Correlation of Mock Board Examination Scores During Anatomic Pathology Residency Training with Performance on the Certifying Examination

Mock board exams are common in residency programs across many disciplines. However, the value of mock board results in predicting success on the actual certifying examination is largely anecdotal and undocumented. The University of Tennessee anatomic pathology residency program has a long history of giving mock board exams twice a year during the course of the 3-year diagnostic training program. The mock exams give residents a sense of the types of questions that may appear on the actual certifying examination. The resulting scores serve to help identify improvement areas to focus additional study. In addition, by providing residents the mental and physical experiences designed to mimic the test day, we hope to better prepare these trainees for optimal performance on the certifying examination. This study correlated mock board results of 16 anatomic pathology residents, from July 2006 through January 2016, with their subsequent performance on the certifying exam. The results of these biannual exams were significantly correlated (p < .001) with results for the American College of Veterinary Pathologists Certifying Examination.