Comparison of Predictable Ability Measure Using Examinations and Nursing Licensure Success.

Abstract

End-of-program predictive examinations have been in existence in nursing education for over 10 years. Nursing schools have used these examinations to prepare students on the testable content from National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), which has been delivering the NCLEX-RN since 1994. Nursing students, in the final semester of the nursing program, took the Predictable Ability Measurement Readiness (PAMR) 1 and/or 2. The 100-question exam was developed by nursing subject matter experts following the 2019 NCLEX-RN blueprint content, item types, and scoring. The PAMR scores were examined and compared with the results of the nursing students on the NCLEX-RN. Statistical analysis revealed that the students who passed the NCLEX-RN on their first attempt had higher scores on the PAMR1. A cut-point scale using regression modeling was developed to determine a minimal score compared with the probability of passing NCLEX-RN. Nursing faculty have a reliable and predictable exam to use to prepare students to take the NCLEX-RN. The PAMR 1 and 2 have demonstrated the ability to predict passing on the NCLEX-RN and can be used confidently in nursing programs for licensure examination preparation.