fact, just as you get comfortable....the program will likely change and challenge you in a new way. That's been my experience anyway.

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IDK everything. I've done okay until this point, which is only my second semester and first semester of clinicals. I'm taking two nursing courses - one is a core course and the other is a BSN level course. I'm maintaining an A in the BSN course, not really a concern. It's the core course that's getting me. The same thing happened last semester. I can do the theory, but the practical skills are little bit harder. I have been passing my check-offs, but it just feels awkward. I'm barely passing the class. We just grades back for our first care plan and clinical evaluation and I only made a 76 on the CP and a 73 on the evaluation. My classmates did even worse. :sigh: Last semester I did excellent on the care plans, so I thought that would transfer. Not to mention I dread going into a patient's room. It's like I don't know how to assess anymore. Getting the dimensions of health and talking to them is fine, but actually getting hands on and clarifying what I am doing makes me feel dumb. In fact, I have dreaded this part since the beginning of the semester. I thought I wanted to be a nurse, but now I'm sure if I would be all that good if I can't even hear lung and heart sounds clearly. I thought I knew that if I got through health assessment, but then again we had to Google things for our test because it wasn't in our books. Anyway, it just doesn't seem like a fit anymore. I already got a degree plan for another major/minor so I can consider. I'm giving myself until the end of this semester, depending on how it turns out. If I get a C in that class, I'm out. Even if I get a B, I'm still thinking about the future. What kind of person does it take to get into nursing? I'm talking to my advisor tomorrow about this.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

I have felt like this a few times, mainly when I was doing bad in school and now because the weather is getting better. When my grades in my last class started slipping I was really reflecting if this is what I wanted. Once I passed and did well on my lasts test, I got my drive again, I think it's normal to go through cycles, I have talked to a few friends that felt the same way. One girl said she decided she would at least finish and get her lic. try it out and if it isn't for her she can pursue something else but at least she will have that to fall back on.

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IDK everything. I've done okay until this point, which is only my second semester and first semester of clinicals. I'm taking two nursing courses - one is a core course and the other is a BSN level course. I'm maintaining an A in the BSN course, not really a concern. It's the core course that's getting me. The same thing happened last semester. I can do the theory, but the practical skills are little bit harder. I have been passing my check-offs, but it just feels awkward. I'm barely passing the class. We just grades back for our first care plan and clinical evaluation and I only made a 76 on the CP and a 73 on the evaluation. My classmates did even worse. :sigh: Last semester I did excellent on the care plans, so I thought that would transfer. Not to mention I dread going into a patient's room. It's like I don't know how to assess anymore. Getting the dimensions of health and talking to them is fine, but actually getting hands on and clarifying what I am doing makes me feel dumb. In fact, I have dreaded this part since the beginning of the semester. I thought I wanted to be a nurse, but now I'm sure if I would be all that good if I can't even hear lung and heart sounds clearly. I thought I knew that if I got through health assessment, but then again we had to Google things for our test because it wasn't in our books. Anyway, it just doesn't seem like a fit anymore. I already got a degree plan for another major/minor so I can consider. I'm giving myself until the end of this semester, depending on how it turns out. If I get a C in that class, I'm out. Even if I get a B, I'm still thinking about the future. What kind of person does it take to get into nursing? I'm talking to my advisor tomorrow about this.

It sounds like you're talking about two different things. One thing, is that nursing school is difficult sometimes. And in some programs, in some classes.....it's really tough to get good grades. Have you asked to make an appointment with your clinical instructor to find out from them what you could be doing differently?

Honestly....the feeling dumb bit....well that sounds pretty standard for nursing school. The more you learn, the more you know how much you don't know. It's humbling, but I figure that's a good thing really....there's a lot of responsibility in taking care of someone, it's good to recognize what we don't know. The skills part of it, just comes with time and practice.....there's no other way to do that bit. Have you listened to heart and lung sounds on everyone you know? Truly....lots and lots and lots and lots of practice is the way to feel more comfortable on this.

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Well the official grades for the test have been posted. I ended making an 80 (don't know where those extra 3 points came from) and making an 80 on a pop quiz we had. Good thing I skimmed that chapter.

I'll be simmering on my decision until next time....

