Whether alternative scoring strategies result in improved measurement properties of patient management problems (PMPs) was studied. Nine scoring systems (proficiency, efficiency, select, omit, data gathering, therapy, absolute, goal-oriented, and empiric expert score) were applied to 16 PMPs used in a certifying examination taken by 4,590…

Articles in this special issue attempt to address the most significant aspect of certification and licensing testing programs: validity. Although construct validity has become the prevailing model, the theoretical formulation of the construct of competence remains a topic of considerable debate. (SLD)

This study of the nursing examination for licensure in Michigan shows how adverse impact may be used as a legally mandated, quantitative tool to assess selection procedures in nursing and other health professions. (Author/CM)

The Bayesian approach to setting passing points on credentialing examinations in the health fields is considered in the context of the Normal model, and examples are given to demonstrate the procedure. An application to a credentialing examination, to determine a rational passing point, is presented. (Author/MH)

Five papers on outcomes assessment and management in health care services are presented. The papers illustrate the different stages of outcomes assessment, including identification and selection of indicators, monitoring and pooling of data, description of variations and identification of problems, analysis of variations, and feedback and results.…

Several continuing competency programs, such as mandatory education and periodic review of licensing, and recent experiments in selective performance evaluation are reviewed. A review of the literature and an Ontario experiment provide data concerning program efficacy and the use of a positive reinforcement independent peer review process. (TJH)

Issues associated with incorporation of computerized test development and administration into licensure of health professionals are discussed. Specific issues covered include reporting of test procedures and results, computerized test administration, open-book testing, and the impact of regulation. (TJH)

Credentialing examinations have been relatively immune from legal attack based on allegations that the examinations lack validity. The extent of the present legal obligation to demonstrate the validity of credentialing examinations is analyzed in three areas: (1) the Civil Rights Act of 1964; (2) the Constitution; and (3) antitrust laws.…

Three professional associations, the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education, jointly adopted the new "Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing" in 1985. The relationship of these to earlier standards is reviewed, and implications…

The Clinical Skills Assessment Form, a 12-item rating scale used for assessing the clinical skills of pediatric candidates during their final clinical examination, is described. The structure, reliability, and concurrent validity of the scale are analyzed. Further research using the scale is outlined. (Author/AL)

Examinations were analyzed using the Rasch model to determine differences in judge severity and grading period stringency for (1) essay examination (subjects were 12 judges and 32 examinees); (2) clinical examination (subjects were 18 judges and 217 examinees); and (3) oral examination (subjects were 46 judges and 270 examinees). (SLD)

To address the issues associated with testing standards, sets of context-setting variables and technical matters associated with standard-setting are presented to assist groups or committees desiring to set standards in a systematic way. (Author/CM)

Possible interpretive arguments for licensure and certification test scores are examined, and evidence to support each type of argument is analyzed. Particular attention is given to a competency-based argument that involves a sequence of inferences from test scores to statements about competence and then to conclusions about expected performance.…

An agenda for research on standards for professional licensure and certification examinations is outlined. The relationship between scores and standards is explored, and major classes of standards are described. Topics for future research are discussed in the areas of judgment basis, process efficiency, group effects, and content and expertise…

Job relevance and adverse impact are major validity concerns relative to credentializing examinations. This article recommends that examination blueprints utilize a competency model based on: (1) job functions assigned; (2) level of expertise expected given the content and resources available; and (3) specific context and situation in which the…