HeSi medical Terms
Content
HESI DEFINITION OF TERMS : REPORTS
Number of Students: The number of test-takers in the group.
Number of Scored Test Items: The number of scored questions included on this exam.
Number of Non-scored Test Items: The number of questions on this exam that are not included in the score.
These are pilot test items and will be evaluated for inclusion on future exams if they meet HESI’s stringent
requirements.
Highest HESI Score: The highest HESI composite (total) score (three-digit score) received within this aggregate.
The HESI score reflects application of the HESI Predictability Model (HPM) to the composite score. Research
studies have found the HPM to be highly accurate in predicting NCLEX success. HESI scores range from 0 to over
1000, and can be as high as 1500 (depending on the difficulty level of the exam).
Lowest HESI Score: The lowest HESI composite score (three-digit regression score) received within this
aggregate.
Median HESI Score: The HESI score that separates the range of scores into equal halves, which is the middle
value among the scores arranged in a lowest-to-highest hierarchy, i.e., the score exactly in the middle of all scores
in the group. The median score may or may not be the same as the mean score of the aggregate, depending on the
distribution of the scores at the extreme low or high ends of the range.
Mean HESI Score: The average composite HESI score for this aggregate. The mean score may or may not be the
same as the median score of the aggregate, but these values will likely be very similar if there are no extreme lows
or highs within the range of scores.
Range of HESI Scores: The scores at the extreme ends of the distribution, which are the lowest and highest
scores.
Mean HESI Conversion Score: The average weighted composite percentage score for this aggregate. This score
considers the average difficulty of the exam and the average difficulty of the test
items that were answered correctly. This score is not used for NCLEX prediction. Faculty may select this score for
use if performance on the exam contributes to a portion of the final grade in
a specific nursing course.
Standard Deviation of Scores: The measure of variability among scores that identifies the extent to which scores
cluster around the mean. At least 75%, and possibly 96%, of a group’s scores will fall between 2 SD below the
mean and 2 SD above the mean even if there is skewing of the score distribution.
Reliability of Examination (KR20): A measure of reliability for this exam is based on the Kuder-Richardson 20
statistical formula. The KR20 ranges from a -1 to a +1, and the closer the KR20 is to +1, the more internal
consistency the exam possesses. In other words, the formula measures whether or not the high-scoring individuals
who took this exam are consistently answering the test items correctly, and the low-scoring individuals who took
this exam are consistently answering the test items incorrectly.
Percentile Rank: The Percentile Score Rankings measure your aggregate’s level of performance as compared to
the performance of a national standard or norm group.
HESI Scoring Interval: Groupings of scores by categories ranging from highest composite HESI scoring range
(category A includes scores of > 950) through the lowest composite HESI scoring range (category H includes
scores of < 649).
Performance Level: Qualitative designations for the scoring intervals.
# of Students: The number of scores in the aggregate associated with each scoring
% of Students: The percentage of scores in the aggregate associated with each scoring interval.
The Percentile Score Rankings do not reflect the percentages of test items that were answered correctly.
Instead, these rankings are useful for determining how many students in the nation scored below
and above your aggregate's mean (average) HESI composite score.
Number of Students: The number of test-takers in the group.
Number of Scored Test Items: The number of scored questions included on this exam.
Number of Non-scored Test Items: The number of questions on this exam that are not included in the score.
These are pilot test items and will be evaluated for inclusion on future exams if they meet HESI’s stringent
requirements.
Highest HESI Score: The highest HESI composite (total) score (three-digit score) received within this aggregate.
The HESI score reflects application of the HESI Predictability Model (HPM) to the composite score. Research
studies have found the HPM to be highly accurate in predicting NCLEX success. HESI scores range from 0 to over
1000, and can be as high as 1500 (depending on the difficulty level of the exam).
Lowest HESI Score: The lowest HESI composite score (three-digit regression score) received within this
aggregate.
Median HESI Score: The HESI score that separates the range of scores into equal halves, which is the middle
value among the scores arranged in a lowest-to-highest hierarchy, i.e., the score exactly in the middle of all scores
in the group. The median score may or may not be the same as the mean score of the aggregate, depending on the
distribution of the scores at the extreme low or high ends of the range.
Mean HESI Score: The average composite HESI score for this aggregate. The mean score may or may not be the
same as the median score of the aggregate, but these values will likely be very similar if there are no extreme lows
or highs within the range of scores.
Range of HESI Scores: The scores at the extreme ends of the distribution, which are the lowest and highest
scores.
Mean HESI Conversion Score: The average weighted composite percentage score for this aggregate. This score
considers the average difficulty of the exam and the average difficulty of the test
items that were answered correctly. This score is not used for NCLEX prediction. Faculty may select this score for
use if performance on the exam contributes to a portion of the final grade in
a specific nursing course.
Standard Deviation of Scores: The measure of variability among scores that identifies the extent to which scores
cluster around the mean. At least 75%, and possibly 96%, of a group’s scores will fall between 2 SD below the
mean and 2 SD above the mean even if there is skewing of the score distribution.
Reliability of Examination (KR20): A measure of reliability for this exam is based on the Kuder-Richardson 20
statistical formula. The KR20 ranges from a -1 to a +1, and the closer the KR20 is to +1, the more internal
consistency the exam possesses. In other words, the formula measures whether or not the high-scoring individuals
who took this exam are consistently answering the test items correctly, and the low-scoring individuals who took
this exam are consistently answering the test items incorrectly.
Percentile Rank: The Percentile Score Rankings measure your aggregate’s level of performance as compared to
the performance of a national standard or norm group.
HESI Scoring Interval: Groupings of scores by categories ranging from highest composite HESI scoring range
(category A includes scores of > 950) through the lowest composite HESI scoring range (category H includes
scores of < 649).
Performance Level: Qualitative designations for the scoring intervals.
# of Students: The number of scores in the aggregate associated with each scoring
% of Students: The percentage of scores in the aggregate associated with each scoring interval.
The Percentile Score Rankings do not reflect the percentages of test items that were answered correctly.
Instead, these rankings are useful for determining how many students in the nation scored below
and above your aggregate's mean (average) HESI composite score.
