How is the test administered?
You will be hooked up to an electrocardiogram (EKG) monitor, which records your heart rhythm throughout the test. Ultrasound pictures of the heart will be obtained before exercise, when the heart is at rest. You will then be asked to walk on a treadmill at progressively increasing speeds and angles of incline. Your blood pressure and heart rhythm will be monitored during this time.
Your healthcare provider draws a small blood sample and places the sample in sample-collection tubes, which are centrifuged and the plasma is frozen immediately. The provider then sends the sample directly to Monogram. The assay is analyzed at the Monogram Biosciences lab and the results are delivered back to the health care provider.
The test is administered by computer. Student responses are recorded and later scored independently by two trained SPEAK Test evaluators. The scores given by the evaluators are averaged, and those averages become your official SPEAK Test score. How much time does the test require? The test only takes about 30 minutes of your time. Where and when are the test results made available? You will be told when you can pick up your results at the TRC. A copy is sent to your department chairperson approximately five to six days after you have taken the exam. Therefore, if you plan to take the exam during the same quarter that you are scheduled to begin TAing, it is very important that you schedule your examination as early in the quarter as possible. What do I have to do to pass the test? First, there are no passing or failing scores. The exam is for informational purposes only. High (or low) SPEAK Test scores do not guarantee that you will be successful (or unsuccessful) as a TA. The exam does
You will be using a hard-copy test. If your unit is a library unit you will take the test using an on-line answer form. When you’re done with your test, your responses are submitted electronically to the Institute and scored almost instantly. Unofficial results are sent to you and the ESO by e-mail as soon as your test has been scored and official results are posted in DirectAccess within 48 hours of your responses being submitted. If you’re attached to a unit that doesn’t maintain a test library, your ESO will order a hard-copy test from the Coast Guard Institute for you when you need it. You will take the test on a paper answer sheet which is then sent to the Institute for scoring.
When you arrive at the medical center, you will be asked to undress down to the waist. An intravenous (IV) line will be inserted into your hand. You will then have a scan which will take 20 minutes. For this test, you will lie down with your arms above your head (this position allows for better viewing of your heart.) Electrocardiogram (EKG) wires will then be hooked up to your chest. You will be asked to walk on a treadmill until you experience symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath, or until you are too tired to continue walking. A doctor and a technician will be present throughout the entire test and will be monitoring your blood pressure and EKG continuously.
