Selecting top candidates for medical school selection interviews- a non-compensatory approach.

BACKGROUND: Medical schools apply a range of selection methods to ensure that admitted students succeed in the program. In Australia, selection tools typically include measures of academic achievement (e.g. the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank - ATAR) and aptitude tests (e.g. the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admissions Test - UMAT). These are most commonly used to determine which applicants are invited for additional selection processes, such as interviews. However, no previous study has examined the efficacy of the first part of the selection process. In particular, are compensatory or non-compensatory approaches more effective in evaluating the outcomes of cognitive and aptitude tests, and do they affect the demographics of students selected for interview? METHODS: This study utilised data from consecutive cohorts of mainstream domestic students who applied to enter the UNSW Medicine program between 2013 to 2018. A compensatory ranked selection model was compared with a non-compensatory ranked model. Initially, ATAR marks and UMAT scores for each applicant were ranked within each cohort. In the compensatory model, the mean of the ATAR and UMAT ranks were used to determine the outcome. In the non-compensatory model, the lowest rank of ATAR and UMAT determined the outcome for each applicant. The impact of each model on the gender and socioeconomic status of applicants selected to interview was evaluated across all cohorts. RESULTS: The non-compensatory ranked selection model resulted in substantially higher ATAR and UMAT thresholds for invitation to interview, with no significant effect on the socioeconomic status of the selected applicants. CONCLUSIONS: These results are important, demonstrating that it is possible to raise the academic threshold for selection to medicine without having any negative impact on applicants from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Overall, the evidence gathered in this study suggests that a non-compensatory model is preferable for selecting applicants for medical student selection interview.

Predictive validity of the UKCAT for medical school undergraduate performance: a national prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) has been shown to have a modest but statistically significant ability to predict aspects of academic performance throughout medical school. Previously, this ability has been shown to be incremental to conventional measures of educational performance for the first year of medical school. This study evaluates whether this predictive ability extends throughout the whole of undergraduate medical study and explores the potential impact of using the test as a selection screening tool. METHODS: This was an observational prospective study, linking UKCAT scores, prior educational attainment and sociodemographic variables with subsequent academic outcomes during the 5 years of UK medical undergraduate training. The participants were 6812 entrants to UK medical schools in 2007-8 using the UKCAT. The main outcome was academic performance at each year of medical school. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was also conducted, treating the UKCAT as a screening test for a negative academic outcome (failing at least 1 year at first attempt). RESULTS: All four of the UKCAT scale scores significantly predicted performance in theory- and skills-based exams. After adjustment for prior educational achievement, the UKCAT scale scores remained significantly predictive for most years. Findings from the ROC analysis suggested that, if used as a sole screening test, with the mean applicant UKCAT score as the cut-off, the test could be used to reject candidates at high risk of failing at least 1 year at first attempt. However, the 'number needed to reject' value would be high (at 1.18), with roughly one candidate who would have been likely to pass all years at first sitting being rejected for every higher risk candidate potentially declined entry on this basis. CONCLUSIONS: The UKCAT scores demonstrate a statistically significant but modest degree of incremental predictive validity throughout undergraduate training. Whilst the UKCAT could be considered a fairly crude screening tool for future academic performance, it may offer added value when used in conjunction with other selection measures. Future work should focus on the optimum role of such tests within the selection process and the prediction of post-graduate performance.

Longitudinal assessment of the impact of the use of the UK clinical aptitude test for medical student selection.

CONTEXT: Medical schools are increasingly using novel tools to select applicants. The UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) is one such tool and measures mental abilities, attitudes and professional behaviour conducive to being a doctor using constructs likely to be less affected by socio-demographic factors than traditional measures of potential. Universities are free to use UKCAT as they see fit but three broad modalities have been observed: 'borderline', 'factor' and 'threshold'. This paper aims to provide the first longitudinal analyses assessing the impact of the different uses of UKCAT on making offers to applicants with different socio-demographic characteristics. METHODS: Multilevel regression was used to model the outcome of applications to UK medical schools during the period 2004-2011 (data obtained from UCAS), adjusted for sex, ethnicity, schooling, parental occupation, educational attainment, year of application and UKCAT use (borderline, factor and threshold). RESULTS: The three ways of using the UKCAT did not differ in their impact on making the selection process more equitable, other than a marked reversal for female advantage when applied in a 'threshold' manner. Our attempt to model the longitudinal impact of the use of the UKCAT in its threshold format found again the reversal of female advantage, but did not demonstrate similar statistically significant reductions of the advantages associated with White ethnicity, higher social class and selective schooling. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate attenuation of the advantage of being female but no changes in admission rates based on White ethnicity, higher social class and selective schooling. In view of this, the utility of the UKCAT as a means to widen access to medical schools among non-White and less advantaged applicants remains unproven.

