HOAE Test: 20 Important Facts you need to Know

By | January 28, 2023
HOAE Test
The HOAE test helps nursing schools and colleges to admit the right candidates for healthcare programs.

HOAE Test: 20 Important Facts you need to Know

The Health Occupations Aptitude Examination (HOAE) test is a pre-admission test for everyone applying to the Respiratory Therapy program (RST4) at Fanshawe College.

All those applying to the Respiratory Therapy program must take the HOAE test as part of the application process.

Your application to the Dental Assisting and Medical Assisting compulsorily requires taking the Health Occupations Aptitude Examination.

To determine an overall score that is used for admissions, your HOAE score will be merged with your academic achievements.

The HOAE comprises five sections such as Academic Aptitude, Reading Comprehension, Spelling, Vocational Adjustment index, and information in the Natural Sciences.

The HOAE testing must be completed by the deadline of your application.

20 Important Facts about HOAE Test you need to Know

Here are important facts and tips you need to know about the HOAE test:

  1. What is HOAE Test?

HOAE is a segment of PSB tests known as Health Occupations Aptitude Examinations. It’s a standardized pre-admission test required for admission to different nursing schools and healthcare programs in universities and colleges used in assessing your skills, abilities, knowledge, and attitude.

The college or university will feel confident in your ability to complete the healthcare program if you achieve a high score.

  1. What can I expect from the HOAE test?

The HOAE test comprises a few sections that make up the test, and these have been listed below:

  • Academic Aptitude – This consists of 75 questions with 40 minutes duration
  • Spelling – This consists of 45 questions with 15 minutes duration
  • Reading Comprehension – This contains 35 questions with 35 minutes duration
  • Vocational Adjustment Index – This comprises 90 questions with 15 minutes duration
  • Information in the Natural Sciences – This includes 60 questions with 25 minutes duration

The total time of the HOAE test is 2 hours 15 minutes. It’s administered online on a computer and doesn’t permit the use of calculating device.

  1. HOAE Testing, Registration, and Cost

Health Occupations Aptitude Examination has a location testing that holds at the VHCC Testing Center located in the VHCC Library inside Learning Resource Center (LRC) 110 Opportunity Lane, Abingdon, VA.

HOAE test registration is carried out through the PSB test website at www.psbtests.com.

You will see Pre-registration in the Students area; click on it and enter the school code of 04T8P.

For the section that you want to attend, click ‘Registration’. The email address you will use for the registration must be valid so you can use it to receive your confirmation email.

It will cost you from $25.00 to $70.00 to take the HOAE test and the fee is payable on the test date at the testing center.

Ensure you arrive at the LRC Testing Center at least 15 minutes before your scheduled test time.

Coming late to the test will disqualify you completely. You must pay the test fee, which is between $25.00 and $70.00, on the test day.

You are to also provide a photo ID and a confirmation of your registration for the HOAE that you received in your email.

  1. How many questions are on the HOAE test?

The Healthcare Occupations Aptitude Examination consists of a total of 305 questions to be completed within a given time limit.

  1. How long is the HOAE test?

The Healthcare Occupation Aptitude Examination is 2 hours and 15 minutes in length. Taking a time out lies at your own risk and does not concern the administrator.

Since there are no intervals between the test sections, any time you take to go out won’t be given back to you.

  1. Which healthcare programs demand passing the HOAE test?

The Healthcare Occupations Aptitude Examination standardized pre-admission test is required for application to different nursing schools and healthcare programs in universities and colleges across North America.

Programs that may require the HOAE test certification include:

  • Pharmacy Technician (PPHTN)
  • Practical Nursing (PPNSG)
  • Veterinary Technician (PVETT)
  • Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA)
  • Dental Hygiene
  • Cardiovascular Technology
  • Surgical Technicians
  • Diagnostic Sonography
  • Histotechnician
  • Radiography
  • Clinical Lab programs
  • And many other programs
  1. How difficult is the HOAE test?

The HOAE test questions may not seem difficult per se, but the time limit that mounts enough pressure on the test taker makes the test rather difficult.

The HOAE test will be particularly difficult for you if you don’t have any previous experience and knowledge of the natural sciences section.

  1. How long does it take to get a hold of my HOAE test results?

You will receive your HOAE test results once test takers’ percentiles are scored. You may see your results after two weeks, but the college or program you have applied to will receive your score in about 24 hours.

  1. How is the HOAE test scored?

The HOAE test score is determined based on your raw score and your percentile in comparison to the other test-takers. Your percentile will be matched against the other people who took the same test as you. This will be added to your raw score to determine your overall score.

  1. How many times can I take the HOAE test?

You can only take the Health Occupations Aptitude Examination test once a year. In some cases, however, you may be allowed to sit for the exam twice in three years. Some colleges even have less strict limitations.

  1. Can I use a calculator on the HOAE test?

No, you are not allowed to come into the exam room with a calculator or any electronic device you may want to rely on for working out your answers. But you should rather find some scrap paper and pencil, which may sometimes be provided by the program offering the exam.

  1. Why should I prepare for the HOAE test?

If you had passed similar tests in the past and have now felt comfortable with it, you may begin to think that preparing for the HOAE test is a complete waste of time. But I want you to consider the fact that the test’s time limit is a section you should take seriously because of the pressure it mounts on test-takers.

In addition, some questions might appear strange to you. For these reasons, you need to start learning and begin to practice sample tests you can find in order to get familiar with the format of the test.

By so doing, you are building the self-confidence you may need, especially during challenging moments of the test. Knowing that you have practiced your HOAE test will make you relax.

  1. HOAE test tips

These tips will help you to do well in your HOAE test. They include:

  • Study the instructions

Don’t rush through questions without actually understanding their meaning. You need to get the answers quickly, but also thoroughly. Check the data for related information and use it to get an accurate answer.

