Licensure Tests Research Articles

The relationships between teachers’ professional competence licensure test, teachers’ competence, and students’ academic performance in Ethiopia: mixed research

The relationships between teachers’ professional competence licensure test, teachers’ competence, and students’ academic performance in Ethiopia: mixed research

Consistency between inter-institutional panels using a three-level Angoff-standard setting in licensure tests of foreign-trained dentists in Sweden: A cohort study.

Licensure exams play a crucial role in ensuring the competence of individuals entering a profession, thereby safeguarding the public and maintaining the quality and integrity of the profession. In Sweden, dentists educated outside the European Union seeking to practise dentistry must undergoa re-certification process. The re-certification process includes a theoretical examination where pass marks are set using a three-level Angoff method. This study aimed to determine the consistency of the Angoff ratings using independent panels at two Swedish universities. Two cohorts of panellists were included in the study: one reference and one external. The reference panel was responsible for rating the upcoming theoretical examinations in the proficiency test, which were used to set the pass mark. The external panel, recruited from a dental school at a university in another region in Sweden, provided ratings after the examinations. Three examinations during 2019-2020 were included in this study (267 items in total). There was a strong correlation (ρ ≥ 0.70, p < .001) between the ratings of the two independent panels, with no significant differences in item ratings across the full exams, dental disciplines, and professional qualifications analysed. This suggests that the three-level Angoff method reliably produces similar standards for assessing the competence of the minimally qualified dentist across different institutions. The expectations of the minimally qualified but still acceptable dentist were comparable between the two independent panels across the three theoretical examinations explored. The alignment between the panels indicates valid, reliable standards across institutions, despite the independent syllabi of the two study programmes. However, while there is an alignment, differences in ratings remain. Consequently, involving multiple institutions in future standard-setting processes could help ensure that the standards reflect a broader range of educational practices, supporting the credibility of licensure examinations.

Detecting the Impact of Remote Proctored At‐Home Testing Using Propensity Score Weighting

Studies of test score comparability have been conducted at different stages in the history of testing to ensure that test results carry the same meaning regardless of test conditions. The expansion of at‐home testing via remote proctoring sparked another round of interest. This study uses data from three licensure tests to assess potential mode effects associated with the dual option of on‐site testing at test centers and at‐home testing via remote proctoring. We generated propensity score weights to balance the two self‐selected groups in order to detect the mode effect on the test outcomes. We also assessed the potential impact of omitted variables on the estimated mode effect. Results of the study indicate that the demographic compositions of the test takers are similar before and after the introduction of the RP option. Examinees under the two testing modes differ slightly on certain background variables. Once the group differences are adjusted by propensity score weighting, the estimated mode effects are small and nonsystematic across test titles overall. We note some variations across subgroups based on gender and race.

Selected demographic variables as predictors of Ghanaian preservice teachers’ perceptions of the teacher licensure test

This study examined Ghanaian preservice teachers’ perceptions of the newly introduced teacher licensure test in 2018. Data were obtained from an online survey of third-year preservice teachers selected from 16 of 46 public colleges of education in Ghana. By adapting an existing instrument, we created an 11-item scale, which was theoretically categorised into five components: utility of the test, college preparation, consequences, emphasis on the test, and other certification tests. The participants’ scores on each component were regressed on four predictor variables: information about the test, the student’s sex, prior teaching experience, and programme of study. The results showed that students’ sex was predictive of the utility of the test, college preparation, and emphasis on the test. Prior teaching experience was also predictive of the emphasis placed on the test and the need for other certification tests. Preservice teachers’ exposure to information about the test was associated with their perceptions of the utility of the test, the need for college preparation, and the use of other certification tests. Implications for teacher preparation and education are discussed, especially in relation to the identification of alternative certifications.

