Technical Manual n
Nursing Entrance Exam (NEX)
n n n
National League for Nursing 260
n n n n
0 Virginia Avenue NW, 8th Floor
n n n n n
Washington, DC 20037 n n
Allnrightsnreserved.nNonpartnofnthisnmanualnmaynbenreproducedninnprintnornbynphotocopy,n
orninnanynothernmanner,nwithoutnthenexpressnwrittennpermissionnofnthenNationalnLeaguenf
ornNursing.
Marchn2024
,Table of Contents
n n
ListnofnTables ............................................................................................................................................... 4
ListnofnFigures .............................................................................................................................................. 5
Preface ........................................................................................................................................................ 6
1. ThenNationalnLeaguenfornNursing ............................................................................................................. 7
1.1 NLNnMission ........................................................................................................................................ 7
1.2 OverviewnofnthenNLN........................................................................................................................... 7
2. NEXnOverview .......................................................................................................................................... 8
2.1 PurposenandnIntendednPopulation...................................................................................................... 8
2.2 Objectives ........................................................................................................................................... 8
2.3 TestnOverview ..................................................................................................................................... 9
2.4 ChangesnfromnPAXntonNEX ................................................................................................................ 10
3. TestnDevelopmentnandnItemnWriting..................................................................................................... 13
3.1 SelectionnandnTrainingnofnItemnWriters ............................................................................................ 14
3.2 ItemnReviewnBeforenAdministration ................................................................................................. 14
3.3 PretestingnItems ............................................................................................................................... 14
3.4 ReviewnofnItemsnAfternAdministration .............................................................................................. 15
3.5 DeliverynofnTestnForms ...................................................................................................................... 15
4. TestnSpecifications................................................................................................................................. 15
4.1 StatisticalnSpecifications ................................................................................................................... 16
4.1.1 StatisticalnTerms ....................................................................................................................... 16
4.1.2 TestnandnItemnSpecifications ..................................................................................................... 16
4.2 ContentnSpecificationnUpdates ......................................................................................................... 17
4.3 VerbalnAbilitynTest:nObjectives,nBlueprint,nandnStatisticalnSpecifications ......................................... 17
4.3.1 WordnKnowledge ...................................................................................................................... 17
4.3.2 ReadingnComprehension .......................................................................................................... 18
4.4 MathematicsnTest:nObjectives,nBlueprint,nandnStatisticalnSpecifications .......................................... 19
4.5 SciencenTest:nObjectives,nBlueprint,nandnStatisticalnSpecifications ................................................... 22
5. PsychometricnQuality ............................................................................................................................ 24
5.1 Validity.............................................................................................................................................. 25
5.1.1. Propositionn1:nAcademicnAbilitiesnarenPre-requisitesntonSuccessninnanNursingnProgram .......... 25
1
, 5.1.2 Propositionn2:nTestnContentnAlignedntonPre-requisitenAbilities................................................. 26
5.1.3 Propositionn3:nDefiningnSuccessnMetricsninnNursingnPrograms ................................................. 27
5.1.4 Propositionn4:nEvidencenofnRelationshipnwithnStudentnPerformance ....................................... 27
5.2 Reliability .......................................................................................................................................... 28
6. Scales,nNorms,nandnLinking .................................................................................................................... 28
6.1 ScalingnandnPercentilenRanks ............................................................................................................ 28
6.2 Norms ............................................................................................................................................... 29
6.2.1 MethodologynfornNorming ....................................................................................................... 30
6.2.1 FuturenOperationalnNorms ....................................................................................................... 31
6.3 Linking .............................................................................................................................................. 31
6.3.1 LinkingnMethodology................................................................................................................ 31
6.3.2 LinkingnConsiderations ............................................................................................................. 32
7. ReportingnandnQualitynControls............................................................................................................. 32
7.1 ParticipantnReport ............................................................................................................................ 33
7.2 InstitutionalnCoachingnReport........................................................................................................... 34
7.3 InstitutionalnReport .......................................................................................................................... 34
7.4 InterpretingnandnUsingnScores .......................................................................................................... 35
7.5 QualitynControlnfornContinuousnModenTests ..................................................................................... 35
7.5.1 QualitynControlnDuringnTestnAdministration ............................................................................. 36
7.5.2 QualitynControlninnTestnandnItemnAnalysis ................................................................................ 37
8. FairnessnandnEquityninnTesting ............................................................................................................... 38
9. OthernInformationnRegardingnNLNnTestnAdministration ........................................................................ 38
9.1 LimitationsnofnExams ......................................................................................................................... 38
9.2 RetakenPolicy .................................................................................................................................... 39
9.3 ChallengenItems ................................................................................................................................ 39
9.4 TestnScorenRetention ........................................................................................................................ 39
9.5 FairnTestingnandnEthicsnStatement .................................................................................................... 39
References ................................................................................................................................................ 41
AppendixnA ................................................................................................................................................ 43
AppendixnB ................................................................................................................................................ 44
AppendixnC ................................................................................................................................................ 45
2
, AppendixnD................................................................................................................................................ 52
AppendixnE ................................................................................................................................................ 55
3
Nursing Entrance Exam (NEX)
n n n
National League for Nursing 260
n n n n
0 Virginia Avenue NW, 8th Floor
n n n n n
Washington, DC 20037 n n
Allnrightsnreserved.nNonpartnofnthisnmanualnmaynbenreproducedninnprintnornbynphotocopy,n
orninnanynothernmanner,nwithoutnthenexpressnwrittennpermissionnofnthenNationalnLeaguenf
ornNursing.
