Impact of Time Lapse on ASCP Board of Certification Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) and Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) Examination Scores.
BACKGROUND
Research in several professional fields has demonstrated that delays (time lapse) in taking certification examinations may result in poorer performance by examinees. Thirteen states and/or territories require licensure for laboratory personnel. A core component of licensure is passing a certification exam. Also, many facilities in states that do not require licensure require certification for employment or preferentially hire certified individuals.


OBJECTIVE
To analyze examinee performance on the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC) Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) and Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) certification examinations to determine whether delays in taking the examination from the time of program completion are associated with poorer performance.


METHODS
We obtained examination data from April 2013 through December 2014 to look for changes in mean (SD) exam scaled scores and overall pass/fail rates. First-time examinees (MLS: n = 6037; MLT, n = 3920) were divided into 3-month categories based on the interval of time between date of program completion and taking the certification exam.


RESULTS
We observed significant decreases in mean (SD) scaled scores and pass rates after the first quarter in MLS and MLT examinations for applicants who delayed taking their examination until the second, third, and fourth quarter after completing their training programs.


CONCLUSIONS
Those who take the ASCP BOC MLS and MLT examinations are encouraged to do so shortly after completion of their educational training programs. Delays in taking an exam are generally not beneficial to the examinee and result in poorer performance on the exam.
Medical Laboratory Science Division, Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City.
Karen A
KA
Brown
Medical Laboratory Science Division, Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City.
JoAnn P
JP
Fenn
Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.
Vicki S
VS
Freeman
American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC), Chicago, Illinois.
Patrick B
PB
Fisher
Department of Pathology and ARUP Laboratories, University of Utah, Salt Lake City.
Jonathan R
JR
Genzen
Department of Clinical Laboratory and Nutritional Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Nancy
N
Goodyear
ASCP BOC Research & Development Committee, Member-at-Large, Chicago, Illinois.
Mary Lunz
ML
Houston
ASCP BOC Research & Development Committee, Member-at-Large, Andover, Massachusetts.
Mary Elizabeth
ME
O'Brien
American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC), Chicago, Illinois patricia.tanabe@ascp.org.
Patricia A
PA
Tanabe
D002983:Clinical Competence; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008004:Licensure / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D017056:Medical Laboratory Personnel / Q000193:education*; D013044:Specialty Boards
Medical Laboratory Scientist; Medical Laboratory Technician; certification; examination