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Hi,

I stumbled across this website looking for help with my pharmacology final. I must say that the same crap with the test goes on in a lot of schools. I am not sure where you all are from but I am in my 3rd semester of a 5 semester program and I am on the brink of failing because of 1 test that effected my grade 13%. The ATI test they say is worth 10% of our grade now because I received a level 1 as well as almost 75% of those that took the test I have to get an 82% on my final to pass the class. The ohio board of nursing was at our school because of some/ well a lot of complaints. I know most schools use this or Hesi as a tool to see how one will do on the NCLEX. I know the other colleges around us use them just not to the extent of failing because you didnt do well. I took the fundamentals ati and I got a level 3. I studied 3x more and harder for this one and did so bad. There were questions on there about drugs that we never talked about nor were they in the ati book or on the 2 practice tests that we had to practice with. Oh an we only get 1 chance to pass this test. No second tries. I just cant believe that my nursing career could be put on hold for 1 test. I am doing well in all my other classes and I thought I was doing well in this one until the ATI. And then if you ask the instructor for help she asks are you studying in groups, if not do that. Or you should take notes during lecture yet lecture is over 5 to 7 chapters at a time. we are not allowed to tape her lectures because it has been used against the school in the past.

Anyway,

I am just venting! Thanks for listening!

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I think this is just the way they test in Nursing school - more critical thinking based vs straight forward knowledge based. And sometimes it's a matter of picking the best answer even though it may not be completely right. For example, one of the things we were taught in an early chapter was that when you percuss, you should lay two fingers down to tap on. On a test, the 'correct' answer included using only one finger (I think I've subsequently read there are occasions where one finger may be appropriate - but not on the abdomen, which is what the question was in reference to)...but it was the best answer and it ended up being correct.

The days of (for example) having to identify your tibia as a bone in your lower leg is gone - that's AP stuff. They want to know how you think and will apply the knowledge that you've learned (they're not interested in knowing simply what you've learned from a text book/book smart perspective)

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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. quote]

If you did this on top of your normal textbook studying and prep, then you are fine. If your primary method of studying is to wait until the test matrix is released then cram off of that, you are going to have a hard time doing well regardless of the test. I know there exists some sort of non-human mutant that can barely study and excel on nursing school tests, but most of us ain't one of them.

That being said, my program is infested with the same types of issues you mention: confusing questions, unclear or plain bad rationale, questions pulled from untouched areas of the text, and (my personal pet peeve) typos. The overall average on our tests is usually around 85 (barely a B), so it appears we don't have it as bad as you.

Our tests are NCLEX style also, but as you point out, some of my instructors suck at writing good NCLEX questions. I have the review books and do their study questions and find that on the ones I got wrong, there was a clear rationale showing why I got it wrong. Not so on the school exam.

My instructors say they base their questions on the NCLEX style, but they are horrible at it. It appears they take a good NCLEX question from a review book, then change it a bit. Unbeknownst to them, when they changed it they took a question with a good rationale and turned it into a nonsense question.

I'm actually OK with the instructors pulling obscure questions out of the text material. I do the reading so at least I have a shot at knowing or being able to figure out the answer. But when they ask a poorly formatted question, it turns into a guessing game.

The typos drive me nuts. Actually they are more than typos, often the right answer was left off, or answers were duplicated. Once the answers A through G were on the test when the scoresheet only goes to E! I find myself asking, "Did ANYONE look at this test before you handed it out?" Because if anyone did, they might certainly notice these ridiculous errors.

Of course in the end, their final answer is always, "Well, nursing school is hard."

A word about that. Those of us that have been in nursing school for a while know it is hard. We don't have any problem with that and we work our butts off in efforts to rise to the challenge. What gives us fits is when the staff screws up and instead of owning up to it, uses the old "Nursing school is hard" refrain to hide behind.

I could get a trained parrot to sit behind a desk and repeat "Nursing school is hard" to students who point out deficiencies in instruction. I don't need you master's and doctoral graduates for that. I think many nursing school instructors need to leave that phrase behind after the first semester and start owning their practice.

Yeah, this is how I feel too. Sometimes when I review the test, the correct answer just make me scratch my head because the rationale just doesn't fit or question ask one thing and correct answer is another. The prof's reponse alway insist their test is right without really answering why. I mean all they do in lecture is read the powerpoint and the test they expect student to make all these big leap of assumptions and rationales to get the right answer. It frustrating to not getting the result you all hard work put into because they trying hard to fail weed out students. :mad:

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Luckily, the majority of our final in Art and Science was old questions from previous tests. I remembered what I got wrong, so I got those right. The new questions were a little more straightfoward so those were OK, I guess. We had math questions. I LOVE the math questions because usually those are easy points for me! It is either 2 tabs or not 2 tabs. Simple as that! At least after checking the key I managed to pull an 80 plus 5 extra points (from extra credit questions on the test). So it will end up around a 85 plus some if she throws out a couple, which I'm sure she will have to because there were 2 that were absolutely wrong for a fact! With that grade I should be able to get a B like I hoped. Praying for it!!! Althought it is highly possibel I could get an A too with some quizzes we did it class, but that remains to be seen. I'm shooting for the B right now. I'll update when I find out my grades. They make us wait a week before final grades are released. :uhoh21:

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