Delaware County Community College

Advanced Placed LPN's

Dear prospective student:

Thank you for your interest in the LPN to RN Advanced Placement Program at Delaware County Community College. The following is a partial list of the criteria for admission:

• Live in Pennsylvania. However, be aware that for the main campus nursing program, students from sponsoring school districts are placed before students from non-sponsoring school districts. Students from non-sponsoring Delaware County school districts are placed before students from other counties. Students from Chester County are placed in the Chester County program before students from other counties. Because there are few seats available in NUS 210, it is highly unlikely that a student who does not live in a sponsoring school district or Chester County will be able to be placed in NUS 210.
• Take the Nurse Entrance Test and achieve the following minimum scores: Essential Math Skills—60%, Reading Comprehension—70%, Composite Percentage score of 65%. This test is given at the college and may be taken three times. See page 2 for more information about the NET test.
• Meet the Admission Criteria for the Nursing Program (which includes the Nurse Entrance Test) – see the college catalog for program requirements.
• Be a graduate of an NLNAC accredited School of Practical Nursing. Not all schools are accredited. Check with your school.
• Have a current license for Practical Nursing (LPN) with a minimum of 1000 clinical hours work experience within the two years prior to admission to the nursing program.
• Successfully complete NUS 218 Transition Course for Licensed Practical Nurses. See the DCCC catalog for NUS 218’s prerequisite courses.

For further information, review the nursing admission criteria in the college catalog or go to the admission department of the college and request a college catalog. If you have met the initial criteria, your next step is to fill out an application for admission to DCCC (even if you have taken courses at DCCC years ago) and apply to take the Nurse Entrance Test (see below). LPNs who do not meet the criteria for the Advanced Placement Program can apply for Credit by Exam through the Assessment Center (Room 2195, 610-359-5322).

The Advanced Placement LPN Program admits a small number of qualified students on a space available basis into the second year of the Associate Degree Registered Nurse Program. Success in the program requires motivation and the ability to be a self-directed learner. If you feel that this program is for you, contact the Assessment Center to begin the admission process.

Additional Information on the Nurse Entrance Test (NET)

• Studies have shown that scores on this test are a predictor of success in the Nursing program and for passing the RN licensure exam (NCLEX). Consequently, the Nursing Admissions Committee relies on these NET scores to determine an applicant’s qualification for admission in our program and on the RN licensure exam.
• Applicants must receive the following minimum scores from a single testing session on the NET test to qualify for admission to DCCC’s Nursing program: Essential Math Skills 60%, Reading Comprehension 70%, AND a Composite Percentage score of 65%. Applicants who do not meet all three minimum scores will not be considered for the program, even if all the other requirements are completed.
• The test lasts approximately 2.5 hours and will be given only at scheduled times throughout the year.
• You may take this test only three times. If you have not achieved the minimum scores required by the third test, you will not be able to schedule the test again and will not be able to apply to DCCC’s Nursing program. Students WILL NOT be permitted to schedule a retest any earlier than six weeks after each testing date in order to allow for a sufficient review period.
• If you take the NET more than once, please understand that the Nursing Admissions Committee will consider your highest scores from a single test. Scores from more than one test will not be split, mixed or averaged.
• In order to schedule the NET, you must complete one of the forms on page 3, take it to Cashier’s Window located in Founder’s Hall on the Main Campus, and receive a receipt for payment. After you have paid for the test, you must submit that receipt to the Admissions Office to register for an available seat on a specified testing date. The cost to schedule this test is $25. The $25 fee is required each time you register to take the test. The College accepts cash, personal check, money orders, and most major credit cards.
• A test preparation book, the NET Study Guide, is available for purchase in the DCCC Bookstore on the Main Campus. Limited copies are also available for review on the Reserve Shelf in the Library by students with a valid DCCC student ID card.
• If you have a documented learning disability, please contact the Assessment Center (610-359-5322) for further instruction.
• Results will be mailed to you as soon as they are available. The answer sheets are sent away for scoring. Please do not call the Assessment Center or the Admissions Office to check the status of your score. Scores are not available until at least 3 weeks after the testing date. If you have not received your score by mail and three weeks from your testing date has elapsed, please call the Admissions Office to request that your scores be mailed again. NO results will be given by phone.

Application Form for NET Test - Requires the free Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing.