A preliminary analysis of preparation strategies and other correlates to performance on a basic science qualifying exam in chiropractic

Abstract

Background: Due to the high-stakes nature of board exams, students who enroll in chiropractic and other healthcare educational programs spend a significant amount of time and money on preparation strategies including: commercial coaching courses, course notes, commercial note sets, old test questions, online resources, text books and small group study sessions. However, whether such strategies help predict academic performance on the National Board exams has received little attention by researchers in chiropractic education.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of study strategies, student demographics, prepared materials and other measures of general academic preparedness on the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) Part I exam performance.

Design: A Student survey utilizing descriptive statistics was used and multivariable analysis was performed.

Methods: Two hundred twenty-nine subjects completed a 52-item survey. Participants were asked to describe their study preparation for the NBCE Part I exam. Survey responses were then examined with composite NBCE Part I scores, selected demographics, pre-chiropractic cumulative grade point average (GPA), and in-program chiropractic college GPA.

Results: Pre-chiropractic GPA and in-program GPA correlated significantly to the response variable (NBCE Part I Scores). Using multiple regression, the paired variables of past education and in-program GPA accounted for a significant portion (R(2) = .638, P < .001) of the total variance in NBCE Part I scores. Further, the in-program GPA variable alone accounted for significant unique explanation (change R(2) =.368, P < .001). Demographics, employment status, preparation strategies, and prepared materials were considerably less potent predictors of performance on Part I of the NBCE exam.

Discussion/conclusion: This study raises questions concerning the effectiveness of preparation strategies including commercial coaching courses on the National Board examination scores. Further, the results suggest that short-term preparation strategies and study efforts immediately before the NBCE Part I exam (as well as other factors) have a minimal correlation to exam scores. In this study, pre-chiropractic GPA, in-program GPA, and post-secondary education completed before matriculation into chiropractic college were the best predictors of performance on NBCE Part I.