Why PVT is UNRELIABLE. Please read.

[RNsRWe]

People, this is NOT THE CASE ANYMORE.

Over the last few months, increasing numbers of people are finding that they get a pop up that indicates their card was attempted to be charged, and this has always indicated a 'fail'. Whether you use incorrect dates is IRRELEVANT; the software program is designed to attempt to charge your card because you AUTHORIZED it. There is a notification telling you it's a non-refundable charge prior to you submitting payment....and by golly, they are going to try.

If you put in invalid info, and get a message telling you that you should contact your bank, etc etc, it MIGHT mean you failed (because a second registration was now needed for another exam). It ALSO might mean you passed, but there you were, offering the money anyway.

If you put in valid info and it charges you, it won't matter if you passed, the money is completely non-refundable.

If you are unable to register again, no charge attempt is made, it's certainly a good indication of "pass". BUT....here's where it gets icky.....people seem absolutely unable to control themselves, and insist on doing the PVT over--and over--and over again.

What's wrong with that? Well, with increasing frequency, subsequent submissions of card info result in a charge attempt...so once again, you have NO CLUE as to whether you passed or failed. Maybe you passed on the first scoring....failed on the QA review? Maybe. Maybe you passed the review, but now you are flipping out over the newly-found "I FAILED" possibility. Seriously, is this at all worth the back-and-forth cluelessness that only results in MORE anxiety?

I can't see it, sorry, no way---no how.

PLEASE don't post "hey it works!" because if you got a message that matched your results, at this point I'd go with 'coincidence'. Enough people have put in valid info and gotten charged for tests they don't need to make me shake my head. But hey, if you want to keep donating your hard-earned money to Pearson Vue, well they sure are going to be happy you--and others like you--did!

If you INSIST on doing the PVT in spite of all this, I'll leave you with this one nugget of reality, and you can go with it where you want: WAIT AT LEAST 24 hours ANYWAY, as you really do need to wait until the QA review is done (two sets of scores/reviews to your exam are done, sometime over a 24 hour period). If you can't stop yourself from "just seeing what happens", please remember this message if you find that your Happy Dance because you passed turns into an UNhappy cry because you didn't. Or, conversely, you are a mess because you failed....and it turns out you passed.

Some believe they are very smart in using a credit card with invalid info. It's true that this way you don't risk a $200 charge, but honestly....WHAT is the point when it tells you....nothing?

Please, people....you are supposed to be rational human beings ready to be granted a professional nursing license....don't lose your minds now, okay? ?

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Oh come on you love me and my grumpy cat!!

It's true, nobody knows if I'm a complete headcase, completely unreliable, making all this up. I suppose if people prefer to believe that and ignore all evidence to the contrary there's not much I can do to help them in the end is there?

But for those who might listen, who might pause before using the PVT ....well, my conscience is clear!

[scaredsilly, BSN, RN]

I was fortunate, I took my exam before everyone started going to the cc page when the trick was more reliable...but now....I think I will just keep some popcorn on hand and relax and enjoy the show!

[Flamencoguy]

Quick Results is a nationally-offered program, and is processed the same regardless of what State anyone is testing in. Regardless of the day of the week, or holidays. It isn't State-based, and it's a paid-for service, so.....it's QUITE reliable! :)

Hello,

Thanks for the info. I am unwilling to gamble $200 and then find out it was incorrect anyway. I took the exam yesterday at 1400. I finished in 75 questions at about 1510. Even though I tested on Friday and Pearson's website says "48 business hours", I should be able to get my quick results on Sunday around 1510?

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Flamencoguy said:

Hello,

Thanks for the info. I am unwilling to gamble $200 and then find out it was incorrect anyway. I took the exam yesterday at 1400. I finished in 75 questions at about 1510. Even though I tested on Friday and Pearson's website says "48 business hours", I should be able to get my quick results on Sunday around 1510?

I REALLY wish PV would fix that stupid statement on their website! Yes, it's not 48 business hours, it's 48 consecutive hours ?

Forty-eight business hours would be six days....why they don't change that is beyond me.

Anyway, hang in there, pay the eight bucks for OFFICIAL results 48 hours after you complete the exam, and know for certain if you passed or not!

Good luck

[8*P23J]

Flamencoguy said:

Hello,

Thanks for the info. I am unwilling to gamble $200 and then find out it was incorrect anyway. I took the exam yesterday at 1400. I finished in 75 questions at about 1510. Even though I tested on Friday and Pearson's website says "48 business hours", I should be able to get my quick results on Sunday around 1510?

I took my test on a Friday and got my results on a Sunday!

[Aliareza, BSN]

This whole subject has always both amused and agitated me. I don't get why so many people care on either side. There's so much drama expressed in every post, with bystanders having their minds absolutely blown that people would risk it with the PVT and feeling the need to sarcastically post about it, and PVT users decrying their woeful fates. It's like a little nursing soap opera .

Anyway, having now been an NCLEX taker, I can share that I tried the PVT and got the "good" pop-up both immediately afterward and at 24 hours out, which did grant a little peace of mind. Several of my cohort members also tried it and had it work for them.

