The questions are reviewed and validated by at least three other subject matter experts, and have at least two verifiable references. Examination Development Created by randomly selecting the appropriate number of items from each content area, the examination is reviewed by home inspectors for technical accuracy and psychometric validity. Examination Review and Revision Revised each year, the National Home Inspector Examination continues to be a valid measure of candidates abilities. All items from previous versions of the examination are carefully reviewed and statistically analyzed, and inappropriate or questionable items are either revised or omitted from future examinations. Another important characteristic in determining the quality of an examination concerns how reliable, or consistent, the examination is.
Reliability is an index of how accurately the examination measures the candidate s skills.
Most statistical calculations of reliability estimates range from 0 to 1, with 1 indicating perfect reliability. Coefficients above .70 meet minimum standards. A high reliability estimate for an examination, like that of the National Home Inspector Examination, is generally considered by most authorities to be .80 or above. Determination of the Passing Standard Finally, a high-quality examination must have a defensible passing score, determined in a systematic and reasonable way rather than arbitrarily. This technique is currently considered by the testing profession to be one of the most defensible criterion-referenced methods available for setting passing points.