The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to explore if and to what extent accelerated nursing students differ from traditional nursing students in terms of achievement on the overall HESI E2 exam, in the key areas of critical thinking, patient safety, and nursing skills, and on the NCLEX-RN licensure exam. Students who enroll in accelerated nursing programs can graduate in a shorter timeframe than those who graduate from traditional nursing programs. A significant gap exists in the literature comparing the learning achievement between these two groups of students. The literature confirms integral topics in nursing practice, including patient safety, nursing skills, and critical thinking. The researcher used a quantitative, comparative approach to assess student achievement on the HESI E2 and NCLEX-RN exams. The researcher demonstrated the learning achievement of accelerated nursing students, with the hope that other nursing schools implement accelerated programs, ultimately helping to address the problem of the nursing shortage. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]