Volunteer Opportunities

Item Writing

Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will receive training on Item Writing Best Practices, including:

• Anatomy of a Question: SMEs will learn to distinguish between the stem (the question), the key (the correct answer), and the distractors (the plausible but incorrect options).
• Psychometric Standards: SMEs will learn how to avoid "clues" that help test-takers guess the answer without knowing the material.

Once trained, SMEs will be tasked with writing items based on the credential exam blueprint. The blueprint is an outline of the exam which divides the profession into domains and includes a percentage for each domain based on its importance and frequency.

Every item written must be backed by a credible, up-to-date reference that has been approved for use. SMEs will have access to the references and will not be responsible for bringing them. Items will be drafted in a secure item bank system. Write questions, or items, for the exam test bank.

Item Review

Once items have been drafted, they will go through a rigorous review process. A group of SMEs will review all items written. This may happen during the item writing process or as a separate meeting.

The most critical step in the review process is ensuring the correct answer (the "key") is the best answer based on the approved reference/source. Reviewers may feel the need to check the provided references for confirmation.

The reviewers will also analyze the distractors (plausible incorrect options). There must only be one correct answer. If it can be argued that a second distractor could also be correct under certain circumstances, the distractor is either edited or replaced.

The wording of an item and its distractors is often refined until the group reaches a consensus that the item is fair and accurate. The group will also consider if the items are inclusive and free of regionalisms, jargon or cultural biases that could unfairly disadvantage certain candidates. 

By the time the item is finalized for pre-testing as an unscored item on the exam, it has been scrutinized by multiple SMEs.

Form Assembly/Review

An exam form is essentially one specific "version" of the exam. A form is a precise selection of items that follow the blueprint and the weights for each domain. This ensures that no matter which form a candidate receives, it is the same balance of knowledge areas. 

A psychometrician will select a set of items from the approved bank that perfectly match the exam blueprint. Then, the SMEs will review the items on the form in its entirety. SMEs will be looking for the following red flags:

Cluing, sometimes referred to as identifying enemies, refers to the process of identifying if there are any items that inadvertently give away the answer to other items. For example, if Question 5 asks about the definition of a protocol, and Question 22 describes how to use that same protocol, a smart candidate will use Question 22 to answer Question 5.

Redundancy. To ensure the same concept is not being tested in several different ways during the same exam.

When items are identified as cluing other items or are redundant, they are replaced until the group is satisfied that the exam if fair and accurate.

Flagged Item Review

Once the exam has been administered to candidates, a post-administration review is performed by a psychometrician. If an item is "flagged" by the psychometrician because of its statistics, SMEs must perform a review of those items. 

An item may be flagged because the statistics indicate the item is too easy or too difficult. Another example is if candidates who failed the overall exam got a specific question right, but the higher performing candidates got it wrong.

SMEs will review the item to see if there is a typo, if the "correct" answer was coded incorrectly, there is another distractor that may also be correct or if the industry has changed so rapidly that the answer is no longer true. The SMEs will decide if the item is fundamentally wrong or if it should be retained.

Education Development and Review

Identify and develop educational opportunities and professional development

Ethics and Professional Conduct Committee

Issues opinions regarding the interpretation and application of the Code of Professional Conduct, oversees investigations, and rules on cases involving alleged violations, maintaining strict confidentiality, oversees investigations, and rules on cases involving alleged violations, maintains strict confidentiality

Professional Development and Education Committee

Conducts review and advancement of professional development and educational offerings for both disability management specialists and case managers to support certification and recertification

Certification Services Committee

Regularly review all programs and services consistent with The Commission's™ mission and resources; recommend the continuation or modification of current programs; review new program or service proposals and recommend those to be accepted, and recommend the institution of major program revisions