FAQs BHA Exit Exam

HA 4141 is a one-hour credit course that assists in preparation for the EXIT exam and the residency experience. The grade for the course, offered each long semester, is on a pass-fail basis. If a student passes the EXIT exam, he/she receives a passing grade in HA 4141. Part of 4141 is exam prep, therefore the BHA Program Director schedules review sessions designed to assist students’ preparation for taking the examination.  Therefore, attendance is expected.  In addition, test resources are posted in the Canvas site for the course.  Although review sessions are scheduled, teams of students are responsible for developing and sharing their study guides with their peers. The other portion of 4141 is preparation for the residency experience. This serves as a sort of "finishing school" where students can hone their soft skills, interview techniques, and resumes. They can hear guest speakers from the healthcare administration industry. Both portions are designed to help the student be successful.

The EXIT exam evaluates the overall learning in the BHA curriculum.  It is similar to licensing examinations found in healthcare professions such as nursing or dental hygiene. The EXIT exam is comprehensive and measures basic information from all of the courses in the BHA curriculum. In addition, it is one way to make sure that students enrolled in fieldwork experiences demonstrate their mastery of the comprehensive body of knowledge in healthcare administration.

The exit exam is locally proctored, but it is hosted by an external source: Peregrine Academic Services. There are 160 questions, or about 10 questions for each of the 16 competencies in the BHA program.. Each semester’s EXIT exam contains new questions. Therefore, it is not a wise study plan to get question-specific information from previous takers.

Just like licensure examinations, the EXIT exam measures basic knowledge gained through BHA coursework.  Therefore, it needs to be a comprehensive exam that includes all of the courses in the BHA curriculum. The test also adds a level of rigor to the curriculum that has led to recognition from the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA), the association that certifies undergraduate health administration programs.

The EXIT exam is scheduled once during each long semester.  To avoid class conflicts, it is scheduled on a Friday (typically a month prior to the start of finals). Exams begin at 9:00 AM and end at 11:00 PM.  Students may contact the PD or Julie Carroll for information for the dates for any given semester.

All students seeking a Bachelor in Health Administration (BHA) degree must successfully complete the EXIT exam to graduate.

Students are eligible for the EXIT exam when they are taking their last semester of BHA coursework.  They need to enroll in HA 4141 and HA 4325 (capstone course) concurrently.

The BHA Program Director will provide a room to test in. The exam is delivered online. Students are allowed to bring two pencils that have erasers.  They can also bring a HB10B11 calculator.

A score of 70% or higher is considered a passing grade for the EXIT exam.  However, the actual grade for the exam is pass or fail.  The grade for the EXIT examination is also the grade for the course.  Therefore, in HA 4141 the grade will be either pass or fail.

After compiling and reviewing the EXIT exam grades, the BHA Program Director will notify students about their EXIT exam pass/fail status. Students who fail to achieve a minimum passing score on the EXIT exam will be given the opportunity to retake the EXIT exam two weeks following the original exam date. If the student fails to achieve a passing score for the second time during the same semester, they will receive an incomplete in HA 4141.  They will take a new EXIT examination when next offered in order to remove the grade of incomplete.  In addition, they will not be allowed to enroll in HA 4441 B (Internship) or HA 4848 (Residency) or in any other non-repeat courses.  Students who fail the examination twice will not be allowed to continue in the program.”

The contact person for questions about the schedule of the EXIT exam and other details is Julie Carroll, the School’s Administrative Assistant, at 512 245-3556 or the BHA Program Director, Dr. Jose Betancourt.