Leadership

Waiting for Your Certification Results: Understanding Statistical Equating and Key Validation

By Amanda Meekins, MHA, CPMSM, CPCS

The Certification Commission of NAMSS (CCN) often receives queries about the time between the end of the certification testing window and the release of exam results. During this time, many candidates are anxiously waiting approximately six to eight weeks for the online report portal to email their results.

Between the end of the testing window and the release of exam results, the CCN coordinates processes called statistical equating and key validation. Statistical equating and key validation are vital parts of the test development process that verify the accuracy and consistency of exam responses. While this process takes some time, it ensures that the scores from the various test forms used during each testing window are comparable and any difference in difficulty between the test forms can be interpreted on the same scale. Following the closing of the testing window, our testing vendor reviews each exam and identifies individual exam question, known as items in test development, to be further analyzed by the CCN.

Examples of why an item might be identified for closer review include:

• A high number of candidates choose the incorrect answer.
• Many candidates who successfully passed the exam choose the same incorrect answer.
• An item did not perform as expected, based on historical statistics for items used on a previous form.

For those items identified for review by a CCN member, at a minimum, determines the following:

• Has the item been correctly keyed?
  • A CCN member checks to be sure the key (correct answer) has been correctly identified in the testing system and that there is only one correct option.
• Is the reference for the item current and correct?
  • A CCN member reviews all associated references to ensure they are up to date and correct.

While the wait time between the end of the testing window and the release of the exam results can be challenging for testing candidates, the statistical equating and key validation process is to each candidate’s advantage. Both statistical equating and key validation minimize scoring errors, maintain fairness, and uphold the integrity of each exam. Understanding this process can increase a candidate’s confidence in the accuracy of the results and reduce the anxiety related to potential scoring errors.

If you are interested in learning more or volunteering to participate in CCN exam development activities, please visit the CCN Exam Development Volunteer Application link and complete the form. Applications are accepted year-round, and volunteers are contacted as activities are scheduled based on need and expertise.

Amanda Meekins, MHA, CPMSM, CPCS, is the NAMSS CCN Communications and Outreach Chair and director of medical staff services at St. John’s Health.