Current Perspective on the BOC Certification

Examination

Dr. Jason Bennett, DA, ATCjbennett@chapman.edu

Dr. Ky Kugler, EdD, ATCkekugler@chapman.edu

Objectives

• Understand the transition of the BOC exam from the current version to the Computer Based Exam (CBE) version

• Understand the current format of the BOC exam and techniques for preparing for the exam

• Understand specific test-taking strategies to demonstrate your true knowledge of athletic training

Take Home Message

• Have confidence – Your ATEPs have provided much more detail

in each domain of athletic training than the BOC certification exam will test you on

– You have actually been studying for this exam for the past 2-3 years in your ATEP

Transition to Computer Exam

• BOC is in the process of transitioning delivery of the current BOC exam to a computer based exam (CBE)

• A single exam to assess cognitive skills, clinical decision making and practical skill applications as outlined in the BOC Role Delineation Study

Computer-Based Exam

• What will stay the same?– It will still be a test of your

comprehension and critical thinking of ATHLETIC TRAINING knowledge and skills

– Based on the most current Role Delineation Study and the domains of athletic training

– Sample test online to become familiar with the testing format

Computer-Based Exam

• What will be different?– One exam without specific parts (i.e., written,

practical, written simulation)– Decreased travel cost and travel time for

candidates – Scheduling flexibility — the candidate

chooses their exam date within the prescribed “testing window”

– Allowing international candidates to take the exam in their home nation

FAQ of CBE

1. When will the CBE be administered?– Unknown at this time. Original date was April, 2007

2. How do you measure if someone can tape an ankle correctly with a CBE?– New exam format will allow the BOC to assess the

candidate’s application of the knowledge and skill required of them as entry-level practitioners (e.g., critical decision making).

– Responsibility of PD of accredited program3. How is the practical exam going to be

integrated into the CBE?– It’s not, the CBE version is more focused on critical

thinking and the examinee knowing the meaning of specific skills.

FAQ of CBE

4. Can I re-take any part of the exam or will it be only pass/fail?

– Pass/fail. Report shows passing point and your score. No parts of the exam.

5. What happens if I fail a part of the exam this upcoming year and then the exam changes?

– There will be a specific transition date; if you haven’t passed the exam by transition date, then need to take CBE

FAQ of CBE

6. When will students be eligible to take the exam?

– Eligibility requirements will stay the same. Goal is to have more examination opportunities earlier in the year.

7. What will be the time restriction in taking the examination?

– There will be but not known right now until final form is made

FAQ on CBE

8. Costs to take the exam going to change– Board is trying to maintain the costs of the

exam, but not sure at this time - it may go up a small amount

– Cost to re-take the exam will be the same as the 1st time taking the exam

9. When will I know my results of the CBE?– When test taking window is done, 1 week

later results will be posted online

10.How many times can you take the exam– No limit at this time

Staying up to date

• There should be no surprises!• BOC will communication changes with:

– Interactive Web casts (currently online)– Frequent updates on the BOC web site – Email: e-blasts – Direct Mailings – Meeting Presentations– Virtual meetings and conference calls with program

directors – Sample exam items available via BOC web site in

computer delivery format – Beta testing by Program Directors

Final Transition Time

• Once information has been shared with all current and potential candidates, the BOC will begin the process of delivering part of the exam via computer

• BOC will follow the same process as when they added the written simulation items to the exam– Candidates will take the new exam format in

combination with the current exam to determine the reliability and validity of the CBE

Current BOC Examination

Ethical Behavior with the Exam

• Soliciting questions from candidates who have previously taken the examination is unethical for several reasons:– Candidates are expected to pass the exams

based on their own merit without assistance. – The purpose of the BOC exam is to protect

the public by ensuring that candidates for certification have achieved entry-level competence.

Exam Description

• Developed to assess the candidate’s knowledge on subject matter from the six domains of athletic training: 1. Prevention 2. Clinical Evaluation and

Diagnosis3. Immediate Care 4. Treatment, Rehabilitation

and Reconditioning 5. Organization and

Administration 6. Professional Responsibility

Written Exam

Key Points

• Review what you have (notes, quizzes, exams, and homework) from your courses

• Better to be good at every domain than excellent at a few domains

1. Prevention

2. Clinical Evaluation & Diagnosis

3. Acute Care

4. Treatment, Rehabilitation and Reconditioning

5. Organization and Administration

6. Professional Responsibility

NATABOC 2006 Textbook List

• All items must have at least two verifiable references

• List available on BOC website

BOC Self Assessment Exam

• We STRONGLY suggest you take the self-assessment exam online:http://www.bocatc.org/becomeatc/SELF/ – Cost = $27.00

• Advantages:– Content experts who develop the BOC Certification

Examination wrote the questions in this self-assessment examination

– Receive a report that is broken down by domains.

Written Preparation

1. Take online self-assessment from BOC

2. Take several multiple-choice tests from study guides

3. Review your notes/homework/exams• Make a plan (be realistic)• Review 10-15 minutes a day for 3-4

days/week is better than 1 hour on Saturday morning

• Practice/Apply what you study

Practical Exam

Practical Exam

• The purpose of the practical examination is to evaluate a candidate’s psychomotor skills.

