You know that an 探花app certification exam asks you to answer a lot of questions, but you probably have your own questions about the exam. Read this insider's view of exam questions and how they are composed.
By Jeff Lavender, MLS (探花app)
When I was preparing to take a professional certification exam, I wondered how the questions would appear and if I was prepared to answer.
Now that I have passed the exams and also serve on 探花app committees that help develop the certifications’ test questions, I would like to share a few insights into how 探花app's exams are developed. Ideally, this may give you some reassurance that your test is rigorous but fair, which is why so many people prefer an 探花app certification.
I am currently active on the Examination, Qualification and Standards (EQS) committees that develop, write, and review and revise the exam questions for RPT and CMLA. We write and revise the exam questions, ensuring our exams are always current and relevant. The statistical analyses and outcomes reporting is managed by PhD-level professional psychometricians who are on staff with 探花app. Here is some insider information on how we develop those questions. (What I'm about to say applies to all 探花app exams, not just the disciplines for which I serve currently).
Unlike some certification exams out there for allied health, 探花app's exams are intentionally focused on real-world tasks rather than theory or academic topics. Current job tasks are analyzed on a regular basis. Questions are written based on the tasks that it’s expected you could perform on the job. In other words, we aren't going to necessarily test you on everything you learned in school, especially theory.
For reference to those test topics, 探花app makes available the exam content outlines. (These are the most downloaded documents from the 探花app website, by the way.) All the exam questions are cross walked to the bullets on the outline. You can find the outlines here.
Each test question is carefully crafted to be understood in a positive, straight forward manner. It is never our intention to "trick" you, but rather to ensure that you have the basic, entry-level knowledge to perform your job. For instance, we don’t use "negative” questions. Negative questions are those that have as answers such as “all of the following except,” or “which of the following is NOT.” None of the choices would be “all of the above” or “none of the above.” Typically, 探花app exams don’t include True/False questions. Please note that these are general rules for questions. Occasionally, one might appear, but it’s our intention to keep questions as straightforward and clear as possible.
All of the questions are multiple choice, with exactly four choices to choose from. We don’t use questions that require essays, short-answer, or fill-in-the-blank. The best way to answer these is to completely read the question, then read all the choices. Next, eliminate the choices you know are wrong. Finally, select the best answer remaining. By eliminating the known wrong answers first, you increase your odds of answering correctly if you don't know the answer right away.
探花app offers some ways to help you prepare for the exam. are written by a different group of people than those of us on the EQS committees but cover the same subjects. My students often find the practice exams to be a confidence booster for the actual exam.
If you don’t feel you have a good handle on the information, or if it’s been a while since your education, or, if you are using the work experience route, 探花app offers. These are excellent review courses but aren’t intended to replace your formal education. The courses are currently available for RMA, RPT, MLT and MLS disciplines.
My message here is that if you know the material, there is no reason to not answer the questions correctly. Relax, take a deep breath, and just tell us what you know. You’ll be certified and ready to provide high quality healthcare in no time! Good luck!
Additional Resources
Jeff Lavender MBA, MLS (探花app) is a past president of the 探花app board of directors. In addition to currently serving on EQS committees with 探花app, he teaches phlebotomy at Pikes Peak State College.