Placement Test vs. SAT

[silvana.toma 15]

I started studying math about a month ago, as i would like to get into the nursing program this fall. The comunity collage I am applying to told me i have to pass a placement test. I have been studying from the SAT book, and i have to say..english is not hard at all, but math is a different story..(geometry for me might as well be chinese language )

SO do you guys have any ideea if the placement test is as hard as the SAT? I want to get a really good score because i want to make sure I get into the nursing program...so i will play safe and keep on studying from the SAT book, but i just wanted to know what's the difference between the two.

Tx guys!

[bmiles62 5]

I started studying math about a month ago, as i would like to get into the nursing program this fall. The comunity collage I am applying to told me i have to pass a placement test. I have been studying from the SAT book, and i have to say..english is not hard at all, but math is a different story..(geometry for me might as well be chinese language )

SO do you guys have any ideea if the placement test is as hard as the SAT? I want to get a really good score because i want to make sure I get into the nursing program...so i will play safe and keep on studying from the SAT book, but i just wanted to know what's the difference between the two.

Tx guys!

I happen to be a guidance counselor at High School so I may have a few answers on this. Keep in mind that I work in North Carolina so different states could be different. Here the placement test is just to let the school know if you need any remedial classes in the areas of reading writing and math. If you fail the test in one of these areas it would mean that you may have to take an additional class in that area to get you up to speed in that subject and so you can be successful in your future classes. In North Carolina it is almost impossible to go straight into a nursing program due to the competition and limited number of openings. Most people go into something more general like medical assisting and then work their way into the Nursing program. While studying for the SAT will be helpful, the community college should have some resources for you to study that are more directly related to the placement tests that you will be taking. Ours offers books and online web sites for students to study before they take it. Like I said this is in North Carolina but it would be worth asking them and seeing if they can give you more direction.

[silvana.toma 15]

I happen to be a guidance counselor at High School so I may have a few answers on this. Keep in mind that I work in North Carolina so different states could be different. Here the placement test is just to let the school know if you need any remedial classes in the areas of reading writing and math. If you fail the test in one of these areas it would mean that you may have to take an additional class in that area to get you up to speed in that subject and so you can be successful in your future classes. In North Carolina it is almost impossible to go straight into a nursing program due to the competition and limited number of openings. Most people go into something more general like medical assisting and then work their way into the Nursing program. While studying for the SAT will be helpful, the community college should have some resources for you to study that are more directly related to the placement tests that you will be taking. Ours offers books and online web sites for students to study before they take it. Like I said this is in North Carolina but it would be worth asking them and seeing if they can give you more direction.

A giudance councelor? That's amazing you guys have this position in schools, I wish Romanian schools would have a guidance councelor, I went to collage and quit because i started hating everything about it(journalism), they all made it sound so interesting and super duper, when in fact it wasn't like that at all. If i would have had a councelor maybe they would advice me better on what college to chose.

I heard nursing it's very competitive, but wow...that's preety bad. I will have to get to the school and ask questions because they are not very helpful over the phone. I have called 4 times already and they rushed me like it's a free school.

Tx for the advice!

[bmiles62 5]

A giudance councelor? That's amazing you guys have this position in schools, I wish Romanian schools would have a guidance councelor, I went to collage and quit because i started hating everything about it(journalism), they all made it sound so interesting and super duper, when in fact it wasn't like that at all. If i would have had a councelor maybe they would advice me better on what college to chose.

I heard nursing it's very competitive, but wow...that's preety bad. I will have to get to the school and ask questions because they are not very helpful over the phone. I have called 4 times already and they rushed me like it's a free school.

Tx for the advice!

I think going to the school is a good idea. You need to talk to someone face to face. Right now the community colleges are packed with people that have lost their josb and are going back to school to learn a new career. This means they do not need your business so they may not be as helpful as they should be but if you can get through this Visa process then you can get through anything. Good Luck!!!!

[Ontarkie 13,915]

My oldest son took the ACT test and then he took the college placement test to try and get a better score in math, he found the college test easier the the ACT test. He has a learning disability so test are hard on him. Good luck with yours

[silvana.toma 15]

Thanks guys!

[Flames9_RN 358]

I had to do a placement test, and it was pretty basic! At the end it stated if you meet the minimum requirements (or exceeded them) for certain areas such as English and math! THEN many nursing courses have a pre-nursign exam which may or may not count to ur score to get into the program! Some you just have to meet the min requirements and that it--some your score is put laong with ur GPA to gain admittance into the program! Common Nursing pre-exam tests are the TEAS http://www.atitesting.com/Solutions/PreNursingSchool/TEAS.aspx

and their is another one put out by HESI, and I'm sure their are others. And yes there are books that can help with studying for it.