Road Users in Road Traffic Fatalities in South Africa: Challenges and Effective Responses

Approximately 1.3 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes (World Health Organization, 2022). Furthermore, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 years, with more than half of all road traffic deaths occurring among vulnerable road users: pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. Young people pose a significant risk on the road globally, including in South Africa, where negligent driving is prevalent, putting other road users at risk of fatalities. Road traffic fatalities are a pressing issue for road traffic authorities in South Africa, with increasing numbers of fatalities. The inability of young people to adhere to road rules contributes to this high rate of road traffic fatalities. This article focuses on the challenges associated with young road users in road traffic fatalities and employs a qualitative methodology drawing on a wide range of secondary sources. It further utilizes findings from around the world to address these challenges. The research identifies key steps to prevent road traffic fatalities among young people, including strengthening law enforcement, conducting road safety awareness campaigns, combating corruption at driving license testing centers, and ensuring licenses are awarded based on competency rather than corrupt practices.

Direct MRI-guided In-Bore Targeted Biopsy of the Prostate: A Step-by-Step How To and Lessons Learned.

Multiparametric MRI-the most accurate imaging technique for detection of prostate cancer-has transformed the landscape of prostate cancer diagnosis by enabling targeted biopsies. In a targeted biopsy, tissue samples are obtained from suspicious regions identified at prebiopsy diagnostic MRI. The authors briefly compare the different strategies available for targeting an MRI-visible suspicious lesion, followed by a step-by-step description of the direct MRI-guided in-bore approach and an illustrated review of its application in challenging clinical scenarios. In this technique, direct visualization of the needle, needle guide, and needle trajectory during the procedure provides a precise and versatile strategy to accurately sample suspicious lesions, improving detection of clinically significant cancers. Published under a CC BY 4.0 license Test Your Knowledge questions for this article are available in the supplemental material.

A Taiwanese pharmacy graduate-oriented questionnaire reveals higher confidence and self-evaluation in Pharm.D. graduates

Background: Pharmacy education reform in Taiwan began with the publication of a White Paper on Pharmacy Education in Taiwan (WPPET), leading to the introduction of six-year Pharm.D. programme in local schools. However, there's still diversity in educational goals among domestic pharmacy schools, and education recipients' perspectives are unreported. Methods: An education receivers-oriented, web-based questionnaire was employed to assess self-evaluated confidence and competency in pharmacy practice, adherence to WPPET, and opinions on pharmacy education reform, as well as the ideal pharmacy education. Results: A total of 458 responses were valid and included in the final analysis. Pharm.D. graduates showcased higher levels of confidence, self-evaluated competency, and overall satisfaction with their education compared to B. Pharm graduates. The direction for pharmacy education reform centred on course integration and advanced competency accreditation. Most respondents favoured retaining the national license test and introducing a new B. Pharm-based programme with choices for advanced capstone courses. Conclusion: This study implies the successful Pharm.D. programmes implementation aligned with WPPET. Future research should focus on course integration and advanced competency accreditation. A flexible, localised system providing diverse education options for recipients appears to be the most favourable.

Becoming Woke by the ASWB Pass Rates: A Closer Look at Racial Inequities in Social Work

ABSTRACT There has been widespread outrage within the social work profession regarding racial disparities in pass rates of licensing exams developed and administered by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB). The most supported remedy has been to eliminate testing for some categories of licensure with Connecticut, Illinois, and Rhode Island leading the way. Standardized testing has historically been a gatekeeping practice criticized for its exclusionary nature with no empirical evidence linking it to more competent mental health and other social work practice. Thus, the profession is correct in questioning an exam’s relevance in social work regulation. However, the licensure test has become a lightning rod issue preventing more substantive analyses, debate, and antiracist reforms within the profession’s policy, practice, and education arenas. This article uses the disparity in ASWB pass rates as the impetus for a more critical look at systemic issues in social work adversely impacting Black individuals entering the profession. The authors acknowledge that an anti-racist agenda in social work requires tackling long-standing problems that will not be as easily solved as eliminating multiple choice testing.

Assessing Licensure Test Performance and Predictive Validity for Different Teacher Subgroups

We investigate the predictive validity of teacher licensure tests using data from the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL). MTEL scores predict teachers’ in-service performance ratings and contributions to student test scores (i.e., value added). We then explore whether these relationships vary for teacher candidates of color. Although candidates of color have lower first-time pass rates and are less likely to retake licensure tests, we do not find consistent evidence that MTEL scores are less predictive of student achievement gains. Finally, we find that some evidence that MTEL scores are more predictive of teacher performance ratings for teachers of color than for White teachers.