Marchn2024
,Table of Contents
n n
ListnofnTables ............................................................................................................................................... 4
ListnofnFigures .............................................................................................................................................. 5
Preface ........................................................................................................................................................ 6
1. ThenNationalnLeaguenfornNursing ............................................................................................................. 7
1.1 NLNnMission ........................................................................................................................................ 7
1.2 OverviewnofnthenNLN........................................................................................................................... 7
2. NEXnOverview .......................................................................................................................................... 8
2.1 PurposenandnIntendednPopulation...................................................................................................... 8
2.2 Objectives ........................................................................................................................................... 8
2.3 TestnOverview ..................................................................................................................................... 9
2.4 ChangesnfromnPAXntonNEX ................................................................................................................ 10
3. TestnDevelopmentnandnItemnWriting..................................................................................................... 13
3.1 SelectionnandnTrainingnofnItemnWriters ............................................................................................ 14
3.2 ItemnReviewnBeforenAdministration ................................................................................................. 14
3.3 PretestingnItems ............................................................................................................................... 14
3.4 ReviewnofnItemsnAfternAdministration .............................................................................................. 15
3.5 DeliverynofnTestnForms ...................................................................................................................... 15
4. TestnSpecifications................................................................................................................................. 15
4.1 StatisticalnSpecifications ................................................................................................................... 16
4.1.1 StatisticalnTerms ....................................................................................................................... 16
4.1.2 TestnandnItemnSpecifications ..................................................................................................... 16
4.2 ContentnSpecificationnUpdates ......................................................................................................... 17
4.3 VerbalnAbilitynTest:nObjectives,nBlueprint,nandnStatisticalnSpecifications ......................................... 17
4.3.1 WordnKnowledge ...................................................................................................................... 17
4.3.2 ReadingnComprehension .......................................................................................................... 18
4.4 MathematicsnTest:nObjectives,nBlueprint,nandnStatisticalnSpecifications .......................................... 19
4.5 SciencenTest:nObjectives,nBlueprint,nandnStatisticalnSpecifications ................................................... 22
5. PsychometricnQuality ............................................................................................................................ 24
5.1 Validity.............................................................................................................................................. 25
5.1.1. Propositionn1:nAcademicnAbilitiesnarenPre-requisitesntonSuccessninnanNursingnProgram .......... 25
1
, 5.1.2 Propositionn2:nTestnContentnAlignedntonPre-requisitenAbilities................................................. 26
5.1.3 Propositionn3:nDefiningnSuccessnMetricsninnNursingnPrograms ................................................. 27
5.1.4 Propositionn4:nEvidencenofnRelationshipnwithnStudentnPerformance ....................................... 27
5.2 Reliability .......................................................................................................................................... 28
6. Scales,nNorms,nandnLinking .................................................................................................................... 28
6.1 ScalingnandnPercentilenRanks ............................................................................................................ 28
6.2 Norms ............................................................................................................................................... 29
6.2.1 MethodologynfornNorming ....................................................................................................... 30
6.2.1 FuturenOperationalnNorms ....................................................................................................... 31
6.3 Linking .............................................................................................................................................. 31
6.3.1 LinkingnMethodology................................................................................................................ 31
6.3.2 LinkingnConsiderations ............................................................................................................. 32
7. ReportingnandnQualitynControls............................................................................................................. 32
7.1 ParticipantnReport ............................................................................................................................ 33
7.2 InstitutionalnCoachingnReport........................................................................................................... 34
7.3 InstitutionalnReport .......................................................................................................................... 34
7.4 InterpretingnandnUsingnScores .......................................................................................................... 35
7.5 QualitynControlnfornContinuousnModenTests ..................................................................................... 35
7.5.1 QualitynControlnDuringnTestnAdministration ............................................................................. 36
7.5.2 QualitynControlninnTestnandnItemnAnalysis ................................................................................ 37
8. FairnessnandnEquityninnTesting ............................................................................................................... 38
9. OthernInformationnRegardingnNLNnTestnAdministration ........................................................................ 38
9.1 LimitationsnofnExams ......................................................................................................................... 38
9.2 RetakenPolicy .................................................................................................................................... 39
9.3 ChallengenItems ................................................................................................................................ 39
9.4 TestnScorenRetention ........................................................................................................................ 39
9.5 FairnTestingnandnEthicsnStatement .................................................................................................... 39
References ................................................................................................................................................ 41
AppendixnA ................................................................................................................................................ 43
AppendixnB ................................................................................................................................................ 44
AppendixnC ................................................................................................................................................ 45
2
, AppendixnD................................................................................................................................................ 52
AppendixnE ................................................................................................................................................ 55
3