I bought 99% of my school nursing books on ebay.com, half.com or amazon.com. MUCH cheaper than what the school sells them for. Best of luck

[silvana.toma 15]

I had to do a placement test, and it was pretty basic! At the end it stated if you meet the minimum requirements (or exceeded them) for certain areas such as English and math! THEN many nursing courses have a pre-nursign exam which may or may not count to ur score to get into the program! Some you just have to meet the min requirements and that it--some your score is put laong with ur GPA to gain admittance into the program! Common Nursing pre-exam tests are the TEAS http://www.atitesting.com/Solutions/PreNursingSchool/TEAS.aspx

and their is another one put out by HESI, and I'm sure their are others. And yes there are books that can help with studying for it.

I bought 99% of my school nursing books on ebay.com, half.com or amazon.com. MUCH cheaper than what the school sells them for. Best of luck

I read something last night on allnurses.com that got me really worried. This girl wanted to go to the school i want to go to, and she had a 3.7 GPA, and also did some type at college at VCU which is a very big, and famous here in VA, and she still DIDN'T get in the nursing program the first time

other people were saying that the waiting list is 13-17 months!!!

I think with all the lay offs people have started changing their careers, and more people go back to school now then they ever did in the past...i bet 10 years ago it wasn't a waiting list to get into nursing.

I will have to get to the school and talk to them and see what they say, as the lady i talked to over the phone rushed me, and when she heard that i want to do nursing she said: "oh...that is a very hard program" That is almost like going to a store and when you ask for the price on something the sales person tells you: oh...that is very very expensive"

So i guess my conclusion is that i have to get over there somehow and maybe face to face they will be able to explain to me better how this works, because I am not going to wait 17 months to get into nursing

TX for the tips and help!

[Flames9_RN 358]

Many of the schools have waiting lists and it can be very hard to get into them---they are very competitive when it comes to GPA! And one has to watch out--as some do not accept do overs!! As in you get a "c" in a required chemistry class, but when you retake the class you get an "A", well they wont take the "A", and ur stuck with the "C"!

Really not a new grad shortage in the Virginia area. new grads are having a hard time finding work, as the older nursers are not retiring---having to work longer because theirs or their husbands/wifes 401k crashed!

In my program, I bet the average age was in the 30's--lot of people lost their jobs, so they figured to give nursing a try!

personally, I would recommend another profession,lol there are a lot of disgruntled nurses out there--most of which are bedside nurses,lol Reason being in many places, management treats you like ####### and some patients treat you like #######! Then your wiping #######,lol Nothing like an ETOH pt to ruin your shift and on our PCU floor, we get them a lot! 1 sent our tech to the ER last week after she punched her! And yes it can be rewarding, but, its not a job I'm going to miss. Just saying! Prob better to go respiratory therapist or Ultrasound tech! lol

[silvana.toma 15]

Many of the schools have waiting lists and it can be very hard to get into them---they are very competitive when it comes to GPA! And one has to watch out--as some do not accept do overs!! As in you get a "c" in a required chemistry class, but when you retake the class you get an "A", well they wont take the "A", and ur stuck with the "C"!

Really not a new grad shortage in the Virginia area. new grads are having a hard time finding work, as the older nursers are not retiring---having to work longer because theirs or their husbands/wifes 401k crashed!

In my program, I bet the average age was in the 30's--lot of people lost their jobs, so they figured to give nursing a try!

personally, I would recommend another profession,lol there are a lot of disgruntled nurses out there--most of which are bedside nurses,lol Reason being in many places, management treats you like ####### and some patients treat you like #######! Then your wiping #######,lol Nothing like an ETOH pt to ruin your shift and on our PCU floor, we get them a lot! 1 sent our tech to the ER last week after she punched her! And yes it can be rewarding, but, its not a job I'm going to miss. Just saying! Prob better to go respiratory therapist or Ultrasound tech! lol

I think i'm going to try voluneteering in a hospital for a while...that would give me a better understanding of the jobs in the health care field, also it will give me a chance to see if i would even be a good fit for nursing.

So you are not working as a nurse anymore?

[Flames9_RN 358]

I think i'm going to try voluneteering in a hospital for a while...that would give me a better understanding of the jobs in the health care field, also it will give me a chance to see if i would even be a good fit for nursing.

So you are not working as a nurse anymore?

No I still do,lol On a Progressive care Unit (PCU)

[Darnell 8,478]

there are two genres of 'Placement Tests' so be warned, ah?

one is some 'basic' thing the college or university will use, to see where to put you for some classes, at which level.

the other is the CLEP - College Level E(something) Placement - and these are taken to 'get out' of classes - if you score high enough on a CLEP exam, you get credit for that class, and not need to take it at uni.

Good Luck !

[silvana.toma 15]

there are two genres of 'Placement Tests' so be warned, ah?

one is some 'basic' thing the college or university will use, to see where to put you for some classes, at which level.

the other is the CLEP - College Level E(something) Placement - and these are taken to 'get out' of classes - if you score high enough on a CLEP exam, you get credit for that class, and not need to take it at uni.

Good Luck !

Funny you mentioned that because i was just doing a sample placement test now...and it is so much harder than any i have done so far...and i was wondering why that was.

I have to say ..the education system here in us is so confusing..to many choices, i feel i need to take a course just to learn the system.

tx for sharing that with me!