In the NCLEX, Enhanced Hot Spot items allow candidates to select their answer by highlighting pre-defined words or phrases. Candidates can select and deselect the highlighted parts by clicking on the words or phrases. These types of items allow an individual to read a portion of a client medical record, (a nursing note, medical history, lab values, medication record, etc.) and then select the words or phrases that answer the item.
NCLEX Example: Enhanced Hot Spot (Highlighting) Item Type
Note: The above information and example are from "Approved NGN Item Types," NCLEX News, Fall 2019.
In ExamSoft, you can adapt the Hot Spot question type to approximate this item. Although the exam-takers cannot truly do word-by-word highlighting when responding in Examplify, they can click or tap on a pre-highlighted passage of text to indicate their response. This approach meets the requirement to assess the exam-taker 's ability to read, analyze, and evaluate information.
Example: Creating A Color-Coded Image to Use in a Hot Spot Question
In the example below, one section is highlighted in yellow, another in blue, another in grey, and another in purple. Each color-coded section will function as a different answer choice. The exam-taker must click or tap on the section that correctly answers the question.
Note: We recommend that you do not use green or red, which often are associated with right or wrong. These colors can confuse the exam-takers, who might interpret the green area as the correct answer and select it without carefully considering the question.
Procedures
- Enterprise Portal: Create an Enhanced Hot Spot (Highlighting) Item
- Legacy Portal: Create an Enhanced Hot Spot (Highlighting) Item
Enterprise Portal: Create an Enhanced Hot Spot (Highlighting) Item
Overview Video
Instructions
- Create your color-coded image depicting highlighted passages of text.
- Create a question, and select the Hot Spot question type.
Note: For more information, see: Enterprise Portal: Basic Steps to Create and Edit Questions
- Enter the question text.
- Insert the image, and indicate the correct area that you want the exam-takers to select.
Note: For more information about this type of question, see: Enterprise Portal: Tips for Hot Spot Questions
- (Recommended) Assign one or more categories. For more information, see: Enterprise Portal: Assign Categories to Questions
- (Optional) Select other options, if needed.
Tips:
- If the question involves an electronic health or medical record, you can upload an attachment. For more information about attachments, see: Attachment Types and Requirements
- If there are multiple questions related to the same case, you can group the questions together after you add them to an assessment.
- Save the question.
Legacy Portal: Create an Enhanced Hot Spot (Highlighting) Item
- Create your color-coded image depicting highlighted passages of text.
- Select the Questions menu (at the top of the screen).
- Select the Create Hot Spot button.
Note: For more information, see: Legacy Portal: Basic Steps to Create and Edit Questions
- Enter the question text.
- Insert the image, and indicate the correct area that you want the exam-takers to select.
Note: For more information about this type of question, see: Legacy Portal: Tips for Hot Spot Questions
- (Recommended) Assign one or more categories. For more information, see: Legacy Portal: Assign Categories to Questions
- (Optional) Select other options, if needed.
Tips:
- If the question involves an electronic health or medical record, you can upload an attachment. For more information about attachments, see: Attachment Types and Requirements
- If there are multiple questions related to the same case, you can group the questions together after you add them to an assessment. For more information, see: Legacy Portal: Create a Group of Questions
- Save the question.