The item position effects in international examinations: the roles of gender.

The goal of the present study was to evaluate the roles of item position in terms of item difficulty levels in the assessment of aptitude. Using data from a National Examination in Saudi Arabia, the item position effect was evaluated as a teacher licensure test (GTLT) was administered using five different forms with the same items appearing in a different order. Results indicated minuscule in magnitude position effects estimates, overall, with initially 11.1% of the tests being significant but all of them failing to reach significance using the Holm-Bonferroni's and Sidak corrective procedures. With regard to gender, item position effects emerged in 47.6% of the tests after adjusting the level of significance using the Sidak correction. Interestingly, the direction of effect was consistent so that in 87% of the significant gender comparisons, item position effects were in the direction where females were spending more time on items when they appeared in later positions on the test compared to males. Assuming that items appearing later on the test are likely more difficult, the present findings suggest a profile of deep processing and active engagement in females when facing achievement tests.

Analysis on Validity and Academic Competency of Mock Test for Korean Medicine National Licensing Examination Using Item Response Theory

The national licensing examination is used to evaluate the medical competency at the time of graduation, however no study has been performed on the validity of traditional Korean medicine license examination yet. The purpose of this study was to develop learning analytics using item response theory (IRT) to examine the validity and academic competency of the mock test of the national licensing exam. Classical test theory and IRT were used to evaluate the validity of test items, and IRT was used for test validity and competency analysis. The correlation between competency score of 12 subjects was analyzed using Pearson’s correlation. The distribution of students’ latent competencies was examined by gender and administrative group using a Kernel density map, Latent Profile Analysis, and χ&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;. The guessing parameter of 340 items was relatively high, and the information level of 12 subjects were relatively low. Significant correlations (r = 0.49–0.83, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.05) were observed between the competency scores of total and 12 subjects. Two (high and low) latent academic competency groups were identified based on the competency score of 12 subjects. The low academic competency group requiring intensive management has a significantly higher frequency of male students with the experience of academic fail in the seven-year course. This study presented the quantitative learning analytics for the national licensing exam of traditional Korean medicine. The multifaceted item and test validities of the mock license test were provided, and an evidence-based approach to competency-based student management and national licensing exam of traditional Korean medicine was suggested.

CTE Teacher Licensure and Long-Term Student Outcomes

AbstractWe use longitudinal data from Massachusetts that link high school course-taking records in career and technical education (CTE) to postsecondary student outcomes to provide the first empirical evidence linking characteristics of CTE teachers to later student outcomes. We find that CTE teachers who received better scores on subject performance tests required for licensure tend to have students with higher longer-term earnings than CTE teachers who received lower scores on these tests, controlling for other factors. Specifically, we estimate that a 1 standard deviation increase in teacher performance on these tests is associated with about a $1,000 increase in average expected earnings for the teacher's students five years after their expected graduation date, controlling for licensure test area and observable differences between students.

Trends in Licensure Examination Success Among Psychology and Teacher Education Graduates

The study delved into identifying trends in the licensure examination pass rates at Rizal Technological University, Philippines, for the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LEPT) from 2010 to 2019 and the Psychometrician Licensure Examination (PLE) from 2014 to 2019. Since data mining was used in this study, there was no data collection using a specific instrument. The study used the quantitative trend analysis method, which typically focuses on counting or gauging and requires acquiring and analyzing numerical data. The results of the study show that pass rates have changed over time. The results of this study's examination of the ten-year duration in the LEPT suggest that results have varying percentages, comparable to the outcomes of the study's review of the six-year period in the PLE. The study's findings indicate that the retakers' performance significantly impacted the outcomes of both exams. The General Weighted Average (GWA) of the licensure test years included in this study falls below the passing rate of 75% in the areas tested for both license examinations. Professional Education is the area that requires the most emphasis for LEPT, whereas Industrial Psychology is the area that requires the most attention for PLE. The study's findings help explain the dynamics of licensure examination patterns and provide insight into how policymakers, educators, and industry leaders may work together to improve pass rates.

