Predicting NCLEX-RN Success: the Seventh Validity Study HESI Exit exam.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Professions Assessment

Background:

• Previous studies consistently demonstrated the HESI Exit Exam's high accuracy in predicting NCLEX-RN success.
• The HESI Exit Exam is a critical tool for evaluating nursing student readiness for licensure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the predictive accuracy of three parallel versions of the HESI Exit Exam for NCLEX-RN licensure success.
• To describe common program practices related to HESI Exit Exam benchmark scores, remediation, and retesting policies.

Main Methods:

• Examined the predictive accuracy of three parallel HESI Exit Exam versions.
• Surveyed participating nursing programs regarding benchmark scores, remediation strategies, and retesting policies.

Main Results:

• The HESI Exit Exam demonstrated high accuracy in predicting NCLEX-RN success, consistent with prior research.
• All three parallel versions of the HESI Exit Exam achieved over 90% predictive accuracy.
• A benchmark score of 850 was most common; many schools mandated retesting until this score was met.

Conclusions:

• The HESI Exit Exam remains a highly accurate predictor of NCLEX-RN licensure success.
• Remediation appears effective in improving student HESI Exit Exam scores.
• Further research is recommended to evaluate specific remediation strategies' effectiveness.