A simple screen performed at school entry can predict academic under-achievement at age seven in children born very preterm.

AIM: We aimed to compare the academic outcomes of a cohort of children born very preterm (VPT, <32 weeks of gestation) and children born at term at age 7 years and assess the ability of a pre-academic skill screen at age five to predict later academic impairment in children born VPT at age seven. METHODS: One hundred ninety-four children born VPT (born with either gestational age <30 weeks or birthweight <1250 g) and 70 controls born at term from a prospective birth cohort were compared on academic outcomes (Wide Range Achievement Test, WRAT4) at age seven using regression analyses. Receiver-operating characteristic curves were used to determine whether pre-academic skills (Kaufman Survey of Early Academic and Language Skills, K-SEALS) at age five predicted academic impairment at age seven in 174 of the VPT cohort. RESULTS: At the age of 7 years, children born VPT had lower mean word reading (-9.7, 95% CI: -14.7 to -4.6), spelling (-8.3, 95% CI: -13.3 to -3.3) and math computation (-10.9, 95% CI: -15.3 to -6.5) scores (all P-values ≤0.001) compared with controls born at term, even after adjusting for social risk and time since school commencement. In terms of pre-academic screening, the Numbers, Letters and Words subtest of the K-SEALS had adequate sensitivity and specificity (70-80%) for predicting children with academic impairment at age seven. CONCLUSIONS: Children born VPT underperformed in academic outcomes at age seven compared with controls born at term. A pre-academic screening tool used at school entry can predict children born VPT at risk of academic impairment at age seven who could benefit from targeted early intervention.

Training residents to be factually accurate and articulate: A case study using foetal heart rate monitoring nomenclature.

Careful communication between members of the obstetric team about intrapartum foetal heart rate is critical for clinical management and patient safety. This study evaluated the benefits of two testing modalities in assessing resident physician knowledge of the 2008 NICHD nomenclature. Multiple-choice (MC) and short-answer (SA) examinations were administered to Obstetrics and Gynecology resident physicians before an educational intervention and then immediately after the training, at 6 months and at 12 months. Test scores on both the MC and the SA examinations improved after the training session. The improvement was sustained over the course of the study. Residents performed higher on the MC examination than on the SA test. This study suggests that formalised teaching in foetal heart rate monitoring improves resident physician knowledge of the NICHD nomenclature and that SA examinations may better discriminate between residents who are and are not able to accurately articulate foetal heart rate monitoring terminology.

Predictive validity of the UK clinical aptitude test in the final years of medical school: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) was designed to address issues identified with traditional methods of selection. This study aims to examine the predictive validity of the UKCAT and compare this to traditional selection methods in the senior years of medical school. This was a follow-up study of two cohorts of students from two medical schools who had previously taken part in a study examining the predictive validity of the UKCAT in first year. METHODS: The sample consisted of 4th and 5th Year students who commenced their studies at the University of Aberdeen or University of Dundee medical schools in 2007. Data collected were: demographics (gender and age group), UKCAT scores; Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) form scores; admission interview scores; Year 4 and 5 degree examination scores. Pearson's correlations were used to examine the relationships between admissions variables, examination scores, gender and age group, and to select variables for multiple linear regression analysis to predict examination scores. RESULTS: Ninety-nine and 89 students at Aberdeen medical school from Years 4 and 5 respectively, and 51 Year 4 students in Dundee, were included in the analysis. Neither UCAS form nor interview scores were statistically significant predictors of examination performance. Conversely, the UKCAT yielded statistically significant validity coefficients between .24 and .36 in four of five assessments investigated. Multiple regression analysis showed the UKCAT made a statistically significant unique contribution to variance in examination performance in the senior years. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest the UKCAT appears to predict performance better in the later years of medical school compared to earlier years and provides modest supportive evidence for the UKCAT's role in student selection within these institutions. Further research is needed to assess the predictive validity of the UKCAT against professional and behavioural outcomes as the cohort commences working life.

