National Standardize Specialty Exams Improve Predictive Exit Exam Scores and NCLEX-RNŽ Success

Zweighaft, Elizabeth

Saturday, 29 October 2011: 3:15 PM

Elizabeth Zweighaft, MEd, MA, RN
Department of Pre- Licensure Nursing, Felician College, Lodi, NJ
Pamela Willson, RN, PhD, FNP, BC
Elsevier Review and Testing, Elsevier Publishing, Houston, TX

Learning Objective 1: describe the relationship of national standardize specialty exams in improving predictive exit exam scores and NCLEX-RNŽ success rates.

Learning Objective 2: examine the effectiveness of specialty exam testing as a strategy in preparation and remediation for NCLEX-RNŽ.

Purpose: Nurse Educators search for strategies to identify at-risk students early in the educational process with the intention of identifying knowledge gaps and providing remediation to improve student success on the NCLEX-RN® examination. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Elsevier/HESI™ Specialty Exams used throughout the curriculum has on the HESI™ Exit Exam and NCLEX-RN® student performance.

Methods: A random matched (2:1) stratified sample of 63 schools using predictive exit exams alone (n=20; 1,458 students) or schools using both specialty and exit exams (n=43; 2,332 students) were analyzed. Nursing students were enrolled in 26 BSN, 31 ADN, and 6 Diploma programs across the United States.

Results: Students testing with one or more HESI™ Specialty Exam throughout their curriculum had significantly higher scores on their HESI™ Exit Exams, M= 865.7 (CI: 861.3 - 870.1) versus HESI™ Exit Exam only M=837.3 (CI: 831.0 – 843.7), t(2767)=7.19, p = <.0001. Pediatric (p=.0005), and Psych-Mental Health (p=.002) Specialty Exams were the best predictors of NCLEX-RN® success. The students who scored 900 and above on their HESI™ Exit Exams and parallel retests passed NCLEX-RN® 98.90% (version 1), 95.66% (version 2), and 94.59% (version 3) of the time.

Conclusion: Benchmark HESI™ Specialty Exam scores are significantly predictive of end of program Exit Exam success and adds to evidence based for educational policy. In this national sample, early identification of content specific knowledge gaps through standardized nursing specialty exams enabled implementation of remediation strategies that improved student’s success on school and national high stakes testing.

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