  • Know your strengths

If you come across a difficult question that you can’t answer instantly, make a guess of the answer and continue your journey to the next question.

  • Manage your time

Staying too long on one particular question will affect the time given to you. Proper time management will help beat the limited time offered to complete the test.

  • Utilize strategy in your HOAE test

Practicing sample tests is one of the strategic ways you can prepare yourself for the HOAE test.
It will help train your brain to solve the same questions and so improve your results on the real test.

Another strategy is returning to the questions you might have skipped earlier during the test because of their complexity.

  1. How to prepare for the HOAE test

It’s very important to prepare for the HOAE exam so that you can get the best possible score.

There are study guides available for viewing in the Learning Resource Center (LRC), and you can also purchase them in the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Bookstores or through other booksellers.

Psbtests.com contains HOAE sample questions available for completion on the Test Resource page of the website.

Students who need assistance in specific areas may be helped by tutoring centers on the North and South Campuses.

  1. What are the options for paying for the HOAE test?

You can pay for the HOAE test fee with cash, credit/debit card, check, or money order at either the North or South Campus Navigation station.

A receipt will be given to you meant to be shown to the Testing Center staff before the test administration.

You need to arrive at least 20 minutes before your appointment if you plan to pay the day of your appointment, to make sure you are not late to the testing session and to make proper arrangements before the test commences.

If you are late you will not be admitted to the testing session. The test administration procedures have no exclusion to this. So, ensure you arrive on time in adherence to the rule.

  1. Where will my HOAE test take place?

The Health Occupations Aptitude Examination test is managed at both the North and South Campuses. You will receive your Testing Center in your appointment confirmation email.

  1. What do I need to bring for my HOAE testing appointment?

Requirements include a valid photo ID such as a passport, driver’s license, military ID, state ID card, or RCCC student ID.

You will need to also bring your payment receipt with you to the Testing Center in order for you to be admitted to the testing session.

  1. How do I schedule my HOAE test appointment?

Your HOAE test appointment may be scheduled online anytime. If you are a student going to another institution and need to take the HOAE, then you will have to contact the institution to arrange an approved proctoring appointment for your HOAE test.

  1. Discover your strengths and weaknesses and arrange a study plan

You need to know your strengths and weaknesses even if you are practicing in advance. When you prepare very well for your areas of weakness it won’t affect your overall score.

There are natural science topics you are not familiar with that this might review, including other areas such as spelling errors and reading slowly.

As you make a study plan for your shortcomings, identify your strong areas too. Review them as well so you can refresh your knowledge and hone your skills before the test.

  1. Learn how to best answer multiple-choice questions

As the HOAE test contains multiple-choice questions, you need to improve your skills in answering these types of questions to increase your chances of success.

There are techniques you will learn that will help you solve some areas like numerical problems, such as the elimination method and educated guessing technique.

HOAE Test Practice Questions and Answers

Here are sample HOAE test questions and answers you can practice with to gain the knowledge and understanding you need to excel in the real exam:

Question 1

Academic Aptitude

Your ability and readiness to learn may be determined by this section of the HOAE. This consists of three subsections that are designed to test your verbal, arithmetic, and nonverbal skills.

Why don’t we try to answer some sample questions now that you have an idea of the Academic Aptitude section of the HOAE?

Verbal

The verbal questions you will encounter in the HOAE test will have you find the “odd word out”.

Arithmetic

Your basic arithmetic skills need to be demonstrated here. This section includes questions designed for addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, means, decimals, etc.

For example:

A client with a $563.04 check wants to deposit $326 into his checking account, get $40 in cash and deposit the rest into a savings account. Identify how much he will deposit into this savings account.

A. $197.04
B. $204.04
C. $297.04
D. $299.04

Answer with Explanation

The correct answer is A.

Let’s first calculate how much money the client wants in his checking account and in cash:
Checking plus cash equal to 326 plus 40 equal to 366.
Now, subtracting this number from the total amount of money, which is the sum of the check, will give us 563.04-366 = 197.04.

Alternative explanation

Subtracting $326 (the deposit) from $563.04 (the check/total) will give us $237.04. We can get rid of answers C and D even before subtracting the amount of cash because they are too much.

After that, we would subtract $40 from $237.04, but notice that since 40 is a larger number than 37, we know that the result will be smaller than 200, and so we can also abolish answer choice B and choose answer A, the correct answer.

Question 2

Nonverbal

You are required to identify patterns in this section and must choose the correct symbol to complete each one. Try your best to find the pattern in the image below:

Answer with Explanation

The correct answer is 4.

Below is the relationship between figure X and figure Y:

Figure Y represents figure X:

  1. Flipped horizontally
  2. With the top part of the figure getting dark.

The correct answer must have a similar relationship with figure Z.

Answers, 1, 3, and 5 can be abolished as they do not show figure Z flipped horizontally. Answer 2 can be abolished as the bottom part of the figure is dark.

What we have now as the correct answer is answer choice 4, which is the correct answer, as it portrays figure Z flipped horizontally with the top part getting dark.

Question 3

Spelling

You are required to show your ability to spell words correctly in this section of the exam.

Remember that a lot of the words in this section will usually correlate to the program you are applying to.

An example of the types of questions you will find in this section has been listed below:

Select the word that is spelled incorrectly.
A. Judgment
B. Permenant
C. Dialogue
D. Adjacent

Answer with Explanation

The correct answer is B.

Permanent is the correct spelling of the word.

Conclusion

Scoring well on the HOAE test will give you entry into a nursing school, a registered nursing program, or any other health professional program.

HOAE major topics may consist of judgment and comprehension in practical nursing scenarios, reading comprehension, academic aptitude, vocational adjustment index, spelling, and information in the natural sciences.