Certification Testing

Since its founding in 1951, HumRRO has provided services related to the design, development, use, and analysis of personnel and occupational tests and assessments. An estimated 85 percent of HumRRO's projects involve job analysis and/or testing to meet a variety of needs. The requirements for developing a certification program are very similar to those for traditional selection tests; thus, HumRRO's increased involvement in this arena over the past decade has been a natural evolution.

 

Certification testing is typically a voluntary process in which individuals are recognized for advanced knowledge or skill. This differs from licensure, which is most often a government requirement necessary to practice a particular profession or occupation. Both licensure and certification testing grant a designation to indicate an individual's competence, and therefore usually require testing of knowledge and skill as well as evaluation of education and/or experience.

 

The methodology HumRRO generally uses to develop a certification program involves the following steps: job analysis, test design, test development, scoring, and provision of individual candidate feedback. Other steps, such as candidate processing and test administration, are parts of the certification process with which HumRRO generally does not become heavily involved. Several formats are typically used in certification testing. Often the exam will have a multiple-choice component to test job knowledge. In some cases, ratings of performance may be collected using a job simulation exercise. Oral and practical exams are also common when there is a need to test skills and abilities that are not assessed well in a written format. Eligibility and recertification criteria are also considered components of the certification process, and thus must be developed based on the profession's job requirements.

 

HumRRO selects testing formats that best meet the overall goals of the certification process. Thus, although computer-based tests are becoming more popular for this purpose, the decision to use such technology must be made based on whether or not it is the most suitable and practical method of administering the assessment.

HumRRO has helped a number of professions build their certification programs from bottom to top, as well as redesigning and improving those already in existence. For example, one of our initial certification efforts was a 10-year project for the Army to assist in the development and implementation of a system to annually certify the job performance of enlisted soldiers. Certification included a written multiple-choice test, a series of work sample tests, and supervisor task ratings. The program was developed to cover approximately 190 Army jobs, each with three skill levels. This work earned HumRRO recognition from the American Psychological Association for its outstanding contribution to the field of performance testing.

 

HumRRO's longest-term certification client is the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS), for which we provide examination development, administration, scoring, and score interpretation services. ACVS's certification process includes a multiple-choice written test, an oral exam, and a practical exam. HumRRO also has completed a job analysis to validate that the test content continues to measure critical job knowledge and skills, given ever-changing treatment options and evolving technology in the field.

 

We also have worked with the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA), which had an existing certification program for nursing home administrators. We helped ACHCA expand this program to include assisted-living and subacute administrators, with one core and three specialty written exams that correspond to specific job environments (i.e., nursing home, assisted living, or subacute).

 

In addition to those mentioned previously, HumRRO provides ongoing certification, technical consulting, and administrative services to the following organizations and associations: the Association of Legal Administrators, the American College of Healthcare Executives, the National Automated Clearinghouse Association, the National Private Truck Council, the National Board of Certification for Community Association Managers, the Girl Scouts of the USA, and the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners.