Predicting NCLEX-RN Success With the HESI Exit Exam: Eighth Validity Study

Increasingly, Elsevier's HESI Exit Exam (E2) is being used to assess students' readiness for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Seven previously conducted validity studies indicate that the E2 is 96.36%–99.16% accurate in predicting NCLEX-RN success. Findings of this eighth validity study, which also investigated the predictive accuracy of repeat testing with parallel versions of the E2, indicated that the E2 is highly accurate (94.93%–98.32%) in predicting NCLEX-RN success for the initial testing and 2 retests. Of the 66 participating nursing programs, deans and directors from 43 (65.15%) of the programs reported implementing a policy that used E2 scores as a benchmark for remediation. A score of 850 was the most common E2 benchmark designated by faculties, and students who failed to achieve the faculty-designated E2 benchmark score were required to retest with a parallel version of the E2. Remediation resources used to assist students in achieving faculty-designated E2 benchmark scores varied widely, with many programs employing multiple remediation methods.