Getting into nursing school wasn’t quite as easy as I expected although I knew there were entrance exams, I figured – how hard can they be? Well never underestimate tests! Like anything else, each school is different and some states require more or less than others but essentially three are three examinations that you must master to attend nursing school.
The Nursing Entrance Test or NET as it is commonly called encompasses a variety of subjects where your skills and knowledge are assessed. You are evaluated on your social interaction with other people and how well you do under stressful situations. You are also given a reading exam to test not only your reading but your comprehension of what you have read. You retention of reading is also tested in algebra along with science and your overall style of evaluating information.
The TEAS examination or Test of Essential Academic Skills will test your knowledge in reading along with your English comprehension that includes vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar. There are also science sections that include chemistry, biology, physical science and general science.
The NCLEX examination involves one hundred eighty hours of training in a nursing environment. Following completion of the 180 hours you are tested to determine your skill level and retention.
These three tests all determine whether you will have a future as a nurse in this country. Once you have passed these exams then you are eligible to go to nursing school – and face more tests every day as you go through the myriad duties associated with nursing. The next step is being accepted by a school and then continuing to study with the coursework for a nurse. If you want to specialize in any area you can do that by ensuring that your studies are focused in that direction.
People who were nurses in another country cannot work as a nurse unless they go through the same procedures as any other applicant for a nursing position. All of the tests must be taken and passed and then a final exam will be required at the end of nursing school before you can obtain a license as a registered nurse. The good news about a nursing career is that you should be able to obtain a job anywhere as a nurse although moving to another state might require a further examination to be licensed in that state.
