What Is Health Occupations Aptitude Exam (HOAE) & How to Study for It?
Passing the Health Occupations Aptitude (HOAE) test will determine whether you will progress further in your healthcare career. Taking steps to prepare for the exam adequately will make a significant difference when it comes to how well you do on the test.
You will need to be ready to be assessed on many different aspects and meet certain prerequisites in order to take the HOAE.
Here is some useful information that will help you through the test-taking process that will hopefully lead you down the path to success.
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What Is the Health Occupations Aptitude Exam?
The HOAE is one of the first steps in becoming a qualified healthcare professional in your desired field. It is a computer test that consists of 305 questions that must be completed within two hours and 15 minutes.
There are five different sections that you will be assessed on as part of the test: spelling, reading comprehension, psychological assessment, natural sciences, and academic aptitude.
You will have to make an appointment and pay a fee to take the exam at the college you are applying to. The fee may vary depending on which program you are interested in.
Healthcare is one of the most competitive fields in the market, which is why healthcare officials pay close attention to whoever scores the highest on the HOAE.
The score is based on a percentile, and you will need to work hard to obtain an exceptional grade. Therefore, preparing for the exam beforehand will increase your chances of success.
Do note that gaining admission into the healthcare program of your choice involves more than just passing the HOAE. Be sure to do your research into all the entry requirements of your program so you know how to increase your chances of getting in.
Preparing for the Health Occupations Exam
There are five parts to the HOAE exam, and you must be prepared to excel in all of them if you want to move forward on your career path. Your admission will depend on your exam score and your academic excellence.
You can study for the test using study guides on Job Test Prep that are written by exam experts with the goal of helping future test takers. These guides provide practice test questions, offer ways to reduce your stress and help you have a better understanding of the content that will be on the exam.
Make sure that you give yourself enough time to study so you can be better prepared for examination day. You should also make sure you get plenty of rest the day before the exam so you can stay focused and work to your best ability.
Another way that you can prepare for the exam is to focus on your strengths and weaknesses. You should definitely spend some quality time building upon your weakest areas of expertise. That way, you will be more prepared for those areas on the actual exam.
Take some time to distinguish your strengths and weaknesses and devote some time to developing both.
For example, if some aspects of arithmetic are not your strong suit, it may be best to spend some extra time reviewing arithmetic to prepare adequately.
What Is in the Health Occupations Exam?
There are five parts to the exam that you will have to complete within the time limit. Each section will have its own time limit, and you will need to do well in each one to receive the best score.
Here is some critical information you will need to know about each section before going into the exam.
- Academic Aptitude
The academic aptitude section of the exam contains 75 questions which you will have 40 minutes to complete. This section is designed to test your ability to retain and apply the information you have learned during your academic journey.
There are different subsections of this part of the test that you will have to complete. The subsections are verbal, nonverbal, and arithmetic.
With the verbal subsection, you will need to pinpoint the odd word out in a group of other words. There is a certain quality to the odd word out that separates it from the other words. Likewise, they may not even have any type of similarity to the other words at all.
The nonverbal subsection will require you to distinguish between a set of shapes. First, they will give you two sets of shapes and then a third shape.
You will need to describe how the first two shapes relate to each other. Lastly, you will have to discover which answer choices will create the same relationship with the third shape they provide for you.
The arithmetic subsection will assess how well you can learn and apply mathematical concepts. This part will include decimals, percentages, fractions, and practical unit conversions, and every question will be multiple choice. You must have good math skills and take your time to come to the correct solution.
- Spelling
This section will assess how accurately you are able to spell. You will have 45 multiple choice questions in which you must choose the correct way to spell certain words within a span of 15 minutes. This is just one of the many ways that your academic background will be examined.
- Reading Comprehension
This section is meant to evaluate how you interpret information and put it into practice. This is exceptionally important for many reasons, especially in the healthcare field. You will have 35 minutes to answer 35 questions.
- Natural Sciences
This section will assess how exceptional your understanding of the natural sciences is. You will have questions regarding biology, chemistry, and other aspects that you will have to excel in to become a part of the healthcare field. You will have 25 minutes to answer 60 questions.
- Vocational Adjustment Index
This is the personality profiling part of the exam that will help determine how you feel about certain aspects of your career. There are no right or wrong answers for this section, but it is best to be honest. You will have 15 minutes to answer 90 questions.
Passing the Health Occupations Exam
The best method of passing this exam is to have a solid studying plan in place, give yourself enough time for preparation, and put what you’ve learned into practice. Job Test Prep has all the preparation materials to help you get familiar with the HOAE, boosting your chances of doing well.
During your preparation, remember to pace yourself. If you come to the exam exhausted or mentally drained, there is a chance the exam will be much harder on you since there are many questions that require some form of mental stamina to get through.
Keep in mind that the HOAE is a closed-book exam and can only be taken once per academic year or application period. That means you are not allowed to bring any study material, calculators, or any form of electronic device with you to the exam.
You must rely entirely on your own memorization skills and academic prowess to pass the test. However, as long as you spend an ample amount of time studying, you should still do great without the help of references.
Rules and Regulations of the Health Occupations Exam
There are plenty of rules and regulations that you will be expected to follow on exam day. If you fail to learn them and follow them closely, you could lose the privilege of taking your exam and be denied admission into your program.
Therefore, make sure to stay vigilant when it comes to these rules, so you don’t accidentally break any of them.
- You are not allowed to eat while you are taking the exam. You can, however, drink a beverage out of any container of your choosing.
- You cannot smoke during the exam.
- You will be issued a warning if you are talking or mumbling while taking a test. Receiving multiple warnings will result in your exam being null and void.
- You cannot use headsets during your exam unless your test sponsor has approved them beforehand.
- You cannot leave your testing environment, no one can come in to interrupt your testing environment, and you cannot get up and move around once your exam has started.
- You must stay within view of the webcam. You will not be allowed to move the webcam away from the view of your face once your exam has started.
- You must remain fully clothed the entire time.
- You must stay connected to the internet connection you are using throughout the entire exam. Ensure you have a reliable computer and internet connection before logging onto the exam.
- Your exam will be proctored, and you will be taking the examination in a lock-down browser. This will ensure that every examinee is following the rules and no cheating is occurring. The proctor has the right to revoke exam privilege from any of the examinees.
Conclusion
Be sure to book your exam on time and do your best to be prepared. The success of your career path depends on how well you do on this exam. As long as you put in the hard work, find out what is expected beforehand, and try your hand at some practice questions on Job Test Prep, you should be able to do relatively well.
Relevant Test
Sarah is an accomplished educator, researcher and author in the field of testing and assessment. She has worked with various educational institutions and organisations to develop innovative evaluation methods and enhance student learning. Sarah has published numerous articles and books on assessment and learning. Her passion for promoting equity and fairness in the education system fuels her commitment to sharing insights and best practices with educators and policymakers around the world.
