Stephanie Jungsjung@hpra.ca416-923-2324 x 365Regulatory Process SpecialistHuman Resources Professionals Association

Thomas Callitsistcallitsis@hpra.ca416-923-2324 x301Exams CoordinatorHuman Resources Professionals Association

Office of the Registrar2019 Spring How-To webinar series

Thursday, March 22, 2019 Let’s Talk Exams

Friday,March 29, 2019

The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Requirement Explained

On-demand webinars

• Our previously aired regulatory and how-to webinar series can be found on the Regulatory Webinars page of our website

• Listen to recording• Download the power point slides• View the Questions & Answers

5

Housekeeping

• Webinar will be recorded and posted online• This webinar is NOT eligible for CPD• We will post the transcript of the Q&A online afterwards with the

webinar

Questions Involving Specific Individual Circumstances• This webinar is not the appropriate place and time to address specific

individual circumstances• Sometimes the correct answer depends on details that are not

provided with the question• Please contact the Office of the Registrar registrar@hrpa.ca with

questions involving specific individual circumstances

Poll 1

Have you written an HRPA exam before? Yes No

Poll 2

Do you intend to write an HRPA exam in the next year? Yes No

Poll 3

If you are planning to write an HRPA exam in the next year, which one? Comprehensive Knowledge Exam 1 (CKE 1) Comprehensive Knowledge Exam 2 (CKE 2) CHRP Employment Law Exam (ELE 1) CHRL Employment Law Exam (ELE 2)

Agenda

Part 1• Exam quality• How are the exams developed?• How is the cut-score set?• Why does the cut-score vary from one administration to the next?• Is there anything I can do if I miss the cut-score by one point?• Who gets to see the exams?• What is the best way to prepare for the exams?• Accommodations

• There are technical standards for certification exams

• HRPA exams meet or exceed all technical standards for certification exams

• We wouldn’t have it any other way

Agenda

Part 2• Who does what with respect to exams

• Exam Validation Committees and their role• Why does HRPA delegate the development and scoring of the exams

• Overview of CKE1, CKE2 and CHRP/CHRL Employment Law Exams• Exam Development process

• HRPA’s Competency Framework• Test specifications and blueprint

• Post exam analysis• Key validation• Angoff and Equating• Compensatory and non-compensatory scoring• Approval of pass mark process

Who does what with respect to examsOffice of the Registrar Staff

• Office of the Registrar staffI. Claude Balthazard, CHRL – VP Regulatory Affairs & RegistrarII. Stephanie Jung – Regulatory Process SpecialistIII. Thomas Callitsis – Exams Coordinator

• Manage the exam registration & administration process• Release of exam results

Examination Vendor – Computer-Based Testing

• Prometric – www.prometric.com• Exam delivery via computer-based testing• Management of test centres and exam invigilation• Delivering on exam accommodations

To schedule your exam, please visit: www.prometric.com/hrpa

Note: you cannot schedule your exam with Prometric until you have paid and registered for your exam with HRPA.

Contracting out of exam development and scoring

• In Ontario, the exams are prescribed pursuant to statutory authorities delegated to HRPA

• HRPA has contracted with Wickett Measurement Systems to provide psychometric services in relation to the developing and scoring of the exams

• This is because of the technical nature of exam development and validation

• HRPA remains fully responsible and accountable for the exams that are developed and scored by Wickett Measurement Systems

Exam Committees

CHRP Exam Validation Committee – (CKE1 and ELE1)Exam item validationKey validation and approval of the pass markApproval of exam blueprint

CHRL Exam Validation Committee – (CKE2 and ELE2)Exam item validationKey validation and approval of pass markApproval of examination blueprint

Note: Ad hoc activities include: item writing and item review

Comprehensive Knowledge Exam

Comprehensive Knowledge Exam (CKE 1) Comprehensive Knowledge Exam (CKE 2)• Valid for the CHRP designation only • Valid for CHRP and CHRL designation(s)• 3 ½ hours in length • 5 hours in length• 175 questions, 150 scored items • 250 questions, 225 scored items• 20-30 experimental items (non-scored) • 20-30 experimental items (non-scored)• 4-option multiple choice format • 4-option multiple choice format• Delivered via computer-based testing • Delivered via computer-based testing• Compensatory scoring • Non-compensatory scoring

https://www.hrpa.ca/hrdesignations_/Pages/CKE1-CKE2-Comprehensive-Knowledge-Exam.aspx