• These skills have been defined as being necessary for competent entry-level practice.

Practical Exam Set-up

• Exam model escorts you to exam room

• Room Set-Up

– Two examiners

– One model

– Table with athletic training supplies

Practical Exam Administration

• After you enter the room the examiners will ask you to sit for a couple of minutes while they record some information on the answer sheets.– Use this time to your advantage:

• Take deep breaths – TRY to relax• Look across room at supply table

• Examiners will then ask you to follow along with their instruction from the candidate booklet

Practical Exam Administration

• Examiners will also use a tape recorder– The tape recorder is there to record the

examiners, and is not used to score your exam

• Demographic and site information is recorded

Practical Exam Preparation

• Understand the terms used by the examiners.

Demonstrate means “perform the task”.

• It does not mean “discuss the task”• General Rule: Unless you are asked to

Interpret a Positive Test, there is no need to speak during the practical exam.

Practical Scoring

• You are scored only on your first performance

• Timing begins with the candidate’s response or twenty seconds after the examiner completes the reading of the instructions.

• The candidate may ask to have the question re-read one time.

Practical Scoring

• Each task within a problem is weighted according to its importance, criticality and relevance to that specific problem – Each task within a problem may not be worth the

same amount

• A task statement may also be a “disqualifier” – A “disqualifier” is a task that has been identified as

critical to the proper performance of a skill. Failure to perform this task has the potential for serious harm to the athlete/patient/client

Example Practical Question

• With the athlete prone, perform a concentric manual muscle test of the model’s biceps femoris. Please do not perform a break test. You have 1 minute to complete this skill.

– Example examiner form:1. Positioned patient prone

2. Positioned patient’s lower leg in external rotation

3. One hand stabilized mid-thigh

4. One hand applied resistance at distal lower leg

5. Resisted model’s knee flexion through entire range of motion

Practical Exam Preparation

• Review clinical proficiencies– There are many more Clinical Proficiencies that you

have demonstrated in your ATEPs than you will see on the exam

• The skills you must demonstrate on the exam are hopefully skills you have done to a patient during your clinical rotation experiences

• For example:– General Medical Skills

• Blood pressure, pulse, respiration, etc.• Taking a temperature• Use of a stethoscope for heart, lung, bowel sounds• Ability to palpate for abdominal rigidity• Etc.

Practical Exam Preparation

• Perform tasks– Perform tasks on a real patient in your clinical rotation– Videotape yourself to see how you are actually

performing skills

• Things to remember for the Practical Exam– Relax, don’t rush, you have plenty of time to finish

each skill. – You are reading the practical question as the

examiners state it out loud– 20 seconds is a LONG time– Ask the examiners to repeat the question if necessary

Written Simulation

Purpose of Written Simulation

• To assess candidates’ ability in decision making and solving problems similar to those frequently encountered by athletic trainers in real-life situations.

• You will have two booklets and a latent-image (“magic”) pen– Question booklet– Answer booklet

Written Simulation Description

• The question booklet contains 8 problems• Each problem has:

– An introduction with a description of the circumstances which proceeds to other sections

– The average number of sections per problem is 5– The average number of total items

(actions/decisions for candidates to consider) per problem based on the current question bank is 73 items per question, with a range of 62-109.

• Answer Booklet– Use latent image pen to “reveal” answers

Exam Development - Sim

• Each section has scrambled responses, so no sequence can be established (read all responses first before highlighting any responses)

• Each section provides you information that is needed for the next section

Written Simulation Example

• See Written Simulation PowerPoint from BOC website– http://www.bocatc.org/becomeatc/EXAMDEV/

Written Simulation Keys

• Key Reminders:– Read all items in a section before highlighting any

responses– Do not look in advance at a section– Do not return to a previous section and add any

responses (only increases the chance for neutral, contraindicated, and clearly contraindicated)

– Don’t get “pen happy”– Make small mark in question book for those you feel

are appropriate– Be careful in making marks in answer book

Written Simulation Preparation

• Various study-guide textbooks have practice written simulation:– Kleiner, D. (2001). Study Guide

for the NATA Board of Certification Inc. Entry-Level Athletic Trainer Certification Examination, 3rd Ed. F.A. Davis. $39.95

– Van Ost, et al. (2003). Athletic Training Exam Review: A Student Guide to Success. Slack, Inc. $26.95

Top 10 Mistakes for BOC exam

10. Studying the morning of the test

11.Not having directions to the test site

12.Skipping ahead or going back in written simulation

13.Not listening to the practical questions

14.Not having confidence in what you do know

Top 10 Mistakes for BOC exam

5. Trying to “cram” for the exam

6. Not reading candidate booklet before attending the exam

7. Hope to pass 1 or 2 parts of the exam

8. Stressing over practical while still taking the written

9. Not taking the self-assessment exam from the BOC

Take Home Message

• Have Confidence

References

• Board of Certification-MATS (2005). BOC Webcasts on Exam Redesign. Retrieved April, 2006 from http://www.bocatc.org/resources/ EXREDESIGN/

• Board of Certification (2006). BOC Online Self Assessment. Retrieved April, 2006 from http://www.bocatc.org/BecomeATC/SELF/

• Board of Certification (2006)