Map the NHA national certication test plan to course curriculum
Course curriculum extends beyond the NHA national certification test plan, but this can help to ensure
all NHA certification exam content will be covered throughout the duration of the course
NHA certification preparation materials should be used in addition to existing course
curriculum, but never as a replacement for course curriculum
Administer the rst practice assessment
This should be done towards the end of the program, but administrators should leave candidates ample
time to review any content areas that provided challenges on the first practice assessment
As the practice assessment mirrors the NHA certification exam in length and format, it is recommended
administrators disable the practice assessment rationales for a candidate’s first attempt
Data suggests the first practice assessment should be administered between 10-50 days prior to the
NHA certification exam date, depending on the length and depth of the program
Direct candidates to use study guide tutorials and Focused Review©
The study guide tutorials provide a review of core subjects on the NHA national certification test plan
The Focused Review©, which is produced upon completion of each practice assessment attempt,
tailors the review content to a candidate’s performance on the practice assessment, placing remediation
emphasis on components where the candidate struggled
The study guide tutorials may be used as supplementary materials throughout the course, but
leveraging these resources, as well as Focused Review©, in a closer proximity to the exam date (data
suggests within two weeks) can help to keep tutorial content fresh in the candidate’s mind
Administer the last practice assessment
The last practice assessment should be administered in close proximity to the NHA certification exam
date (data suggests within five (5) days)
Administering the last practice assessment in close proximity to the NHA certification exam can keep
the candidate more engaged, as well as reduce test anxiety through increased familiarity with the
exam format
National Healthcareer Association (NHA) empowers people to access a better future through certification
exams, preparation materials and study guides across eight allied health careers. Through review of
certification preparation usage and ongoing engagement with schools and organizations, we have outlined
the following certification preparation best practices to support you and your candidates:
Certification Preparation:
Best Practices
CERTIFICATION PREPARATION: BEST PRACTICES TIMELINE
Map the NHA national certification test plan to course curriculum
Administer the first practice assessment
Direct candidates to use study guide tutorials and Focused Review©
Administer the last practice assessment
Program
Start
Program
End
Certification
Exam Date
Note: study guide tutorials may be
helpful throughout the curriculum
as well
AHMARK10135
Additional Recommendations
As a candidate may attempt the practice assessment up to five times, administrators should leave
at least 10 days between each practice assessment, encouraging use of Focused Review© between
attempts
Additional attempts can help mitigate test anxiety, but upward movement in scoring, especially
when practice assessments are taken in very close proximity to one another, may not indicate
increased exam readiness, but rather could be a result of answer memorization
Administrators may leverage NHA’s reporting tools to identify trends at the class, program, or
campus level to determine content areas that appear to present candidates with the greatest
challenges, and then provide additional support and training on these topics
NHA’s automated reporting can break down performance for each core content section of the practice
assessments. Administrators have the ability to view this data, or even question specic results
(as pictured below), at both the group and candidate level.
Administrators may also access more inclusive reporting regarding a specic candidate’s certication
preparation usage. Information such as practice assessment scores, dates, times, and time spent
using NHA’s full suite of certication preparation materials can provide greater insight into how each
candidate prepared for his or her NHA certication exam.
The purchase of NHA exam preparation materials or other educational products is not required to sit for any
NCCA-accredited certification exam oered by NHA, and does not guarantee a passing score on an examination.
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