A Year in Review: Our Top 5 Certification Articles of 2019

As we wrap up 2019 and look back on some of the highlights of the year, we've compiled a roundup of our top blog posts in the certification and testing space. Whether you enjoyed these posts the first time around or you haven't gotten to read them yet, here's your chance to check out our most-viewed blog posts of 2019. Happy New Year!

5. Four Measures That Improve Test Security

As testing professionals, there are fundamental ways we can catch and prohibit cheating. In the first of a two part series on test security, Kevin Jolly, PSI's Director of Global Quality, Training, and Security, discusses some of the more traditional methods that can mitigate candidate misconduct, such as proctor training, test center security, and best practices for communicating your exam policy. These actions not only improve test security, but also preserve the value of the certification program and maintain a positive experience for the test takers. 

4. Using Innovative Data Forensics To Improve Test Security

Forensic analysis involves scientific tests to detect the occurrence of a criminal act. Locard’s principle on forensic evidence is summarized by the mantra “Every contact leaves a trace.” While generally discussed in terms of physical evidence left by contact points of people at the scene of a crime, we can likewise state that when people interact with tests and test questions in abnormal and fraudulent ways they are likely to leave traces of their acts, occurring as irregularities in their answer choices, score patterns, and response times.

In the second article in our two part series on test security, Nicole Tucker, Director of Scoring and Analytics at PSI, digs deeper into the innovative practices behind data forensics in the psychometric context, and how this behind-the-scenes technique can detect traces of behavior that may indicate misconduct by one or more test takers.

3. Recertification in 2019: Key Trends

Recertification can take on many forms and serve different purposes. More and more innovative activities are being implemented, especially where traditional recertification practices were being challenged, and stakeholders are asking for new approaches to address changing expectations.

To get closer to a shared understanding of purpose and utility of recertification, we need to think about how recertification can further the goals of credentialing and how new methods can help us achieve those goals even more effectively. In this article, Amin Saiar, Ph.D., PSI's VP of Psychometrics. recaps two sessions he presented at the ATP Innovations in Testing conference on this very topic. 

2. Getting Beyond "It Depends:" How To Get The Best Response From Your Psychometrician

There are some funny (but true) quips about questions, answers, and the nature of truth in measurement. For example: “A man with two watches never really knows what time it is.” Or this one: “Ask two psychometricians a question, and you’ll get at least three opinions.”

If you're a psychometrician yourself, you get it. Or, if you work with psychometricians, you probably have experienced this when you ask a psychometrician a simple question, and the answer is “it depends.” In this blog post, Danny Breidenbach, PhD, and PSI's Director of Psychometrics, explains why this is the common answer, and how to get the most out of your conversations with the psychometricians with whom you work.

1. The Psychology Of Test Fraud

There are multiple theories about dishonesty – is it down to nature, nurture, opportunism? Opinions are often conflicting, but what everyone does seem to agree on is that the reasons why people try to break the rules are both complicated and varied.

Kerry Williams, VP of eAssessment as PSI, explains that some people may be more predisposed to test fraud than others. In her blog post, she explains the best ways organizations and examining bodies can ensure that tests are secure, robust, consistent, and fair.