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? ?

[WellThatsOod]

Does this madness ever end?

I'm all for gambling $20 on penny slots to relax once in a while. I'm not good with gambling $200 because I can't be slightly inconvenienced to wait for something.

[scaredsilly, BSN, RN]

I wish PV would read these posts. After they got done laughing their heads off, maybe they would make some changes.

This is what I would propose:

1. Get rid of the PVT entirely. Just charge everyone who tries to create a new registration.

2. Pop up at the end of the test that states "based on the first scoring you passed - or failed. Please watch for official results on your BON website after the second scoring for confirmation.

3. Get rid of quick results....or make every state participate.

The computer does the initial scoring as you are taking the test, that is how CAT works. There is really no reason that preliminary results cannot be immediate with a disclaimer that in rare cases it can change. It would sure take away a lot of stress...it would also make AN somewhat less entertaining!

[8*P23J]

scaredsilly said:

The computer does the initial scoring as you are taking the test, that is how CAT works. There is really no reason that preliminary results cannot be immediate with a disclaimer that in rare cases it can change. It would sure take away a lot of stress...it would also make AN somewhat less entertaining!

Idk. Then we would have people saying "how reliable is the first score." And people would have anxiety about that lol

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Regarding the sensibility (or more accurately, the LACK of sensibility) of doing the PVT over and over, well....all I can say is that people do it ALL the time. I mean A LOT. And that's what initially led to the discovery of the fallacy of the PVT in the first place, the repetition with subsequent changes in pop ups.

It does seem that if someone does the PVT exactly once, and only after 24 hours, a good pop up still looks to be a good indication. But they never seem to stop there: they do it again, awhile later. Or they never waited the 24 hours in the first place, so the 'good' pop up at hour 5 becomes a 'bad' pop up at hour 25. Which was right? Who knows?

From what people who insist on doing it over again write, they "just want to see if it changes". Makes no sense to me, but I'm not the one doing it, LOL....they write "my pop up is still good at 3 hours, 10 hours, 24 hours, 30 hours, 40 hours....". I suppose they feel better because it's "still" a good pop up. Colossal waste of time, IMHO, but hey, if they want to risk feeling worse if/when it finally DOES change (for the worse)...guess I can't stop 'em.

I'd say "caveat emptor" except they aren't buying anything

[Flamencoguy]

I passed! I am a Registered Nurse. Thank you very much for the info. I walked out knowing I passed, but I needed to see it in writing to believe it. I did not want to wait any longer than Sunday! It was brutal enough. I have seen many of your posts and enjoy reading them!

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Thank you, and CONGRATS on passing! Pretty awesome feeling, isn't it?

[Flamencoguy]

It is! Now I just need to find a job. I am looking into prison nursing and the psych floor at the VA hospital (like my dad!). I would love to get a job on a hospital floor, but I don't have a Bachelors degree yet and they don't like hiring newbies in my area.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Flamencoguy said:

It is! Now I just need to find a job. I am looking into prison nursing and the psych floor at the VA hospital (like my dad!). I would love to get a job on a hospital floor, but I don't have a Bachelors degree yet and they don't like hiring newbies in my area.

Did you do an internship at a VAMC, or work there as a tech? If so, you'd have a bit of a leg up on the process; if not, it would be a unique facility that would bring a brand new grad to a psych floor.

In any event, good luck ?

[klone, MSN, RN]

Man , I just feel bad for the person at PV who has to look at/reconcile the financial/credit card reports. As someone who used to have a home business and took credit card payments, I can't imagine the nightmare that is for them.

Like ScaredSilly, I wish they would change it once and for all. Initially I liked the idea of just charging everyone who tries to sign up again. But then that poor PearsonVue bean counter will be dealing with a jillion chargebacks. So I like the idea of an immediate "unofficial" result (certification tests can do it, why not the NCLEX).

[ixchel]

klone said:

But then that poor PearsonVue bean counter will be dealing with a jillion chargebacks. So I like the idea of an immediate "unofficial" result (certification tests can do it, why not the NCLEX).

Oh, to hell with that junk! They CONSENTED to those charges. No way would I actually give that $200 back!

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

I've asked people to let me know if they are successful, but to date, no one has posted that they were able to get a refund when they paid $200 for a new registration but ultimately did not need it (IOW, they got charged for the very thing they authorized, because of the PVT).

The problem with trying to get a refund, it would seem, would be that those who were charged the fee had to go past two screens informing them the charge was non-refundable......and they agree to the TOS that they will not create a duplicate registration (which is what happens when someone does the PVT instead of waiting for official results).

Seems like a lose-lose

[Flamencoguy]

RNsRWe said:

Did you do an internship at a VAMC, or work there as a tech? If so, you'd have a bit of a leg up on the process; if not, it would be a unique facility that would bring a brand new grad to a psych floor.

In any event, good luck ?

No I did not. They did hire my dad right out of school about 10 years ago (he became a nurse in his late forties), so it does happen though. I would like to get some Med Surg experience if possible anyway before I go into psych, but it is hard to find hospitals willing to give new grads the chance. I am definitely at a disadvantage because I never even worked as a CNA. I will find something, I am sure. I just probably need to take what I can get right now and worry about the job I want later. I am going back for my BSN in the fall and that will open some doors too. Thank you for responding!