Student satisfaction with initiatives for the national examination during the COVID-19 pandemic

[Purpose] To examine the impact of the state of emergency declared with the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID) on the initiatives for the national examination. [Participants and Methods] The participants were 257 students who graduated from the International University of Health and Welfare, in March of the years 2019–2021 (non-COVID group; graduation in 2019 and 2020, COVID group; graduation in 2021). The levels of satisfaction with the department’s initiatives, test scores, and frequency of mock examinations were assessed using a visual analog scale. [Results] The COVID group was significantly more satisfied with the department’s initiatives and frequency of mock examinations than the non-COVID group. [Conclusion] The results suggest that despite the pandemic, it is possible to improve student satisfaction through measures to familiarize students with the examination.