The HESI Admission Assessment and Radiography Exit Examination as Predictors for Student Success

Abstract

Purpose: To examine the relationship between the Health Education Systems, Inc. (HESI) Admission Assessment (A2) and specific established admission criteria in an entry-level radiologic sciences (RADS) program, and to determine any correlations between the program exit examination, the HESI radiography exit examination, and the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) first-time registry scores for two consecutive program cohorts.

Design: A quantitative approach was used to compare students' semester grades in English (6 credit hours), anatomy and physiology (8 credit hours), and college-level mathematics (3 credit hours) to scores on comparable categories of the HESI A2. Students' scores on program exit examinations, the HESI radiography exit examination, and the ARRT first-attempt registry scores were also compared. Quantitative measurements were obtained using z scores and conducting a Pearson correlation reliability coefficient test.

Results and conclusion: There was no correlation between the HESI A2 examination and program admission criteria except when a minimum passing score of 70 was applied to the HESI A2, eliminating some students. Except for one student in each cohort, those students who would have been eliminated by the HESI also left the program, failed the ARRT registry examination, or consistently made low grades (Cs or Ds) in the program. This study showed that the HESI radiography exit examination had a high degree of correlation with the program exit examination and the ARRT registry examination. Finally, this study showed that the HESI A2 examination is a good potential additional tool to use for admission criteria when an appropriate minimum passing score is set and may help in selection of students who will be successful in the program.

Keywords: admission criteria; comparison to ARRT; entry-level radiography program.