[IPAC-List] promotional exam strategy

[Winfred Arthur, Jr.]

well, at one level it is really a test design and development issue, 
right?  specifically, if the exam [pool of 500 items] adequately samples 
from and represents the content domain as defined, then by "studying the 
exam", one would indeed be studying the content domain [i.e., they are 
in effect one and the same].  that is indeed the sampling-based 
definition of content-related validity, no?

- winfred


On 6/29/2011 7:58 AM, Glen Morry wrote:

> Hi Ramona -

> From a candidate's point of view it is reassuring to see all the 

> potential questions that could be asked. Less test anxiety (and more 

> focused preparation) might result in elevated exam scores, but I 

> wonder if this "spoon-feeding" could disproportionately favour weaker 

> candidates? Does one's actual exam score matter - i.e. are the results 

> applied "top down", or is it just pass-fail? What's the overall pass 

> rate and what proportion of candidates eventually get promoted...?  I 

> guess it is as much a matter of managing candidate pools (and 

> candidate expectations) as it is a psychometric issue!

> If candidates had all the test items in hand, then most will just 

> study to those, and disregard anything else (although 500 items is a 

> lot to digest). At the RCMP we publish previous exams, and we find the 

> same sort of thing - candidates overly rely on preparing to these 

> questions, rather than to the actual content we want to test for. If 

> the ultimate goal is to ensure that candidates know _all_ the 

> P&P well, then a simpler strategy would be to just list the specific 

> policies and procedures that will be covered by the exam.  

> This involves a whole lot less work on your part, and arguably 

> would produce similar benefits!

> Since this is essentially a generic province-wide promotional exam, do 

> the participating police forces also supplement this with testing 

> involving questions directly related to their own force's policies and 

> procedures, municipal by-laws etc?  If so, do they use the same 

> testing strategy, with candidates using a question bank to prepare?

> Glen

> *Glen Morry

> *Senior Advisor, Executive Development

> Executive/Officer Development & Resourcing

> Royal Canadian Mounted Police

> 73 Leikin Drive,

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