Available online 5 December 2022

Author links open overlay panelAbstract

Testing is often a dominant method of student evaluation and assessment in nursing programs. Test scores can impact students, faculty, programs of nursing, and society. A holistic and diversified approach may serve to reach a nursing student population that includes not only dominant groups but also racial/ethnic minorities, and ESL, low income, and first-generation nursing students. Student success on faculty-constructed tests is enhanced by knowledge, test-taking skills, remediation, and confidence. Faculty can cultivate these attributes through a consistent, holistic approach to three interrelated components of testing, (1) pre-test active learning activities, (2) testing, and (3) post-test reviews.

Section snippetsPre-Test Active Learning Activities

Pre-test active learning activities are targeted teaching and learning strategies that faculty can incorporate into each class session prior to testing. In general, active learning methods are demonstrated to positively effect students’ knowledge building, retention, and clinical reasoning. Ultimately, this results in higher scores on NCLEX-RN predictor tests as compared to more passive methods such as lectures (Franco-Tantuico, 2022; Shatto et al., 2019). Three such activities used by this

Testing

Components of testing include (1) developing a test blueprint, (2) item writing, (3) adhering to fair testing practices, (4) promoting academic integrity, and (4) post-test analysis for overall reliability and validity and item analysis. Deliberate test construction supports content validity by ensuring that content and learning objectives at the appropriate cognitive level are covered (Eweda et al., 2020). This process begins with a test blueprint followed by item writing. Writing valid

Post-Test Review

Although post-test review can potentially facilitate student learning and cognitive development, the experience may be associated with significant emotionality for students and faculty particularly when debate ensues over correct answers (Barbe & Troyan, 2017; Spencer, 2017). Faculty also express concern that reviews may compromise the exams’ integrity (Spencer, 2017). Exam wrappers and concept focused reviews are approaches to facilitate learning while maintaining exam integrity, reducing

Conclusion

A holistic approach to testing which focuses on pre-test active learning activities, testing, and posttest reviews holds promise to cultivate students’ clinical judgement skills and ultimately positively impact NCLEX success for a diverse student body. This approach can be utilized by individual faculty; however, programmatic implementation could enhance program quality and enrich the faculty and student experience. A committee within nursing programs can serve to review current evidence on

Declaration of Competing Interest

No financial support was received in connection with this manuscript.

References (46)J. Banks et al.Tailoring NCLEX-RN indicator assessments for historically black colleges and universities: Literature review

Journal of Professional Nursing

(2018)

AACN. (2022). Fact sheet: Enhancing diversity in the nursing workforce. Retrieved from...O.O. Adesope et al.Rethinking the use of tests: A meta-analysis of practice testing

Review of Educational Research

(2017)

P.K. AgarwalRetrieval practice and Bloom's taxonomy: Do students need fact knowledge before higher order learning?

Journal of Educational Psychology

(2019)

T.D. Barbe et al.Post-exam feedback practices: An interprofessional perspective from health science programsT.J. Bristol et al.Current state of test development, administration, and analysis: A study of faculty practices

Nurse Educator

(2018)

Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education. (2018). Standards for accreditation for baccalaureate and graduate nursing...K.E. Conlon et al.Improving metacognition with pre- and post-exam reflection exercises (academic advising)

Teaching with Metacognition

(2018)

J. CouperThe struggle is real: Investigating the challenge of assigning a failing clinical grade

Nursing Education Perspectives

(2018)

M. Flowers et al.Academic factors predicting NCLEX-RN success

Nursing Education Perspectives

(2022)

M. Franco-TantuicoActive learning: A concept analysis with implications for nursing education

Nursing Education Perspectives

(2022)

M.E.S. Glasgow et al.Standardized testing in nursing education: Preparing students for NCLEXRN® and practice

Journal of Professional Nursing

(2019)

M.L. Green et al.Test-enhanced learning in health professions education: A systematic review: BEME Guide No. 48

Medical Teacher

(2018)

View full text

© 2022 Organization for Associate Degree Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.