Study Confirms Effectiveness of ATI’s Clinical Judgment-Aligned Standardized Assessments
The integration of clinical judgment measurement into the 2023 NCLEX-RN Test Plan marked a significant shift in nursing education. Because the National Council of State Boards of Nursing now identifies clinical judgment as essential for safe nursing practice, nursing programs must ensure that assessment strategies accurately measure students' ability to apply it.
To meet this need, ATI aligned its assessment portfolio, including the Content Mastery Series® and Comprehensive Predictor®, with the NCLEX Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (CJMM).
Researchers recently evaluated whether these clinical judgment-aligned assessments more effectively measure student readiness for licensure and identify students who may require additional support. Their findings were published in the Journal of Nursing Regulation in August 2026.
The team compared outcomes from more than 21,000 students across 253 programs during two periods: a pre-clinical judgment phase (2019 NCLEX-RN Test Plan) and a post-clinical judgment (2023 NCLEX-RN Test Plan). In this data, they examined relationships between ATI Content Mastery Series assessments and end-of-program performance as measured by the ATI Comprehensive Predictor.
Results demonstrated that clinical judgment-aligned assessments showed stronger, more consistent relationships with end-of-program readiness measures than previous versions of the assessments.
Correlations between Content Mastery Series scores and Comprehensive Predictor performance increased across every content area after the implementation of clinical judgment measurement. CMS assessments in Adult Medical-Surgical Nursing demonstrated one of the strongest improvements, with correlations increasing from 0.41 to 0.55.
Importantly, the explanatory power of ATI's in-program assessments increased substantially after clinical judgment alignment. Content Mastery Series assessments explained 34% of the variance in end-of-program performance under the previous framework, compared with 44% after alignment with the CJMM. This indicates a statistically significant improvement in predictive accuracy.
To read more about this study, see this article on the ATI News page.
Study Confirms Validity of TEAS Scores Across Nursing Program Types
A study in the Journal of Nursing Measurement provides strong psychometric evidence that supports how nursing programs use the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS®) for admissions and student guidance. The findings reinforce that TEAS measures both overall academic readiness and distinct foundational skills, making it a reliable tool for equitable, data-driven decision-making across PN, ADN and BSN pathways.
Researchers evaluated the internal structure and fairness of TEAS using confirmatory factor analysis and measurement invariance testing. Confirmatory factor analysis evaluates whether an assessment measures what it claims to measure and measurement invariance testing evaluates whether it does so consistently across different groups.
Using two independent samples with more than 5,000 test-takers in each group, the researchers analyzed TEAS scores across associate degree, bachelor’s degree and practical nursing programs.
Unlike earlier studies that focused primarily on the prediction of outcomes, this research examined structural validity. Specifically, it examined whether TEAS accurately captures both general academic preparedness and content-specific skills in reading, math, science, and English and language usage.
To read more about this study, see the ATI News page here. Read about the application of the research findings in this blog article.
Reference
Zhong X, Yoo H, Turner S, Zeiher W, Phillips B. Psychometric evaluation of a standardized nursing preadmission assessment: Evidence from bifactor modeling and measurement invariance testing. Journal of Nursing Measurement. 2026. DOI: 10.1891/JNM-2025-0145
Studies Demonstrate Strong Alignment Between ATI Comprehensive Predictor and NCLEX Test Plans for RNs and PNs
Two newly published studies provide strong evidence that the ATI Comprehensive Predictor® assessments for registered nurse and practical nurse programs closely align with the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX®) test plans for RNs and PNs.1,2 The findings reinforce the value of these assessments as indicators of entry-level nursing competence and licensure readiness.
The analyses used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate whether the structure of the Comprehensive Predictor exams reflects the competencies assessed on the licensure examinations for each role (RN Comprehensive Predictor and the NCLEX‑RN test plan and PN Comprehensive Predictor and the NCLEX‑PN test plan).
Together, the findings demonstrate robust construct validity across both assessments, including strong integration of clinical judgment.
To read more about this research, see the ATI News page here.