Music therapy career aptitude and generalized self-efficacy in music therapy students.

BACKGROUND: While the Music Therapy Career Aptitude Test (MTCAT) provides a measure of student aptitude, measures of perceived self-efficacy may provide additional information about a students' suitability for a music therapy career. OBJECTIVE: As a first step in determining whether future studies examining combined scores from the MTCAT and the Generalized Self-Efficacy (GSE) scale would be useful to help predict academic success in music therapy, we explored the internal reliability of these two measures in a sample of undergraduate students, and the relationship (concurrent validity) of the measures to one another. METHODS: Eighty undergraduate music therapy students (14 male; 66 female) completed the MTCAT and GSE. To determine internal reliability we conducted tests of normality and calculated Cronbach's Coefficient Alpha for each measure. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to ascertain the strength of the relationship between the MTCAT and GSE. RESULTS: MTCAT scores were normally distributed and had high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.706). GSE scores were not normally distributed, but had high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.748). The correlation coefficient analysis revealed that MTCAT and GSE scores were moderately correlated ((r = 0.426, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: MTCAT scores can be used to partially determine perceived self-efficacy in undergraduate music therapy students; however, a more complete picture of student suitability for music therapy may be determined by administering the GSE alongside the MTCAT. Future studies are needed to determine whether combined MTCAT and GSE scores can be used to predict student success in an undergraduate music therapy program.

Insights from an updated personnel selection meta-analytic matrix: Revisiting general mental ability tests' role in the validity-diversity trade-off.

General mental ability (GMA) tests have long been at the heart of the validity-diversity trade-off, with conventional wisdom being that reducing their weight in personnel selection can improve adverse impact, but that this results in steep costs to criterion-related validity. However, Sackett et al. (2022) revealed that the criterion-related validity of GMA tests has been considerably overestimated due to inappropriate range restriction corrections. Thus, we revisit the role of GMA tests in the validity-diversity trade-off using an updated meta-analytic correlation matrix of the relationships six selection methods (biodata, GMA tests, conscientiousness tests, structured interviews, integrity tests, and situational judgment tests) have with job performance, along with their Black-White mean differences. Our results lead to the conclusion that excluding GMA tests generally has little to no effect on validity, but substantially decreases adverse impact. Contrary to popular belief, GMA tests are not a driving factor in the validity-diversity trade-off. This does not fully resolve the validity-diversity trade-off, though: Our results show there is still some validity reduction required to get to an adverse impact ratio of .80, although the validity reduction is less than previously thought. Instead, it shows that the validity-diversity trade-off conversation should shift from the role of GMA tests to that of other selection methods. The present study also addresses which selection methods now emerge as most valid and whether composites of selection methods can result in validities similar to those expected prior to Sackett et al. (2022). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The UK Clinical Aptitude Test and clinical course performance at Nottingham: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) was introduced in 2006 as an additional tool for the selection of medical students. It tests mental ability in four distinct domains (Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, and Decision Analysis), and the results are available to students and admission panels in advance of the selection process. Our first study showed little evidence of any predictive validity for performance in the first two years of the Nottingham undergraduate course.The study objective was to determine whether the UKCAT scores had any predictive value for the later parts of the course, largely delivered via clinical placements. METHODS: Students entering the course in 2007 and who had taken the UKCAT were asked for permission to use their anonymised data in research. The UKCAT scores were incorporated into a database with routine pre-admission socio-demographics and subsequent course performance data. Correlation analysis was followed by hierarchical multivariate linear regression. RESULTS: The original study group comprised 204/254 (80%) of the full entry cohort. With attrition over the five years of the course this fell to 185 (73%) by Year 5. The Verbal Reasoning score and the UKCAT Total score both demonstrated some univariate correlations with clinical knowledge marks, and slightly less with clinical skills. No parts of the UKCAT proved to be an independent predictor of clinical course marks, whereas prior attainment was a highly significant predictor (p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study of one cohort of Nottingham medical students showed that UKCAT scores at admission did not independently predict subsequent performance on the course. Whilst the test adds another dimension to the selection process, its fairness and validity in selecting promising students remains unproven, and requires wider investigation and debate by other schools.

