Examination Development
PES works closely with your organization to design a tailored Examination Development Plan. Focusing on industry best practice in item development, examination construction, and standard setting, PES designs an examination development plan to meet your current needs as well as your long-term, strategic objectives.
Item Development
Based upon the examination development plan, PES creates an item development plan to ensure that a sufficient number of items are developed and banked annually to support your examination construction and item pre-testing objectives. PES will also advise on topics—tasks and KSAs—where item writing should be concentrated.
PES provides training to item writers and reviewers, as well as ongoing feedback and guidance during the item development process.
PES coordinates the submission and initial review of draft items through a web-based electronic item development system. The PES system - which is designed around item writing best practice - enables item writers to develop draft items, submit items for review and feedback by designated item reviewers, and revise items based on feedback from reviewers. The system also offers item writers access to a range of customized item writing resource materials.
Finally, PES guides your organization through a formal process to review and validate draft items, and make final decisions regarding their inclusion in the item bank. This item review and validation process can be conducted through a face-to-face meeting or virtually. The process is designed to maximize productivity and quality of examination items.
Examination Construction
PES designs an examination construction plan that includes recommendations on the following:
- Equating methodology
- Statistical criteria for selecting items for inclusion on an examination form
- Number of examination forms to be developed and published annually
- Size and number of and pre-test blocks to be developed and published annually
- Percentage of item overlap between forms of the examination within and across examination administration cycles
- Percentage of operational items replaced across examination administration cycles.
With an examination construction plan in place, PES assembles draft examination forms and pre-test blocks based on the test specifications, with a view to averting redundancy and/or overlapping content. PES then guides your organization through a formal process to review, revise, and approve draft examination forms and pre-test blocks. This examination construction process can be conducted through a face-to-face workshop or virtually. Additional levels of review can be accommodated.
Standard Setting
PES is adept in the application of the most widely accepted standard setting methodologies for the purpose of establishing the cut-score for your credentialing examination, including the modified-Angoff, Direct Consensus, and Book Mark methods. PES will work closely with your organization to determine the method, timing, and setting (i.e. face-to-face vs. virtual meeting) for standard setting.