References
- Miller JE, Hodge KJ, Lin Y, Haugan TR, Yoo H, Philips B. Evaluating Alignment Between the RN Comprehensive Predictor and the NCLEX-RN Test Plan. Journal of Nursing Education. 2026. doi: 10.3928/01484834-20251121-01
- Hodge KJ, Miller JE, Lin Y, Yoo H, Phillips B. Evaluating Construct Alignment of the PN Comprehensive Predictor and the NCLEX-PN Test Plan. HSOA Journal of Practical and Professional Nursing. 2026. DOI:10.24966/PPN-5681/100066
Research Confirms Strong Link Between ATI Content Mastery Series Performance & NCLEX Readiness
A new large‑scale study published in Teaching and Learning in Nursing in January 2026 confirms the value of two ATI Nursing Education resources in developing and predicting PN and RN student readiness for the NCLEX exam.1
This retrospective quantitative analysis followed 9,728 PN and RN students across U.S. programs between 2023 and 2024. The analysis determined that among these students, performance on ATI Content Mastery Series assessments was strongly associated with student outcomes on the ATI Comprehensive Predictor, an indicator of NCLEX readiness. To read more about this study, see the ATI News page here.
Efficacy of Launch: Nursing Academic Readiness®
A published analysis of student performance before and after adoption of an academic preparatory and readiness program documented statistically significant improvements that contribute to higher first-year retention rates.
TEAS as a predicator of early nursing school success
The ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) is an assessment of academic preparedness to enter a nursing program. As such, it is often used by schools of nursing as one of the criteria to select students for entrance into a program. Some programs choose to adopt one of several performance level descriptors, known as academic preparedness categories, associated with the ATI TEAS as a minimum score for admission. This analysis examines the relationship between the ATI TEAS scores, specifically the academic preparedness categories, and early academic performance in a nursing program as measured by ATI’s Content Mastery Series (CMS) Fundamentals assessments.
Predicting early nursing school performance in an ADN program: How do TEAS preparedness levels predict performance in nursing fundamentals?
This analysis examined the relationship between the ATI TEAS scores, specifically the academic preparedness categories, and early academic performance in an ADN nursing program as measured by ATI’s RN Content Mastery Series (CMS) Fundamentals 2019 and 2020 assessments. Link to it here.
Predicting early nursing school performance in a PN program: How do TEAS preparedness levels predict performance in nursing fundamentals?
This analysis examines the relationship between the ATI TEAS scores, specifically the academic preparedness categories, and early academic performance in a PN nursing program as measured by ATI’s PN Content Mastery Series (CMS) Fundamentals of Nursing 2019 and 2020 assessments.
Predicting early nursing school performance in a BSN program: How do TEAS preparedness levels predict performance in nursing fundamentals?
This analysis examines the relationship between the ATI TEAS scores, specifically the academic preparedness categories, and early academic performance in a BSN nursing program as measured by ATI’s RN Content Mastery Series (CMS) Fundamentals 2019 and 2020 assessments.
Predicting early nursing performance using TEAS Scores: 2019-2023 trends
An analysis of data from 2019 to 2023 demonstrates that TEAS scores remain a reliable predictor of early
nursing academic performance post-pandemic.
Achieving Transformational Curriculum Change: How Mount Carmel College of Nursing Implemented the Engage Series
By Beth Cusatis Phillips, PhD, RN, CNE, CHSE, ATI Senior Manager Content Strategy, and Lori Hill, PhD., RN, APRN-WHNP, Associate Professor
Mount Carmel College of Nursing has restructured its prelicensure curriculum with a concept-based, competency-driven approach, utilizing the Engage™ Series to replace textbooks. This strategic update, aligning with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) recommendations, has led to improved student outcomes and satisfaction by focusing on essential information and interactive learning.
From Student Remediation To Readiness Using Focused Review
By Lucia Xin Liu, PhD.; Jihang Chen; Beth Phillips, PhD, RN, CNE, CHSE
Students often cringe at the thought of remediation. After all, it can carry a negative connotation. At ATI, we understand students have much to learn in a short period. Reviewing learned information does not demonstrate a deficit. It shows a student’s strength and self-awareness to understand we need to review previously learned content. That’s the beauty of Focused Review.
Benefits of an online interactive educational program in comparison to traditional textbooks
By Beth Cusatis Phillips, PhD, RN, CNE, CHSE; Janean Johnson, DNP, RN, CNE; Nikita Khalid, MS; Nicole Zapparrata, MA; and Glenn Albright, PhD
The significance of technology in nursing education has grown significantly. Online educational platforms are proving to be more valuable than conventional textbooks when it comes to fostering active learning, engagement, and overall satisfaction. In this research study, a novel online interactive education program (OIEP) was assessed as a replacement for traditional textbooks. The study aimed to investigate levels of student and faculty satisfaction, the perceived effectiveness of the program, student engagement, and the potential of the OIEP to enhance NCLEX preparation while also mitigating burnout.