Testing and Examinations

The community responsible for licensing occupations and professions is large and diverse. Among others, it includes agency administrators and other staff, board members, testing experts, attorneys and the candidates themselves. All of these groups need a solid basis in the fundamentals of a fair examinations process.

CLEAR Exam Review

For over three decades, CLEAR’s Examination Resources and Advisory Committee members have shared their expertise with this community. The most enduring of these contributions is a semi-annual publication, CLEAR Exam Review. CLEAR Exam Review is a bi-annual journal with useful discussions of current licensing examination issues and is geared toward a general audience. CLEAR members receive CLEAR Exam Review free of charge. Nonmembers may purchase issues for $15.

Glossary of Regulatory Terminology

The glossary provides definitions for words and phrases commonly used in the field of professional and occupational regulation. By design it is limited in scope to broad definitions, and aims to assist meaningful conversations between international regulators. This project was initiated by the International Relations Committee of the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation (CLEAR), whose members include regulators from the United States, Canada, Qatar, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Suggest a new term or revised definition

Innovative Assessment Formats

This list of resources related to innovative assessment formats was developed for use by psychometricians involved in assessment formats.  Some are new formats, while others focus on what is NOT a multiple-choice question.   Other examples include a new twist to an older item type or assessment process, e.g., a constructed response or essay question evaluated by a computer grading system (a new approach) or a computerized drag-and-drop item format delivered with a new twist now called "drag and place.”  As another example, Standardized Patients or OSCEs, while not exactly new formats, are being used in perhaps new, more precise ways with video-monitored testing centers.

Members-only Access

Evaluating Exam Providers

This tool can be used to assist regulatory administrators in evaluating the performance of exam providers. The following questions/topics may be used by regulatory administrators to evaluate the performance of a testing company at the conclusion of a contract, periodically within a contract, or during the selection process for a new testing company.

Members-only Access

Licensing Exam FAQs

This list of FAQs was compiled by CLEAR's Examination Resources and Advisory Committee. Expand a topic and click a question to see ERAC's response.

We have completed a job or practice analysis and used the results to develop test specifications for our examination program. How do we use this information to develop valid examinations? 

Test takers want to have as much information as possible about their performance on an examination. Despite what information an organization provides, test takers generally will ask for more.  How is information best provided, and what information should be included?

I would like a reference for a clear, practical application of test equating methodology. Is there a step-by-step application of equating to a sample data set, including formulas and equations?

We use a criterion-referenced methodology when establishing the passing score for our examination. The result from applying this methodology is that the actual passing score varies from examination to examination. What is the best way to explain the variation?
We know that a practice analysis should be performed to identify the subject matter that should be included in our examinations, but the results generate a multitude of statistical data. What is the best way to use the results of the practice analysis in constructing the test specifications?

Webinar Recordings

Previous webinar topics related to testing and examinations are available for purchase in CLEAR's store.

Podcast Episodes

Regulation Matters: a CLEAR conversation - podcast episodes are free to access and listen