One thing you can do to ensure you're not risking $200 is get a prepaid Visa gift card. I had one from a mail-in-rebate I'd done, but you can get them at Wal-Mart for $3-$5. Just put the minimum amount of money on it (usually $25), then spend the $25 immediately and voila, you're left with a completely valid credit/debit card with zero risk. If the trick still says you don't have funds, oh well. Just have to wait in that case. Best of luck to all of you anxious test takers! :)

[8*P23J]

Aliareza said:

One thing you can do to ensure you're not risking $200 is get a prepaid Visa gift card. I had one from a mail-in-rebate I'd done, but you can get them at Wal-Mart for $3-$5. Just put the minimum amount of money on it (usually $25), then spend the $25 immediately and voila, you're left with a completely valid credit/debit card with zero risk. If the trick still says you don't have funds, oh well. Just have to wait in that case. Best of luck to all of you anxious test takers! ?

Or you could wait 48 hours to spend just the $8 required to get a definite answer. Because if you're money goes through, you freak out and think you failed...when in reality you still may have passed. I don't think it's a soap opera. I think its just warning people that its not 100%. 48 hours isn't that long. And if you are willing to wait to do the PVT 24 hours after your test, why not just wait that extra 24 hours to find out if you passed for real instead?

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

I just remembered a particularly strange variation of the PVT saga. Someone posted about doing the PVT, getting a good message, so (naturally) kept doing the PVT over and over with a gift card that had $5 on it. Until, eventually, PV accepted the $5, then gave a version of a message that left the person screwing with it clueless as to whether the pass was for real or it was a fail because some money did go through. Turned out that neither a new registration was created (it would cost $200, NOT $5) but the $5 WAS taken off the card.....and after subsequent days of flipping out worrying, the guy/gal ended up passing. Which he/she would have done WITHOUT constantly offering up a payment via a gift card

My motivation for pushing this info out there repeatedly is the memory of those who have cried because of the torturous feeling of failing an exam they in the end didn't fail (what a waste of good tears!!)....and of those who have notified everyone in their address book of the job they just accepted now that they are really a nurse, based on a 'good' pop up with PVT. But failed anyway. And had to call back that employer to turn down the job after all, and deal with the humiliation of telling everyone "never mind. NOT a nurse."

Just trying to help those who need some kind of help; so many people are NOT their own best friends :). No soap opera, just good intentions.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

Aliareza said:

This whole subject has always both amused and agitated me. I don't get why so many people care on either side. There's so much drama expressed in every post, with bystanders having their minds absolutely blown that people would risk it with the PVT and feeling the need to sarcastically post about it, and PVT users decrying their woeful fates. It's like a little nursing soap opera .

Anyway, having now been an NCLEX taker, I can share that I tried the PVT and got the "good" pop-up both immediately afterward and at 24 hours out, which did grant a little peace of mind. Several of my cohort members also tried it and had it work for them.

One thing you can do to ensure you're not risking $200 is get a prepaid Visa gift card. I had one from a mail-in-rebate I'd done, but you can get them at Wal-Mart for $3-$5. Just put the minimum amount of money on it (usually $25), then spend the $25 immediately and voila, you're left with a completely valid credit/debit card with zero risk. If the trick still says you don't have funds, oh well. Just have to wait in that case. Best of luck to all of you anxious test takers! ?

But if you were to to the PVT again would it be the good or bad? Just because you got the good PVT doesn't necessarily mean you passed.

[Aliareza, BSN]

OrganizedChaos said:

But if you were to to the PVT again would it be the good or bad? Just because you got the good PVT doesn't necessarily mean you passed.

What sense would it make to do it again? I don't get why anyone would sit there submitting it over and over again. Unless maybe they got the bad popup and thought they could brute force their way to the good one ? But that isn't what happened in OP's story or what my situation was.

At any rate, my point was simply that there are sensible uses for the PVT as long as those using it keep their common sense about them and realize it isn't infallible like it once was. I consistently scored highly in nursing school, never once was in danger of failing a class, and spent a solid month after I graduated doing question after question and studying my weak areas (maternity and psych, as it were ). I still walked out of NCLEX after 75 questions feeling like my brain was mush and nothing was certain. Having a good pop-up on PVT helped ease the next 48 hours of waiting. With the right mindset, it is useful.

[8*P23J]

Aliareza said:

Having a good pop-up on PVT helped ease the next 48 hours of waiting. With the right mindset, it is useful.

I think the only goal of this post was to stress that it isn't reliable and to not bank on a "good" or "bad" pop up because nothing is certain unless you pay that $8 or wait for your name on the BON.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

Aliareza said:

What sense would it make to do it again? I don't get why anyone would sit there submitting it over and over again. Unless maybe they got the bad popup and thought they could brute force their way to the good one ? But that isn't what happened in OP's story or what my situation was.

At any rate, my point was simply that there are sensible uses for the PVT as long as those using it keep their common sense about them and realize it isn't infallible like it once was. I consistently scored highly in nursing school, never once was in danger of failing a class, and spent a solid month after I graduated doing question after question and studying my weak areas (maternity and psych, as it were ). I still walked out of NCLEX after 75 questions feeling like my brain was mush and nothing was certain. Having a good pop-up on PVT helped ease the next 48 hours of waiting. With the right mindset, it is useful.

Because the PVT is just that, a trick. It isn't 100% proof positive that you passed. I'm not saying you failed & if you did that well in school then you probably passed but PVT now isn't how it use to be. People get the good pop up & fail, get the bad pop & pass. Why do it again? Because people are excited & see the good pop up & want to see it again but then it turns bad.