Table 4.

Comparison of the performance of biologists vs. physicians by number of attempts to pass the final certification test.

Final Certification Test – Number of attempts	Number	%	Self-assessment test – Average scores				Final certification test
			Pre-test (single attempt)	Post-test (best attempt)	Difference (post-test vs. pre-test) (%)	p-value	Average scores		Average number of days between the first and best attempt
			(%)	(%)			Best attempt	First attempt
Biologists
1	42	32%	53	66.9	13.9	0.0008	85.4	85.4	-
2	65	49%	52.6	71	18.5	<0.0001	85.2	62	7.8
3	26	20%	46.5	66	19.6	0.0003	84.3	49.5	13.7
Total	133	38%	51.5	68.7	17.2	<0.0001	85.1	67.3	9.6
Physicians
1	108	51%	58.9	77	18.1	<0.0001	83.7	83.7	-
2	80	38%	51.5	70.1	18.6	<0.0001	86.2	58.9	7.6
3	25	12%	38.7	68	29.3	<0.0001	85.5	51	9.7
Total	213	62%	53.7	73.4	19.6	<0.0001	84.8	70.7	8.2
All completers
1	150	43%	57.2	74.2	17	<0.0001	84.2	84.2	-
2	145	42%	52	70.5	18.5	<0.0001	85.7	60.8	7.7
3	51	15%	42.7	67	24.3	<0.0001	84.9	50.2	11.5
Total	346	100%	52.9	71.6	18.7	<0.0001	84.9	69.4	8.8

Number and percentage of Completers, average percentage of correct answers (average scores) obtained in the self-assessment tests (single attempt for the pre-test and best attempt for the post-test) and in the final certification test (best and first attempts), and average number of days between the first and the best attempt according to the Completers’ categories (biologists vs. physicians) and to the number of attempts to complete the final certification test are shown. Absolute differences (post- vs. pre-test) and p-values are indicated.