BCC Students in Nursing Programs Maintain High Pass Rate for Licensure Exam

08:16AM / Tuesday, February 13, 2024Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass —?Berkshire Community College (BCC) reports that its Practical Nursing (PN) students had a 100 percent first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) licensure exam in the 2023 calendar year, while Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) students had a 91.43 percent pass rate for first-time test takers.

All 17 PN students passed, and 64 out of 70 ADN students passed.

NCLEX uses computerized adaptive testing (CAT) technology to deliver the exam, ensuring a valid and reliable measurement of nursing competence. The passing standard for the NCLEX is the cut point at which the minimum ability is determined to require safe and effective practice nursing at the entry level.

"Our nursing students continue to maintain impressively high pass rates, which are consistently on par or higher than the average pass rates statewide," said Lori Moon, BCC Dean of Nursing. "It's a competitive program, and our students work hard. I'm very proud of their accomplishments."

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Colombian Artist Celebrates Immigrant Stories in New Pittsfield Mural

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
06:49AM / Saturday, October 24, 2026

Artist Laura Barrios explains the inspiration of the mural, of immigrants building new lives in the Berkshires.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The walls along the Intermodal Center's train platform are a little more colorful following the unveiling of Let It Shine's third mural at that location, transforming a space once surrounded by bare concrete into a vibrant display of public art.

The unveiling on Thursday, marks the close of Let It Shine's 2026 outdoor public art season and the third year of its emerging artist program, said Mill Town Foundation Program Director Andy Wrba.

Let It Shine's Emerging Artists Mentorship program was established in 2024 to support aspiring artists in the community by providing guidance, hands-on experiences, and opportunities to create large-scale public art.

"This mural, along with all the murals, as part of this emerging artist program, and even more broadly, all the murals that you see downtown throughout Pittsfield shows that we care about the cultural scene and we care about the creative people that live and work in our city," Wrba said.

The new mural, painted by Colombian artist Laura Barrios, celebrates immigrants who have built lives and found a sense of home in Berkshire County.

Barrios has been working on the piece for the last two months alongside mentor artist, Jesse Tobin McCauley.

"It's a homage to the immigrants who work and make a home in the Berkshires … this is a very personal experience too because I am an immigrant," Barrios said in her speech.

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