Technical Advances in Credentialing Examinations

Over the last 15 years, many technical advances have been made in measurement theory and practice that should influence the methods used for constructing credentialing examinations in the health professions. Thepurpose of this article is to describe several of these technical advances, notably criterion-referenced testing, item response theory, and computers and testing. Several remaining problems concerning the development and validation of credentialing examinations are also considered.

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