Why NHA Test Prep With AES Creates the Best Path to Student Success

Are you looking for ways to more effectively prepare your students for NHA certification success? You’re not alone!

Many teachers like you are looking to do more than use the NHA test prep materials to help their students review for exam day. But where can you start?

As a health science curriculum provider, many teachers use our HealthCenter21 curriculum in conjunction with NHA test prep to prepare students for NHA certification exams. But it can be overwhelming to figure out how to use both resources together effectively.

In this article, you’ll learn our recommendation for using HealthCenter21to improve student performance on NHA certification exams. You’ll also hear from educators like you who have experienced encouraging results from using AES to help students prepare for certification assessments.

Where NHA Test Prep Falls Short

You may be thinking: Can’t I just use test prep materials from NHA for their certification exams? 

This is true: some educators only use test prep materials from NHA in preparing for NHA-administered certification exams. But while NHA provides practical, subject-specific preparation for each of its assessments, NHA test preparation materials should not be considered a substitute for a comprehensive health science curriculum.

NHA test prep options can be valuable for students preparing for specific certifications, but do not replace the foundational knowledge learned in an extensive health science CTE curriculum. Each NHA test preparation package includes materials relevant to a single exam.

When thinking about the big picture of preparing your students for certifications, looking at your students’ entire academic journey is key. Comprehensive pathway planning can help you prepare your students more effectively by considering the knowledge your students will learn at each grade level. 

With that in mind, teachers we work with have the most success preparing students for NHA certifications when they use both HealthCenter21 and NHA test prep materials.

How HealthCenter21 Supports NHA Test Prep

HealthCenter21 includes more than 850 hours of content that educators can customize to meet students’ needs at each level along the CTE health science career pathway--including preparing for certification exams. Our core curriculum ensures that students learn health science fundamentals long before they consider sitting for certification exams, mastering the essential material they will need in whichever health career they choose to pursue.

When appropriate, we recommend supplementing HealthCenter21 with test preparation materials from NHA. Because NHA is a provider of certification exams, NHA test prep solutions can help students prepare for specific exams such as the CCMA, CMAA, and CPCT assessments. However, these materials are designed for educators preparing students to take these examinations in the near future, typically high school seniors.

Watch this video from AES Director of Product, Adam Durst, for an explanation of what AES provides and how it can work well with NHA test prep:

Want assistance with planning how to use both resources in your unique situation? Click here to chat with the AES team. 

Results from Teachers Who Use AES to Prepare Students for NHA Certifications

Now that you’ve read our recommendations, you’re probably wondering: Does using AES actually improve certification pass rates?

Teachers just like you have seen fruitful results in using AES to prepare students for NHA certification exams. On the whole, teachers have found their students to be well prepared for certification assessments after completing relevant modules in HealthCenter21.

AES aligns with dozens of health science certifications. Below we’ll look at outcomes educators have experienced after using AES with three NHA certification exams:

• NHA CCMA
• NHA CMAA
• NHA CPCT

NHA CCMA

Staci Mikesa, a health science instructor at Fort Bend Independent School District in Texas, uses AES with NHA test preparation materials to prepare students for the NHA CCMA examination. In 2021, 42 of her students sat for the exam, 38 of whom passed.

When asked if she had any tips for other teachers using AES to prepare for the exam, Mikesa said she found it essential to incorporate all of the HealthCenter21 modules into the course. “Students stated the worksheets were very helpful for studying,” she added.

At DeBakey High School for Health Professions in Texas, teacher Regina Jackson has also used AES to prepare students for the CCMA exam:

"For my Medical Micro class, which is also a certification class, HealthCenter21 is a great asset for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT). In fact, my past students told me that the AES course for Phlebotomy helped more for passing their certification exam than the course preparation material that comes with the certification course."

NHA CMAA

Luanne Scharkozy is a registered nurse and an instructor at the School District of Osceola County in Florida. At Harmony High School, she teaches health science in a three-year program for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Scharkozy has witnessed student success firsthand in using AES to prepare students for CMAA certification.

Under Scharkozy’s leadership, Harmony has achieved a 100% passing rate on the CMAA exam after using HealthCenter21 learning modules. At St. Cloud High School, another school in the district, educators have seen between 92% and 96% of students pass the CMAA certification exam.

Meanwhile, at Royal Palm Beach High School in Florida, health science teacher Janet Fabra saw a dramatic improvement in certification test results after she started using AES:

“The biggest thing I found with using HealthCenter21 was with the CMAA exam. I gave a CMAA exam in December before I started with HealthCenter21, and the students really struggled. They did not do that well; maybe 70% passed.

So then the next semester, we used your program, and the grades shot way up. I had 90% plus that passed that semester. From my standpoint, that says how valuable the information was. Now we’ve got much higher pass rates than when we first started the CMAA program and didn’t have HealthCenter21 as an adjunct to help.

Now I’m at a 100% pass rate, and the teacher at Lake Worth High School who also uses HealthCenter21 had 100% on all of her tests this year, too.”

NHA CPCT

Lynne Clarke is an instructor in Georgia at the A.R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet. Before becoming a teacher, Clarke worked first as an EMT, then later a paramedic, and finally as a registered nurse.

Learners who choose to study health science at A. R. Johnson begin to take courses in their pathway in ninth grade. Clarke and her fellow teachers use the HealthCenter21 digital curriculum to prepare students for the Patient Care Technician certification.

Clarke considers HealthCenter21 to be a valuable resource for students to review classroom material at their own pace.

After adopting AES in her classroom, Clarke’s students achieved a 100 percent passing rate on the NHA CPCT assessment. A. R. Johnson students are performing at a remarkable 17% above the national average for the certification test.

Prepare Your Students for Success with AES

Pairing HealthCenter21 from AES with NHA test prep can help you more confidently prepare your students for excellent results on NHA certification exams.

But you’re likely wondering the best way to prepare your students for a specific NHA certification, such as the CMAA or CET exam.

While our overarching recommendations apply to any certification you are preparing students for, the learning modules you assign will vary.

To help you use HealthCenter21 as effectively as possible, we compiled all of our certification resources in one place.

Dive into the article below to discover how you can best use HealthCenter21 to prepare your students for NHA certification success: What Health Science Certifications Does AES Align With?