MCHES study plan
MCHES · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Administration and Management & Assessment
Map the full Domain 8 content outline and rank its subtopics by your current confidence
Draft a one-page budget template that separates personnel, operating, and indirect costs
Write a 10-item self-quiz on organizational structure and governance terms, then score it
Build a needs-assessment toolkit checklist covering primary and secondary data sources
Your checkpoint
A scored 10-item self-quiz plus a ranked Domain 8 subtopic priority list with the two weakest areas flagged
Administration and Management & Assessment
Construct a sample 12-month program work plan with owners and due dates for each task
Compare three needs-assessment methods and state the decision each one best supports
Explain out loud, in under three minutes, how to interpret a community health data table
Draft a stakeholder and staff supervision plan that assigns roles for a hypothetical program
Your checkpoint
A completed one-page work plan and a written comparison table of three needs-assessment methods with their best-fit decisions
Evaluation & Assessment
Distinguish process, impact, and outcome indicators by sorting 20 example indicators into categories
Design a logic model linking inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes for a chosen health program
Select appropriate data-collection instruments for three different evaluation questions
Calculate and interpret basic descriptive statistics from a small fictional dataset
Your checkpoint
A finished logic model with at least eight indicators correctly labeled by type, plus a written justification for each instrument choice
Communication & Evaluation
Write measurable process and outcome objectives using a time-bound, criterion-based format
Draft a one-page evaluation report summarizing findings for a non-technical audience
Apply health literacy and plain-language principles to revise a 300-word program message
Match three communication channels to three distinct audience segments and justify each match
Your checkpoint
A pre/post objective pair plus a revised plain-language message scored against a five-point readability checklist
Planning & Implementation
Sequence the planning steps from problem identification through intervention selection
Select an evidence-based intervention for a stated health problem and document the selection criteria used
Create an implementation timeline that assigns activities, responsible parties, and pilot dates
Adapt one intervention element for a priority population and justify the adaptation
Your checkpoint
A two-page program plan containing problem statement, chosen intervention, adaptation rationale, and implementation timeline
Research & Advocacy
Compare two study designs for a given research question and defend the stronger choice
Apply the criteria for establishing evidence to two sample published abstracts
Draft a three-point advocacy message with a specific ask, target, and supporting evidence
Assemble a stakeholder influence map identifying allies, opponents, and undecided parties
Your checkpoint
A written research-design comparison and a one-page advocacy brief with a stakeholder influence map
Ethics, Leadership, and Professionalism & Administration and Management
Apply the code of ethics to resolve two written practice scenarios and document your reasoning
Identify three common ethical breaches in data handling and state the corrective action for each
Write a personal leadership self-assessment listing two strengths and two growth areas
Outline the steps for a professional development and credential maintenance plan
Your checkpoint
Two 250-word ethics case responses with a decision rationale and a leadership self-assessment table
Assessment & Planning & Implementation & Evaluation & Research & Advocacy & Communication & Administration and Management & Ethics, Leadership, and Professionalism
Reach 75 percent or higher on two full-length timed practice exams
Review every missed item and categorize each error by domain and error type
Recite the core responsibility areas of all nine domains from memory
Finalize a test-day plan covering timing strategy, break schedule, and logistics
Your checkpoint
A logged error-analysis spreadsheet from two practice exams plus a written test-day strategy sheet
Milestones
Week 2: Score 70 percent or higher on a Domain 8 self-quiz and demonstrate one complete work plan with assignable tasks
Week 3: Correctly categorize at least 16 of 20 indicators as process, impact, or outcome
Week 4: Pass the halfway mark with domains 8, 1, 4, and 7 outlined and their key terms self-quizzed at 70 percent or above
Week 6: Produce both deliverables from weeks 5 and 6 and score 70 percent or higher on a mixed 40-question set from domains 2, 3, 5, and 6
Week 8: Achieve 75 percent or higher on both practice exams with no single domain below 65 percent