Faking good: self-enhancement in medical school applicants.

OBJECTIVES: The problem of dissimulation by applicants when self-report tests of personality are used for job selection has received considerable attention in non-medical contexts. Personality testing is not yet widely used in medical student selection, but this may change in the light of recent research demonstrating significant relationships between personality and performance in medical school. This study therefore aimed to assess the extent of self-enhancement in a sample of medical school applicants. METHODS: A within-subjects design compared personality test scores collected in 2007 for 83 newly enrolled medical students with scores for the same students obtained on the same personality test administered during the selection process 4 months previously. Five factors of personality were measured using the International Personality Item Pool and mean differences in scores were assessed using paired t-tests. RESULTS: At the time of selection, the personality scores of successful applicants were similar to those of candidates who were not accepted (n=271). Once selected, the medical students achieved significantly lower scores on four of the five personality factors (conscientiousness, extroversion, openness to experience, agreeableness) and higher scores on the fifth factor (neuroticism). Of the selected students, 62.7% appeared to have 'faked good' on at least one of the five factors measured. CONCLUSIONS: Applicants to medical school are likely to dissimulate when completing self-report tests of personality used for selection. The authors review the evidence as to whether such dissimulation reduces construct and predictive validity and summarise methods used to reduce self-enhancement in applicant samples.

Evaluating cognitive ability, knowledge tests and situational judgement tests for postgraduate selection.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the validity and utility of and candidate reactions towards cognitive ability tests, and current selection methods, including a clinical problem-solving test (CPST) and a situational judgement test (SJT), for postgraduate selection. METHODS; This was an exploratory, longitudinal study to evaluate the validities of two cognitive ability tests (measuring general intelligence) compared with current selection tests, including a CPST and an SJT, in predicting performance at a subsequent selection centre (SC). Candidate reactions were evaluated immediately after test administration to examine face validity. Data were collected from candidates applying for entry into training in UK general practice (GP) during the 2009 recruitment process. Participants were junior doctors (n = 260). The mean age of participants was 30.9 years and 53.1% were female. Outcome measures were participants' scores on three job simulation exercises at the SC. RESULTS: Findings indicate that all tests measure overlapping constructs. Both the CPST and SJT independently predicted more variance than the cognitive ability test measuring non-verbal mental ability. The other cognitive ability test (measuring verbal, numerical and diagrammatic reasoning) had a predictive value similar to that of the CPST and added significant incremental validity in predicting performance on job simulations in an SC. The best single predictor of performance at the SC was the SJT. Candidate reactions were more positive towards the CPST and SJT than the cognitive ability tests. CONCLUSIONS: In terms of operational validity and candidate acceptance, the combination of the current CPST and SJT proved to be the most effective administration of tests in predicting selection outcomes. In terms of construct validity, the SJT measures procedural knowledge in addition to aspects of declarative knowledge and fluid abilities and is the best single predictor of performance in the SC. Further research should consider the validity of the tests in this study in predicting subsequent performance in training.

The UK Clinical Aptitude Test: is it a fair test for selecting medical students?

BACKGROUND: The United Kingdom Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) is designed to increase diversity and fairness in selection to study medicine. AIM: The aim of this study is to determine if differences in: access to support and advice, in modes of preparation, type of school/college attended, level of achievement in mathematics, gender and age influence candidate performance in the UKCAT and thereby unfairly advantage some candidates over others. METHODS: Confidential, self-completed, on-line questionnaire of applicants to study on an undergraduate medical degree course who had taken the UKCAT in 2010. RESULTS: Differentials in access to support and advice, in modes of preparation, type of school/college attended, in level of achievement in mathematics, gender and age were found to be associated with candidate performance in the UKCAT. CONCLUSION: The findings imply that the UKCAT may disadvantage some candidate groups. This inequity would likely be improved if tutors and career advisors in schools and colleges were more informed about the UKCAT and able to offer appropriate advice on preparation for the test.