A semantic segmentation-based collision recognition method for motorcycle slalom through poles in Motorcycle Driving License Test

Motorcycles are one of the most important means of transportation. For traffic safety, most countries require drivers to pass the Motorcycle Driving License Test (MDLT). The traditional MDLT relies on manual assessment, leading to expensive labor costs, inconsistent test standards, and unsupervised processes. Therefore, the intelligent MDLT for automatic assessment becomes an urgent need. This paper proposes a collision recognition method using semantic segmentation for motorcycle slalom through poles in the intelligent MDLT. The method identifies the pole and calculates the pole angle change according to the real-time video provided by the on-site camera. A collision between the motorcycle and the pole is recognized when the pole angle change is larger than the preset value. Specifically, we propose a Fast Flow Alignment Module (FFAM) to improve the efficiency of the semantic segmentation network. Then we build a lightweight semantic segmentation network using FFAM. Finally, we design a post-processing method to calculate the angle change value of the poles. Extensive experiments on a newly collected dataset of slalom poles demonstrate that our proposed network achieves a state-of-the-art trade-off between segmentation accuracy and inference speed: 77.6% mIoU and 167 FPS. Moreover, our post-processing method can accurately identify the pole angle with an error within ±0.1°. Our method is an essential component of the intelligent MDLT, which is fast, accurate, and has been successfully applied in many cities. Our video demo is shown at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjE3Imne240.

Admission Criteria as Predictors of Licensure Performances among Graduates of a State University in the Philippine Cordillera Administrative Region

Proficiency in licensure examinations has emerged as a foundation of pride for graduates and an attraction for potential students to higher education institutions (HEIs). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to uncover the admission criteria that confidently predicted the licensure performance of graduates of a state institution in the Philippine Cordillera Administrative Region. This study used correlation research and 654 randomly selected graduates of Ifugao State University (IFSU) who took and eventually passed their licensure tests. The records of the university registrar and the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) were the primary sources of data. To comply with research ethics and standards, written permission from university officials was obtained. The mean, standard deviation, and frequency were used to describe the descriptive variables. Multiple regression analysis was utilized to identify the significant set of predictors of license performance per licensure examination. A stepwise procedure was used to select the best model. The study concludes that the performance of graduates in the fields of agriculture, criminology, and teacher education in their respective licensure examinations can best be predicted by their high school grade point average and admission test scores, whereas the performance of graduates in the field of forestry in their licensing exam is best explained by their performance in their secondary education curriculum.&#x0D; &#x0D; Received: 25 August 2022 / Accepted: 20 October 2022 / Published: 5 November 2022

Three Sources of Validation Evidence Needed to Evaluate the Quality of Generated Test Items for Medical Licensure

Issue: Automatic item generation is a method for creating medical items using an automated, technological solution. Automatic item generation is a contemporary method that can scale the item development process for production of large numbers of new items, support building of multiple forms, and allow rapid responses to changing medical content guidelines and threats to test security. The purpose of this analysis is to describe three sources of validation evidence that are required when producing high-quality medical licensure test items to ensure evidence for valid test score inferences, using the automatic item generation methodology for test development. Evidence: Generated items are used to make inferences about examinees’ medical knowledge, skills, and competencies. We present three sources of evidence required to evaluate the quality of the generated items that is necessary to ensure the generated items measure the intended knowledge, skills, and competencies. The sources of evidence we present here relate to the item definition, the item development process, and the item quality review. An item is defined as an explicit set of properties that include the parameters, constraints, and instructions used to elicit a response from the examinee. This definition allows for a critique of the input used for automatic item generation. The item development process is evaluated using a validation table, whose purpose is to support verification of the assumptions related to model specification made by the subject-matter expert. This table provides a succinct summary of the content and constraints that were used to create new items. The item quality review is used to evaluate the statistical quality of the generated items, which often focuses on the difficulty and the discrimination of the correct and incorrect options. Implications: Automatic item generation is an increasingly popular item development method. The generated items from this process must be bolstered by evidence to ensure the items measure the intended knowledge, skills, and competencies. The purpose of this analysis is to describe these sources of evidence that can be used to evaluate the quality of the generated items. The important role of medical expertise in the development and evaluation of the generated items is highlighted as a crucial requirement for producing validation evidence.

