Information for candidates

CLEAR Exam Review (Winter 1993)
Eric Werner, M.A.

Question: We administer a performance test and are divided on how much information to give candidates before the exam. In the past, we have distributed a very brief description of each of the three test parts; the statement that each must be passed for licensure; a list of the equipment needed at the test; the location and schedule of administration; and not much more. some board members believe that "less is more," in that candidates will be more motivated to prepare themselves if they are not given much information about the test. Others of us question this position. Any advice?

Answer: Yes. Less is less, unless it results in more trouble for a licensing board. Your exam is a legally assured opportunity for candidates to be heard with respect to their preparedness for licensure. They should be provided with sufficient information to demonstrate the extent to which they have mastered the knowledge, skills, and abilities that the test purports to measure. What is sufficient? This question is addressed in the draft of a document titled Development, Administration, Scoring and Reporting of Credentialing Examinations: Recommendations for Board Members, Soon to be published through CLEAR's Examination resources And Advisory Committee. It is also dealt with in Principles of Fairness: An Examining Guide for Credentialing Boards, a Document being developed jointly by CLEAR and NOCA. A Third source is NOCA's Guidelines for Nonwritten Examinations, published in 1991. According to those sources, a candidate bulletin or handbook should:

• Specify the time, place, and other logistics of test administration;
  

• Describe the examination content in sufficient detail to help candidates prepare for the examination (for example, a content outline showing subjects to be tested and the weight of each within the total examination);
  

• Reveal the kind of performance expected as well as the equipment, materials, and other resources (e.g., mannequins or models) to be provided by the testing agency or supplied by the candidate;
  

• Describe the examination format and procedures;
  

• Give several samples or descriptions of questions or problems of the sort to be included in the examination;
  

• Discuss the length and timing of the examination;
  

• Outline scoring procedures and specify the level of performance required to pass the examination;
  

• Inform candidates of the procedures to be followed in reporting examination results to them; and
  

• Publicize the testing agency's commitment to the American's with Disabilities Act and inform candidates with disabilities of their rights and responsibilities in connection with receiving reasonable accommodations.

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