Music therapy career aptitude test.

The purpose of the Music Therapy Career Aptitude Test (MTCAT) was to measure the affective domain of music therapy students including their self-awareness as it relates to the music therapy career, value in human development, interest in general therapy, and aptitude for being a professional music therapist. The MTCAT was administered to 113 music therapy students who are currently freshman or sophomores in an undergraduate music therapy program or in the first year of a music therapy master's equivalency program. The results of analysis indicated that the MTCAT is normally distributed and that all 20 questions are significantly correlated with the total test score of the MTCAT. The reliability of the MTCAT was considerably high (Cronbach's Coefficient Alpha=0.8). The criterion-related validity was examined by comparing the MTCAT scores of music therapy students with the scores of 43 professional music therapists. The correlation between the scores of students and professionals was found to be statistically significant. The results suggests that normal distribution, internal consistency, homogeneity of construct, item discrimination, correlation analysis, content validity, and criterion-related validity in the MTCAT may be helpful in predicting music therapy career aptitude and may aid in the career decision making process of college music therapy students.

Selection of medical students in Sri Lanka: time to re-think criteria?

OBJECTIVE: To examine the validity of selected entry level characteristics in relation to the GCE A/L examination as independent predictors of performance of students in medical school. METHODS: A retrospective, analytical study was done at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya. Student characteristics at entry were described by sex, the average z-score, General English grade and attempt at GCE A/L examination, and average mark obtained at the English placement test on registration to medical school. Average marks at three summative examinations were used as indicators of performance in medical school. Multivariate analysis using multiple linear regression was carried out using these three outcome measures in relation to four entry point variables as predictors of performance in medical school. Causal path diagrams were constructed using standardised regression coefficients for the whole group and for male and female students separately. RESULTS: The A/L z-score, A/L attempt and English placement test marks were all significant predictors of outcome at the First Examination. Of the variables relating to the A/L examination, the attempt had a much higher path coefficient with performance at the First Examination than the A/L z-score, as did the English marks. Separate path analyses for male and female students showed that while the significance of the relationships remained the same, the magnitude of the correlation was different. CONCLUSIONS: Students who gain admission on their 3rd attempt at the AL examination fare much worse than those admitted to medical school on their 1st attempt. Differences between sexes in examination performance are probably linked to both A/L attempt and English language proficiency.

Converging on the tipping point: a diagnostic methodology for standard setting.

This article discusses the strengths and weakness of the Angoff and Bookmark standard setting procedures. An alternative approach that focuses on the strengths of these procedures and adds three diagnostic indices is presented. This alternative approach is applied to three standard setting data sets and the results are discussed.

Resident Selection in the Wake of United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 Transition to Pass/Fail Scoring.

INTRODUCTION: The numeric score for the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 is one of the only universal, objective, scaled criteria for comparing the many students who apply to orthopaedic surgery residency. However, on February 12, 2020, it was announced that Step 1 would be transitioning to pass/fail scoring. The purpose of this study was to (1) determine the most important factors used for interview and resident selection after this change and (2) to assess how these factors have changed compared with a previous report on resident selection. METHODS: A survey was distributed to the program directors (PDs) of all 179 orthopaedic surgery programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Questions focused on current resident selection practices and the impact of the Step 1 score transition on expected future practices. RESULTS: A total of 78 PDs (44%) responded to the survey. Over half of PDs (59%) responded that United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 2 clinical knowledge (CK) score is the factor that will increase most in importance after Step 1 transitions to pass/fail, and 90% will encourage applicants to include their Step 2 CK score on their applications. The factors rated most important in resident selection from zero to 10 were subinternship performance (9.05), various aspects of interview performance (7.49 to 9.01), rank in medical school (7.95), letters of recommendation (7.90), and Step 2 CK score (7.27). Compared with a 2002 report, performance on manual skills testing, subinternship performance, published research, letters of recommendations, and telephone call on applicants' behalf showed notable increases in importance. DISCUSSION: As Step 2 CK is expected to become more important in the residency application process, current applicant stress on Step 1 scores may simply move to Step 2 CK scores. Performance on subinternships will remain a critical aspect of residency application, as it was viewed as the most important resident selection factor and has grown in importance compared with a previous report.

