Job Analysis and the Specification of Content for Licensure and Certification Examinations

Abstract Although practice analysis (i.e., job analysis) serves as the primary source of evidence supporting the validity of scores from licensure and certification exams, there is surprisingly little consensus in the measurement community regarding suitable methods for conducting job analyses and translating the results into test plans. In the first half of this article, I review general approaches to job analysis and consider methodological issues related to sampling and the development of rating scales used to measure and describe a profession or occupation. In the second half of the article, I evaluate the utility of different types of test plans and describe both judgmental and empirical methods for using practice analysis data to help determine the content, structure, and category weights for test plans. I conclude the article with recommendations for research and practice.