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Association of Test Publishers;
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Institute for Credentialing Excellence;
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American Educational Research Association;
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National Council on Measurement in Education;
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American Psychological Association.
NBCOT’s test administration and development procedures also follow sections of the Uniform Guidelines for Certifying Agencies that are relevant to their certification. The Board is accredited with both the American National Standards Institute and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. Both oversee NBCOT’s adherence to their specific standards for assessments like the practice analysis studies. Having met all required standards, NBCOTA- constructs both the COTA and OTR certification exams using both scored and non scored items. Once the studies are complete and the exam content outlines developed, NBCOT selects the areas for the exams from the outlines. The areas tested are in proportion to the percentages established for each area in the outlines. Each of the scored questions are then field tested and developed into the actual exam. Then, a group of subject matter experts reviews and validates the exam. This group’s primary task is to ensure that the exam matches the current practice in the field for entry level occupational therapists. Subject matter experts are also asked to develop any new domains, tasks, or knowledge statements that they feel are missing. Both the survey group and these subject matter experts are recruited according to the accreditation standards of the NCCA. These standards define the demographic makeup of the subject matter experts. The group must represent the actual breakdown of practitioners by ethnicity, practice experience, gender, and geographic region.
ITEM DEVELOPMENT As the group develops the exam one item at a time, there is a responsibility to ensure fairness. It is the job of NBCOT to make sure the exam is readable. They must ensure 12
