The HESI Exit Exams are used by many Nursing schools to evaluate a student’s readiness for their NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN exams. The HESI Exit Exams are developed by Elsevier and are intended to match the latest NCLEX test plans. Nursing programs typically administer the exams during the last semester of the PN or RN program. The results of the HESI exam are used by the school and the student to identify strengths and weaknesses and identify any remediation needs. Most Nursing schools require a student to pass their HESI Exit Exam prior to graduation. Studies have shown that success on the HESI Exit Exam is an accurate predictor (up to 98%) of success on the NCLEX exam.
The HESI Exit Exams are designed to test a student’s understanding of the entire Nursing curriculum. The HESI RN Exit Exam contains 150 questions. The HESI LPN Exit Exam can consist of either 150 questions or 75 questions. HESI questions are usually focused on the critical thinking level and are intended to mimic the types of questions found on the NCLEX exams. The question formats on the exit exam can be any of the following types: multiple choice, multiple response, fill in the blank, hot spots, charts or drag/drop.
HESI Exit Exam Scoring
As mentioned previously, the intent of the HESI Exit Exams is to predict success on the NCLEX exam. The scoring table below shows how the HESI scores correlate to predicted success on the NCLEX.
>950 – OUTSTANDING probability of passing
900-940 – EXCELLENT probability of passing
850-899 – AVERAGE probability of passing
800-849 – BELOW AVERAGE probability of passing
750-799 – Additional preparation needed
700-749 – Serious preparation needed
650-699 – Grave danger of failing
<649 – Poor performance expected.
HESI Exit Exam Content Areas
The HESI Exit Exams are a comprehensive evaluation of the entire Nursing curriculum. The core areas tested include:
- Nursing Process (Assessment, Analysis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation)
- Client Needs (Safe/Effective Environment, Management of Care, Safety and Infection Control, Health Promotion and maintenance, Psychosocial Integrity, Physiological Integrity, Basic Care and Comfort, Pharmaceutical and Parenteral Tx, Reduce Risk Potential, Physio Adaption)
- Specialty Area (Community Health, Critical Care, Fundamentals, Geriatrics, Maternity, Medical Surgical, Pathophysiology, Pediatrics, Professional Issues, Psychiatric/Mental Health)
One of the best ways to prepare for the HESI exit exam is through the use of practice exams. See our directory of HESI practice exams to get started.