Design: A correlational design was used to analyze the relationship between nursing students’ HESI exam scores and their final course grades.

Population, Sample, Setting, Years: The sample consisted of 52 ADN students who graduated in the spring or fall semesters of 2002, and who had completed all nursing courses and taken all HESI exams administered during the curriculum.

Concept or Variables Studied Together: Students scores on the HESI Admission Assessment (A2), three HESI specialty exams (Maternity, Pediatric, and Psychiatric Nursing), three 50-item custom exams (designed by HESI to evaluate specific course content), and the HESI Exit Exam (E2) were compared with the students’ final course grades and NCLEX-RN outcomes.

Methods: Pearson r correlations were calculated to determine the degree of relationship between students’ HESI scores and their final course grades in the courses the HESI exams were used to evaluate. The predictive accuracy of the E2 was also measured.

Findings: Significant correlations (P < .05) were found among all HESI exams administered within the curriculum and final course grades in corresponding courses with the exception of one course, Therapeutic Communications.

Conclusions: The findings of this study indicated that the HESI exams administered during the three-year study period were reliable and valid. Limitations of the study included: use of a convenience sample, and the lack of control for intervening variables that could have occurred following completion of nursing courses and the related HESI exams, and following administration of the E2 and taking the NCLEX-RN.

Implications: The findings of this study supported the use of HESI exams as a means of obtaining evidence of curricular effectiveness.

Back to Using Computerized Testing to Assess Educational Outcomes
Back to 15th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
July 22-24, 2004