Who Writes the Exam Questions?
The ABA uses a multiple-choice question format, which is the "gold standard" of the certification industry. It also is the most objective and reliable indicator for measuring the mastery of professional subject matter. Exam questions are drafted by current ABA certificants who volunteer. Each question must test something found within the comprehensive practice analysis and be referenced by at least one published text.
ABA certificants who draft test questions are called Subject Matter Experts, or SMEs. SMEs are current audiologists who work in a variety of clinical settings of varying size and complexity. SMEs receive special training to write test questions and then volunteer their time to develop them. These draft questions are then checked and revised by a second group of ABA certificant reviewers before being validated and ultimately added to the live question bank for pre-testing. These additional questions are being pre-tested for future use in certification exams. About 40% of draft test questions will eventually become questions found on an ABA specialty exam, and each year approximately 25-30% of the exam's content is changed.
There is only one best correct answer for each test question, and all information needed to answer the question is presented to candidates. There are no "trick" questions. ABA specialty certification exam questions are based on best practices and are supported by professional literature.