A comparison of four tests of cognition as predictors of inability to learn to use a metered dose inhaler in old age.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that a Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of < 24/30 and inability to copy intersecting pentagons (IP) predict inability to learn to use inhaler devices. We hypothesised that clock drawing tests (CLOX 1 and 2), being validated tests of cognitive executive function, might predict competent inhaler acquisition with a higher sensitivity and specificity than the MMSE or IP. METHODS: We studied 80 (63 women) inhaler-naïve inpatients, mean age 83 years (range 75-97 years). All performed the MMSE, IP, CLOX 1 and 2, before receiving standardised demonstration, instruction and assessment in the use of a metered dose inhaler (MDI). RESULTS: A total of 28/80 (35%) patients were able to acquire a satisfactory MDI technique. Using normative thresholds for impairment, the sensitivity and specificity (% with 95% confidence intervals) of the cognitive scores in predicting inability were: MMSE < 24 sensitivity 57 (42-71), specificity 76 (57-88), p = 0.04; IP sensitivity 75 (60-85), specificity 79 (59-91), p = 0.0000; CLOX1 < 10 sensitivity 83 (69-91), specificity 57 (37-75), p = 0.0004; CLOX2 < 12 sensitivity 58 (43-71), specificity 64 (44-81), p = 0.05. CONCLUSION: CLOX tests did not perform better than MMSE and IP, to identify patients who are unlikely to be able to acquire MDI technique from a single episode of training. In clinical practice, most patients with an MMSE < 24 or negative IP will not be able to learn MDI technique. In this study, IP had the best overall predictive value.

Effects of range restriction and criterion contamination on differential validity of the SAT by race/ethnicity and sex.

We illustrate the effects of range restriction and a form of criterion contamination (individual differences in course-taking patterns) on the validity of SAT scores for predicting college academic performance. College data facilitate exploration of differential validity's determinants because they (a) permit the use multivariate range-restriction corrections to more accurately account for differential range restriction across subgroups and (b) allow for separate examinations of composite performance and specific performance episodes, the latter of which controls for ecological contamination of composite performance due to individuals' choices of performance opportunities. Using data from 363,004 students at 107 U.S. institutions, we found that controlling for course-taking patterns resulted in validity coefficients that were appreciably larger than predictors' correlations with obtained grade point averages (GPAs). The validities of SAT scores for predicting the first-year college performance of Black and Hispanic students were not significantly different from the validity for White students after correcting for both course-taking patterns and differential range restriction, but significant Black-White differences were detected for predicting 4-year cumulative performance. Validity estimates for predicting both first-year and 4-year cumulative performance were significantly smaller among Asian students than White students after making these corrections. The SAT's observed validity for predicting college GPAs was substantially lower for males than females and, unexpectedly, controlling for course-taking patterns increased male-female validity differences. Implications for personnel selection research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Predicting early academic achievement in a baccalaureate nursing program.

Baccalaureate nursing programs are under increased pressure to graduate greater numbers of students to meet the demands of the nurse workforce of the future. Schools of nursing are admitting larger cohorts of students, but early academic achievement in the nursing major and retention are problematic. Historical predictors of early academic achievement, such as scholastic aptitude, may not be the best for identifying students at risk of early academic failure. Increasingly, baccalaureate nursing programs are relying on standardized nursing aptitude tests to evaluate the readiness of applicants for the nursing major. However, reliable predictors of early academic achievement have yet to be identified. The purpose of this study was to explore whether scholastic aptitude and nursing aptitude are predictive of early academic achievement in a baccalaureate nursing program. Using an exploratory descriptive design, data from 164 sophomore nursing students were examined. The data indicated that scholastic aptitude and nursing aptitude together predicted 20.2% of the variance in early academic achievement, with scholastic aptitude accounting for 15.4% of the variance.