Frequently Asked Questions | RN Bridge & BSN Programs

Nursing Bridge Questions

A: Many people find that the self-study, online components of many RN and BSN bridge, doesn’t work very well for them. Achieve’s program really is very different because we want you to succeed.

The following are our distinct advantages:

Both our site-based and our virtual classes are taught LIVE with qualified instructors. Click to watch a 1 minutes clip of an actual class.
Our pass rate is over --%*, but in the unlikely event that you fail an exam. We have ACHIEVE 911, our unique test remediation program that ensures your success and costs nothing. If you ever fail an exam, we will provide individualized attention and additional resources until you pass.
Through the Achieve Exam Fee Guarantee, if you fail an exam two times within 6-months of completing any course, we will reimburse the cost of your exam fee.
The Achieve Withdrawal Policy was developed because we understand life changes quickly.

A: Through Achieve's program instead of TAKING college courses, you 'test-out' of them.

This means instead of paying for expensive courses PLUS crazy expensive books, you only pay for testing fees and test prep courses (books are FREE). The cost savings are typically 50% less and you receive the exact same credit for the course!

A: Achieve’s program will allow you to attend a variety of well-known colleges and universities, who issue the appropriate credentials, according to their transfer credit policies. While Excelsior is one of these colleges, it is not the only college as there are many other great colleges to choose from.

A: Many of the colleges we work with give full credit for the clinical portion of the program to RNs and therefore no additional clinical is necessary. However, some colleges will require some clinical work, which would be performed at one of the many hospitals or other medical facilities in our network.

A: Sorry, not at this time. We do however offer CNA to RN, Medical Asst to RN, Respiratory Therapist to RN and more.

General Questions

A: No. It doesn’t matter if you are attending courses online or at a college campus; in both cases, credit-by-examination policies allow you to test-out of college courses.

A: Testing-out of college courses has actually been around for decades, so it’s not new.

Achieve simply makes the testing-out path a lot more accessible than it would be on your own and you end up with exactly the same degree. Testing-out is a 100% acceptable way to contribute to your degree.

A: Absolutely!

We'll be happy to provide you with a student reference. First, we need to gather a little information about you, then we’ll be pleased to provide you with the phone number of an Achieve student who will be happy to answer your questions and share their experiences with you.

By the way, we have never heard of any college willing to do that. Please see our testimonials page for pictures of graduates and students that are willing to speak with you.

A: When you're successful with our program, you will receive a degree from an accredited college, and that’s important.

It doesn’t matter if you want regional accreditation or national accreditation, our program supports both. All degrees are awarded by accredited colleges, not by Achieve, as we are not a college.

A: Just about every single college and university allows you to transfer in credits and test-out of exams, including Arizona State University, Boston University, Columbia College, Monroe College, and Penn State University, to name a few.

A: Yes, Achieve’s programs work with virtually any college or university, as it’s the college or university that ultimately awards the credits and the degrees according to their policies.

We just help you meet all your general education requirements to get there quicker.

A: It’s true.

We teach students how to pass exams, but we help them accomplish more than that by encouraging career goals and helping students reach them.

The service we provide is truly unique because we offer, from start to finish, support that’s part of a culture of success. Your success!

A: Well, since it’s the college and universities’ themselves that create the testing-out policies, we don’t see how this should be a concern. Credit-by-Examination happens every day with millions of students – your degree will look just like everyone else’s. You won’t be the first person to transfer in college credit to your college or the last. Some courses are undoubtedly critical to your education, and these are precisely the courses you will not be allowed to test-out of.

Ask anyone who ever got a degree, just how handy those obscure Algebra formulas have been during their post-college life. Let’s not forget that America’s public school system is one of the best in the world and teaches a well-rounded educational foundation. So why force a student to load up on a bunch of repetitive general education courses?

Could it be because the college can collect a lot more revenue if every student, regardless of their field of study, is required to take general education courses like Western Civilization, Biology, and Algebra? Well, it does make you wonder.

A: This is a question we get asked a lot. The difference is when you are taking a test-prep class, you’re studying just a small subset of focused topics in preparation to pass just one exam.

So you meet once a week, that’s just 4 to 8 sessions for most subjects. You only need one thin, condensed test prep book, and it’s free. When you take a college course, first you will need to buy a bunch of expensive books. Then you are going to meet several times a week, and you’ll need to find time to complete a full semester of assignments, quizzes, research projects, essays, and term papers. And in the end, you still need to take a final exam.

At Achieve, we concentrate on the exam. We know the types of questions that will be asked and, we’re experts at getting you to pass.

A: You might say our books are the best kind of books. They’re thin, condensed books that get straight to the point and teach you just what you need to know to pass the exam.

If you like thick expensive books that will eat up all your free time with reading assignments, then you probably won’t like testing-out.

A: Well, that depends on how far you have to go before completing your degree and it also depends on how many college courses we can eliminate from your path.

But rest assured we will save you time and money. The proof lies in the thousands of students that enroll with Achieve every year. And with our guaranteed student loans and other financial aid options, everyone can afford to get that degree.

A: Through Achieve's program instead of TAKING college courses, you test out of them. This means instead of paying for expensive courses PLUS crazy expensive books, you only pay for testing fees and test prep courses (books are FREE). The cost savings are typically 50% less and you receive the exact same credit for the course!

A: Various types of financial aid are available for most of the programs we work with. When you have your evaluation appointment, we can determine what financial aid may be available for you.

A: Yes, we have a withdrawal policy. If you're not satisfied for some reason, we will be happy to provide a refund based on our withdrawal policy.

A: You may pay as you go, but a deposit is required when you enroll.

A: Our students typically start one to two weeks after enrollment. We're not restricted by standard semesters. We run our courses all year long. So you can start anytime!

A: Each class runs once a week and meets for 3 hours. We run day, night, and Saturday classes.

A: Yes, we have a very active Referral Program that our current students use to refer their friends. When a friend they refer enrolls, we express our thanks with $50 to $100 financial gift.

* Only the latest pass/fail result per course per student is used. We use approximately the last 24 months of results in our calculation. Student failed results are only counted as part of this calculation if the student completed the class, which is defined as at least 85% attendance and 85% completion of assignments for that specific class. Results do not include college entrance or state license exams.

** Achieve Test Prep is a college education consultant and test preparation center that helps you earn your degree faster. Achieve Test Prep is not a college and does not issue degrees or give college credit. The programs listed above and elsewhere on this website are test preparation programs offered by Achieve Test Prep to prepare you to take exams from an independent accredited college or an independent testing center. Achieve purposefully remains independent and does not align itself with any college nor do we commit to any agreements with any college. By being truly independent, we offer a non-biased approach to recommending the best possible college route to our students. While Achieve Test Prep is very knowledgeable on the policies and procedures of many colleges, the final decisions about credits and degrees rest with the colleges. You must independently apply for and be accepted into a college.