Comparing ACT and NLN PAX Exams for Preadmission to an Associate\u27s Degree Nursing Program

Outside of using the ACT exam for admission into the University, a pre-admission exam for the School of Nursing has never been required until recently. A correlational study was completed to determine the relationship between the performance on the ACT and NLN-PAX pre-admission for the students entering the School of Nursing program in January 2015. Additional statistics were calculated comparing gender, ethnicity, and student status (transfer vs. non-transfer) to further validate the student’s performance on the ACT and NLN-PAX exams. Mid-term grades of a fundamentals course were compared to the pre-admission exams to predict success in the nursing program. The sample consisted of 63 undergraduate students who had just started the first semester of the nursing program, and had completed the necessary pre-requisite courses. Sixty-two students took the ACT exam as required by the University; 60 students took the NLN PAX; and 59 students took both exams. The study validated the NLN PAX as a new exam admission criteria, but scoring parameters will need to be set by the Admissions Committee should they decide to continue to use this exam as an admission criteria