Mock and National Examinations Correlations in a Health Information Associate Degree Program.

摘要

Students enrolled in associate degree programs face social and personal challenges that can affect their learning and assessment skills. Social and personal challenges such as unemployment rates, race, age, and gender may affect their employability. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the mock and national examination scores of students in a 2-year health information associate degree program at a university in the southern United States. The constructivist theory framed this study. The research questions determined the extent of the relationship between the scores on mock and national examinations during the time period of 2007–2011. Data were collected from the Interactive Online Training Assessment (IOTA) Solutions reporting tool and from reports distributed to the university from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Statistical analyses were conducted using the chi-square test, Pearson correlation, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and t tests. The results of this study showed a positive correlation between the mock and national examinations administered to students in a 2-year health information associate degree program. The data also showed a negative correlation between the length of time elapsed between the date of graduation and the date that the national examination was taken by the student. This study will make implications for social change by bringing awareness to students, employers, educators, and certification oversight organizations on the importance of test preparation and the publication of examination outcomes. This study will provide students with pertinent information about mock examinations and increase their recognition of the importance of national examination preparations.