Your school and the HESI exit exam

grentea · Jun 15, 2005

My school has the same thing going on with the HESI. We have to get an 85% on the comprehensive one to graduate and we only get one try. Needless to say, I'm shaking in my boots too. I have to take it in three months and whenever I take the practice tests I get around 85% which makes me a bit nervous. I'm trying to be optimistic and I'm doing as many practice questions as I can get my hands on from all different books. I think that's one of the best things I can do.

suzy253, RN · Jun 15, 2005

Yes, we have the HESI mid-curriculum which we take in our 2nd year (just completed that & passed; you have 3 tries to get above 850) and then in the senior year we have a HESI exit exam. I'm already worried about that as well. :stone

MIA-RN1, RN · Jun 15, 2005

At my particular college we have to pass the HESI with a 900 at the end of our second year. this makes me very nervous and here is the reason. We have began to take "practice exams from HESI" on the computer at the end of each qtr. Well, by their standards I failed miserably with an 820. A lot of the second yr students I know said that we can only take it 3 times without failing out of the program. What does your school's policies state? I have been studying my rear off with the NCLEX book and I love it! Do you all thin this will prepare me to ace the HESI? I am so nervous and it is a whole year away..haha INPUT PLEASE!!

I first heard about the HESI on this board and I asked one of my instructors and she said we take it but it doesn't count towards our passing/failing. Its given around the last week of classes for the graduating class.

stressgal, RN · Jun 15, 2005

We are required to take it mid way through and score an 850, and then again as an exit and score a 900. I purchased a HESI NCLEX-RN book from their web page and really like the way it is set up. You can also purchase a CD and practice taking the exam x amount of times. I didn't purchase the CD, but when I took the test mid cirriculum I scored over 900.

OBRN2004 · Jun 16, 2005

We had to take HESI when I was in school. (I graduated in 2004) We took it mid year our first year, three chances to get 90% or out of the program. Then our senior year we took it after finals, we had to make above a 95% on this one in order to graduate. I used NCLEX review books to help me study. I have seen some of the bookstores now carrying HESI review books and if I remember correctly, one of them had a cd in that looked helpful. Wish I had that to go by last year. Good luck! Don't stress, you'll do great!! :)

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Jun 16, 2005

Yes,, i think most schools require it to pass anymore. And yes,, taking and practicing the NCLEX exams will help increase your HESI score. Use the test taking tips in the front of the NCLEX practice books.

crb613, BSN, RN · Jun 16, 2005

We are required to take the HESI after each nsg class & pass with at least an 850. We do have to take an exit HESI & score >850, not sure exact number. If we do not we don't graduate with our class, but do get a second chance to pass. How awful would that be to not graduate with your class & then pass it on the second try...... or not pass on the second try & have to repeat the last semester?? I would croak! I have used mainly Saunder's to study with so far & have done really well on all the HESI test's I've taken so far. We have lost some students because they did not pass & had some that did not graduate with their class this year & are retaking it this summer. I don't know about the rest of you but I think the HESI questions are worded weird ( at least the ones I have taken so far) & not as easy as the ones in the NCLEX study guides.

christvs, DNP, RN, NP · Jun 16, 2005

Hi! My nursing school in Mass (a BSN program) made us take med/surg, pedi, maternity, and psych hesis junior year (just to practice) and then we had three chances senior year to get at least an 850 on our HESI exit exam. But if we didn't get an 850 after the third try, we could still graduate-they just wanted us to strive to get the highest score we could achieve. I think my school (I just graduated by the way) is going to change the requirement though to requiring you pass it in order to graduate in the near future. Anyhow, I took the first HESI exit exam in January of this year and scored a 817 and took it again in March-after studying my behind off and got a 994-and then I took it a third time in May just because I thought I should-and got a 1047 cuz I really studied a ton! So I think as long as you do lots of Q & A from NCLEX review books-you should be fine! Good luck! :)

-Christine

Christian_SN, RN · Jun 16, 2005

we take a arnet exam at the end of every semester.

but there is a great hessi book you can get on amazon that helps alot.

Danelle · Jun 16, 2005

I fully recommend getting the HESI book. We have to take a HESI test for each subject we take each semester and an exit hesi. I used the book last semester and made over 1200 (99.99%) on both of the tests I took (psych and peds). There are sections in each chapter called "hesi hints" and a lot of those were almost word for word on the test. Before getting the book, the highest I made was a 92% (1100, i think).

Serenyd · Jun 16, 2005

We had two chances to pass the HESI to graduate, and we had to make an 875. If you don't pass you have to come back the next year and take a remedial class and then you try again. We had a girl who failed the year before, came back and took it with our class and failed both x's. Our school also makes you sit out a year if you fail a class because classes are only offered 1x a year. It is very difficult to come back from failing a class and remember everything from the year before, and it makes passing HESI extra-hard. The CD you can get from http://www.hesitest.com. It's really good and be sure to read the rationales. It is hard but it will prepare you. The book is good if you have time to read. I was not really impressed with the hesi live review you can take, mostly they just read the book to you, so save your $200 if you are considering taking that class. Hurst review is much better and helped more for taking the HESI and Nclex. http://www.hurstreview.com

Good luck, prepare early and you won't have to stress so much at the end.

Seren