The United States is increasingly developing a credential-conscious labor market. More and more preferred jobs are open only to persons who have acquired some type of degree, certificate or license. This research project targets the attainment of a special kind of credential--occupational licenses.

This research study examined the nursing licensure attainment process. Passing the examination remains the most critical challenge facing licensure candidates. This study identified factors that could influence examination performance and, thus, the likelihood of obtaining a nursing license. Relationships between characteristics of the test-taker, characteristics of the test-taking situation and characteristics of the test itself were analyzed using detailed crosstabulations and multivariate logistic regression. This research focused on school-related variables and, to the extent that the data allowed, race/ethnic differences in performance.

Several key findings deserve emphasis. School-related factors seem to exercise a potent influence on race/ethnic differences in examination performance. Black and, to some extent, Asian candidates who unfavorably evaluated their nursing schools experienced lower examination success rates. For White candidates, however, the patterns of performance differences were generally smaller and sometimes inconsistent. The Black-White gap in examination pass rates tended to narrow when crosstabular comparisons were made between candidate groups reporting similarly favorable school evaluations, et cetera. For the Asian-White contrasts, the differences, after statistical adjustment, were generally only slightly smaller and less consistent. In general, higher levels of nursing skills-building experiences were associated with higher examination success rates. Amidst the favorable evaluations of the licensure examination process, one problem stands out very prominently. The scenario-based grouping of examination items interfered with the performance of 36% to 76% of the candidates within each race/ethnic group.

This study has provided a forum for nursing licensure candidates to speak their collective "voice" on issues concerning the licensure examination, their nursing schooling and the perceived adequacy of their preparation for the licensure examination. Analyses of candidates' experiences and evaluations suggested policy recommendations regarding the licensure attainment process. Ultimately, the goal is to increase the efficacy of nursing education and the presence of underrepresented groups in regulated occupations.