Self-efficacy, uncertainty and anxiety among nursing graduates in response to licensing test postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed-methods study.

AimTo examine the relationships between self‐efficacy, uncertainty and anxiety among nursing graduates waiting for a mandatory nursing licensing test that was postponed due to the COVID‐19 pandemic.MethodsA total of 352 graduates of nursing education programs participated in this mixed‐methods study. The data were collected using an online questionnaire in June 2020.ResultsThe participants demonstrated high uncertainty and anxiety and low self‐efficacy towards the ability to succeed in the licensing exam. Graduates, who started working, reported lower uncertainty. Self‐efficacy, uncertainty, gender and family status contributed significantly to the explanation of 24% of the variance of the anxiety. The qualitative analysis revealed three themes: (a) emotional distress, cognitive challenge and social implications, (b) consequences for significant others and (c) strengthening of professional values and norms.ConclusionsA significant crisis like a pandemic is accompanied by acute cognitive burden and stressful emotional experiences and creates an unconventional situation that requires unusual solutions. Granting a temporary permit for employment as a nurse following the postponement of a licensing test contributed to the ability of nursing graduates to cope with the situation. Policies to deal with similar situations in the future emergencies should be developed and implemented.

Linking Social Work Licensing Exam Content to Educational Competencies: Poor Reliability Challenges the Path to Licensure

Purpose: There has been increasing interest in the academy to assist social work graduates to become licensed which is likely to grow as the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) cites licensure pass rates as a post-graduation outcome required for accreditation by newly adopted standards. This study determines the ability of academics to reliably link Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities statements that are the bases of licensure tests with the CSWE competencies in the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). Methods: Four full-time faculty members at two institutions conducted an interrater reliability analysis on practice tests to determine the extent to which licensure questions could be consistently linked to EPAS competencies. Results: Study findings indicate weak reliability between social work licensure examination questions and CSWE EPAS competencies. Conclusion: Lack of consistency threatens the path to licensure and may explain why graduates of accredited programs lack the requisite knowledge to become licensed.

Young drivers’ perception of hazards: Variation with experience and day versus night

Young novice drivers have a relatively high crash risk for several years following initial licensing, and while all drivers are at greater risk at night, the night-time increase is greater for inexperienced drivers. Poor hazard perception has been identified as an important contributor to inexperienced drivers’ risk, but research on day-night differences in hazard perception for drivers varying in experience is lacking. This exploratory study investigated the nature of hazards reported by young inexperienced drivers versus more experienced and slightly older drivers. Hazards were not pre-identified by researchers; participants were simply provided with a general definition of ‘hazard’. Analysis focused on how experience level affected qualitative differences in the kinds of hazards reported, with particular focus on day-night differences.The 53 participants ranged in driving experience from learners through to 5+years post licensing, and in age from 16 to 30 years. They viewed 14 day- and night-time video clips of a diverse range of driving situations, pausing the video whenever they identified a hazard and then explaining why they had paused it at that point. Their responses were recorded. Content analysis of responses showed that more experienced drivers reported visibility-related hazards significantly more often than inexperienced ones, and significantly more so at night. They also commented significantly more on hazards related to tight bends in the road and significantly less on hazards concerning compliance with rules. Comments tended to be fewer with higher vehicle speeds, particularly for the least experienced drivers.Results are discussed in terms of how experience-related differences in drivers’ cognitive schemata and mental models are likely to affect hazard perception and crash risk, particularly at night. Some implications for driver training and license testing are suggested.

Score Comparability Issues with At‐Home Testing and How to Address Them

AbstractAs a result of the COVID‐19 pandemic, at‐home testing has become a popular delivery mode in many testing programs. When programs offer at‐home testing to expand their service, the score comparability between test takers testing remotely and those testing in a test center is critical. This article summarizes statistical procedures that could be used to evaluate potential mode effects at both the item level and the total score levels. Using operational data from a licensure test, we also compared linking relationships between the test center and at‐home testing groups to determine the reporting score conversion from a subpopulation invariance perspective.