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An online national survey examined associations with passing outcomes, including test anxiety, coping strategies, perceived stress, discrimination experience, and relevant demographic patterns. Results reflected racial and age disparities consistent with prior Association of Social Work Boards reporting, with pronounced effects for Black respondents. Recommendations focus on actionable exam design changes such as revising question phrasing, clarifying and narrowing content scope, reducing question volume within the 4-hour format, and ensuring appropriate disability accommodations.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & 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\n[https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-024-09729-5](https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-024-09729-5)  \nORIGINAL PAPER  \nLicensing Exam Pass Rate Disparities in Marriage and Family Therapy: Using an Analysis of Predictive Factors to Inform a More Equitable Licensing Exam Process  \nKevin Lyness1 · Diane Gehart2 · Brian Hannigan1 · Barrie Birge1 · Sheiketha Ross1  \nAccepted: 20 December 2024 © The Author(s) 2024  \nAbstract  \nThis article describes the findings of a study that explored potential factors that influence the pass rate for those taking marriage and family therapy (MFT) licensing exams, both the national and California exams. An online, national survey was conducted to determine factors associated with passing the MFT licensing exams. The survey included measures of test anxiety, coping strategies, perceived stress, and experience of discrimination. The demographic results included patterns of racial and age disparities similar to those reported by the Association of Social Work Boards (2022), especially for Black respondents. Specific and readily implemented recommendations for making the current exams more equitable include (a) changing the phrasing of questions, (b) clarifying and reducing the scope of the content, (c) reducing the number of questions during the 4-hour period, and (d) ensuring adequate accommodations for disabilities.  \nKeywords Licensing exams · Marriage and family therapy · Pass rates · Racial disparities · Age disparities  \nStandardized examinations are a common step towards state licensure within the mental health professions: marriage and  \nfamily therapy (MFT), clinical mental health counseling.  \n(CMHC), clinical social work (CSW), and psychology. Despite the significance of such tests in the profession, little has been explored around specific factors that contribute to one’s likelihood of passing or failing (Caldwell & Rousmaniere, 2022). As educators and trainers in the field offamily therapy for decades, we have heard about our students’experiences of struggle with the exam and were curious if  \n􀀍 Kevin Lyness[klyness@antioch.edu](klyness@antioch.edu)  \nDiane Gehart  \n[dgehart@mac.com](dgehart@mac.com)  \nBrian Hannigan  \n[bhannigan@antioch.edu](bhannigan@antioch.edu)  \nBarrie Birge  \n[bbirge@antioch.edu](bbirge@antioch.edu)  \nSheiketha Ross  \n[sross7@antioch.edu](sross7@antioch.edu)  \n1 Antioch University New England, Keene, USA  \n2 California State University, Northridge, Northridge, USA  \nthere were specific factors that were related to passing and failing this exam.  \nCurrently, there are two clinical exams used for licensing marriage and family therapists: the “National Exam,” overseen by the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB), and the California Clinical Exam, administered by California’s Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) . All states use the National Exam except California (AMFTRB, 2024; BBS, 2024) . Many states add a supplemental part to cover their specific legal matters (AMFTRB, 2024; Caldwell et al., 2011) . Both exams use a multiple-choice format, with four options (i.e., A, B, C, D) and rely heavily on vignette-based questions that require the exam candidate to apply professional knowledge. The national MFT exam has 180 questions, and California’s Clinical exam has 170 questions.  \nThis article describes the findings ofa study that explored prominent factors that influence the pass rate for those taking the MFT licensing exams. Given limited research on the topic, this exploratory study aimed to identify possible connections between a wide range of factors, including demographics, university and fieldwork experiences, test anxiety, stress levels, coping strategies, and trauma history. Based on these findings, the discussion section includes  \n1 3  \nrecommendations for exam improvement, including bridging age and racial pass rate disparities.  \nCurrent State of Research on Licensure Examinations  \nResearch regarding","cbCaigeibfpbVRFQ","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaigeibfpbVRFQ","pdf",1019651,15,"English","# Abstract\n## Study Focus and Methods\n## Current State of Research on Licensure Examinations\n## Family Therapy","[{\"question\":\"What licensing exams are examined in this study?\",\"answer\":\"The study considers both the national MFT licensing exam and the California Clinical Exam used for marriage and family therapist licensure.\"},{\"question\":\"Which factors did the online survey measure to explain pass-rate differences?\",\"answer\":\"Measures included test anxiety, coping strategies, perceived stress, discrimination experience, and demographic variables, along with related educational and fieldwork experiences.\"},{\"question\":\"What recommendations does the article propose to make the licensing exams more equitable?\",\"answer\":\"Recommendations include changing question phrasing, clarifying and reducing content scope, reducing the number of questions during the 4-hour period, and providing adequate accommodations for disabilities.\"}]","Licensing Exam Pass Rate Disparities in Marriage and Family Therapy - Using an Analysis of Predictive Factors to Inform a More Equitable Licensing Exam Process | PDF",38]