Well, hvert, you weren't completely wrong, and the info below explains why those check off options existed on the form you were looking at:

I can't copy and paste, maybe because it is a PDF file. The source is: http://www.jblearning.com/samples/07...ch03_pass2.pdf (See page 135)

The NP programs mentioned would have had their own standards for who, among nurses, they would admit. They wouldn't necessarily have admitted just anyone who was an RN. Also, the rigor of the program might have narrowed down who could make it through. A program that issues a certification is not, necessarily, less rigorous than a program that issues an academic degree. (Just as diploma nurses from hospitals were often far better prepared than nurses coming out of colleges.)