Note: Meeting the Coursework Requirement is the same for both the CKE 1 and CKE 2

CHRP and CHRL Employment Law Exams

• 3 ½ hours in length• 110 questions, 100 scored items• Items are a mix of independent and case-based 3-option multiple

choice questions• Delivered via computer-based testing• Candidates have access to relevant legislation in PDF format• Compensatory scoringhttps://www.hrpa.ca/hrdesignations_/Pages/CHRP-CHRL-Employment-Law-Exam.aspx

HRPA Competency Framework

• The HRPA’s Competency framework is the body of knowledge for which the CKE 1 and CKE 2 is based upon

• The competency framework is used to develop exam questions• 9 functional domainsStrategyProfessional PracticeOrganizational EffectivenessWorkforce planning and Talent ManagementLabour& Employee RelationsTotal RewardsLearning and DevelopmentHealth Wellness and Safe WorkplaceHR Metrics Reporting &Financial Management

Test Specifications

Blueprint for the CKE 1 and CKE2:https://www.hrpa.ca/hrdesignations_/Pages/CKE1-CKE2-Comprehensive-Knowledge-Exam.aspx

Blueprint for the CHRP/CHRL Employment Law Exam:https://www.hrpa.ca/hrdesignations_/Pages/CHRP-CHRL-Employment-Law-Exam.aspx

Exam Development Cycle

Item Writing

Editorial

Item Review

Validation

Admin #1

Admin #2

Admin #3

Annual Report

Exam Administration Flow

Post Exam Analysis – Key Validation

• Scoring of the exams is a multi step process• Data extraction

• Data is sent to a secure ftp site.• Each candidate has an XML file that contains all their test information.

• Form taken• Responses• Comments on each question (if applicable)• Post-Exam Survey question responses

Post Exam Analysis – Key Validation

• Data cleaning• Remove outliers• Need homogeneous population to avoid skewed metrics.• Candidate comments.• Post-Exam Survey

Post Exam Analysis – Key Validation

• Key Validation• Difficulty and discrimination• Exam Validation Committee (EVC) reviews items to determine which will not

be used for scoring• Too easy• Too difficult• Poorly discriminating• Candidate comments

• The EVC decisions are considered final and the remaining items (150 for CKE 1, 225 for CKE 2, and 100 for ELE) will be used to score candidates

Angoff and Equating

• Periodically, standard setting is conducted using the Modified Angofftechnique

• EVC plus others• Establish the minimum expected performance• Assess every test item as to how well that ‘borderline’ candidate will perform

• Equating is used otherwise.• Fairness is paramount• No matter when an exam is taken, equal chance of passing if same ability• Adjusts for differences in exam difficulty

Angoff Standard Setting and Equating

• Using some common items across test forms, can evaluate if a group of candidates is of the same, lower, or higher ability

• If higher ability, more should pass• If lower ability, fewer should pass

• Using performance of all items relative to the common items, can evaluate if exam form is of the same difficulty, easier, or harder

• If the exam form is easier, the pass mark should go up• If the exam form is harder, the pass mark should go down

• Using established statistical techniques, a precise adjustment to the pass mark is calculated

Compensatory and Non-Compensatory ScoringCompensatory Scoring Non-Compensatory Scoring• Based on one total score because a candidate can

make up for poorer performance in one domain with better performance in another.

• The CKE 1, ELE 1, and ELE 2 are scored using a compensatory system. Pass/fail decisions are made based on a total

score only

• Based on candidates demonstrating sufficient performance in several domains because doing well in one domain will not make up for poorer performance in another domain.

• The CKE 2 is scored using a non-compensatory system. Candidates must pass based on a total score and

based on their score in each of the 9 functional areas

This is done to reflect the greater emphasis placed on sufficient competence in every functional area for CHRL candidates

Regardless of method, scoring is done based on items approved by the Exam Validation Committee and using equating to establish thresholds.

Approval of Pass Mark Process

• Whether equating or Angoffing is used to establish the pass mark, the Exam Validation Committee reviews it

• If they are comfortable that the process used to establish it was sound, they will recommend it to HRPA for final approval

• Once approved, all candidates are scored against the pass mark (and against the individual functional area thresholds for CKE 2 candidates), and pass / fail decisions are made

• Several confirmatory checks are made to verify the accuracy of the computed scores and they are then provided to HRPA

Questions

Suggestions for webinar topics?Feedback?registrar@hrpa.ca