Certification Development & Maintenance
Job Analysis
A Job Analysis is conducted to identify and validate the knowledge and skills which will be measured by the examination. The results of the Job Analysis will serve as the basis for the examination. The Job Analysis is conducted with a third-party psychometric partner and includes a scientific survey of industry professionals, certificants, and others engaged in HVAC system cleaning. The analysis focuses on the knowledge, skills, and abilities of a competent candidate.
The Certification Council has determined that a Job Analysis will be conducted every 5 years. This determination is based on the frequency of substantive changes in the field and compliance with standards for professional certification programs.
Examination Specifications
The content for the examination is determined based on the recommended content outline and content area weights developed following each Job Analysis. It's important to note that the content areas or domains of NADCA's certification exams are not represented equally through the test form regarding the number of questions as well as the point value of each question within any given domain.
Item Writing and Review
Item writing and review activities are typically conducted every two years. Item writers and reviewers are required to complete item development training prior to writing and/or reviewing exam items. Following the training session, item developers are granted access to the online item development portal. All item development activities will be facilitated and monitored by the psychometric vendor.
Once items have been written by trained Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), they will be reviewed by an SME panel and the psychometric testing consultant.
Examination Assembly & Approval
Draft examination forms are assembled by the psychometric consultant to meet the exam specifications and reviewed and approved by an SME committee appointed by the Certification Council. The draft form(s) will meet the requirements of the test specifications with respect to content and weighting.
Establishing a Passing Point
The passing point for the exam is established using a criterion-reference technique. Qualified and trained SMEs participate in determining the passing point working with the psychometric consultant. The process used to determine the passing point is documented as part of a cut score study report. A standard setting study is conducted following completion of each Job Analysis study.
The final SME-recommended passing point from this process is approved by the Certification Council. Any modifications to the recommended passing point are documented.
Specific methodologies for establishing the passing score for exams and ensuring test forms are equivalent are selected and documented by the psychometric consultant based on compliance with national accreditation standards.
Equating
Each assembled form must meet the requirements of the exam specifications and exhibit form-level statistical characteristics within range of the tolerance threshold. In addition to conformance to the form-level statistical characteristics for the base form, each assembled form must exhibit a cut score equivalent to the base form.
Test Analysis Reports
Performance statistics are calculated and retained for each exam. Test analysis are conducted by the Certification Council’s selected psychometrician.
If statistical or other technical analysis reveals testing irregularities, the Certification Council may cancel or invalidate exam scores and offer a retest attempt to affected candidates. If further investigation of results reveals that disciplinary action may be warranted, the Certification Council will complete the investigation and review following the process outlined in the Disciplinary Policy.
Documentation
All examination development activities (including job analysis, item development, test form assembly, cut score studies, equating, and test/item analysis) will be documented in formal exam development reports by the contracted testing agency.
Appeals
Applicants who are notified they do not meet the eligibility or recertification requirements may request reconsideration of this decision by sending a written notice of the appeal to the Executive Director within 30 days of communication of the adverse decision. The Executive Director will forward the notice to the Certification Council for review.
The Certification Council will review the applicant’s information and make a final decision regarding initial or recertification eligibility. No new or additional information may be submitted with the request. The request will be reviewed within 45 days of receipt. Written notice of the final decision will be sent to the applicant within 30 days of the review.
The Certification Council may appoint a sub-committee or Review Committee for the purpose of reviewing reconsideration requests and making final determinations regarding disposition of the requests.
Candidates who fail the exam and believe irregular testing conditions were a contributing factor may file a request for reconsideration to the Certification Council. Examples of irregular testing conditions include a medical or personal emergency during the testing session, testing vendor technical issues such as computer malfunctions or power outages, and other significant test site disruptions.
All requests must be made in writing and emailed to the Executive Director no later than 7 days after the receipt of the exam score report. All requests must describe the suspected error or problem and the requested remedy. The Certification Council will review the information, consult with the testing vendor when necessary, and make a final decision within 30 days of receipt. The decision of the Certification Council shall be final.
Disclaimer
The Certification Council does not endorse any one method of preparing for a certification exam. No one single publication, training course or reference guide will prepare a candidate on its own without other supplemental materials.
It is strongly recommended that prior to taking any certification exam, candidates review the recommended reading materials listed in the Candidate Guide and prepare themselves with self-guided study. Please note: The ASCS and CVI training courses do not teach to the exam. Candidates should not expect to earn a passing score simply by attending a NADCA training course.