Certification Exam Changes FAQ
Exam Composition and Length
Q: Why is RACC reducing certification exams from 250 to 200 questions?
A: RACC conducted a psychometric and statistical study reviewing factors such as reliability, content validity, time allocated to complete the exam, etc. The results indicated that an exam consisting of 200 questions is appropriate for the CRA, CFRA, and CPRA exams.
Q: Is it easier to pass the examination with 200 questions?
A: Based on the results of the psychometric and statistical study which RACC conducted, an exam with 200 questions is not easier nor more difficult to pass than an exam with 250 questions.
Q: Will the percentage of questions in each exam’s domain sections remain the same?
A: Yes. Please refer to each exam’s Candidate Handbook and associated Body of Knowledge document for more information.
Q: What is a pretest (pilot) question?
A: A pretest (pilot) question is a newly written or recently revised testing question. By pretesting (piloting) the question, it allows RACC to gather and review psychometric/statistical data on the question to see how it performs. RACC can then decide whether to use the question on future exam forms.
Q: Do pretest (pilot) questions count toward my score?
A: No. Pretest (pilot) questions do not count toward a candidate’s score.
Q: Why is RACC using pretest (pilot) questions?
A: When new questions are developed, they have no statistical history. A pretest (pilot) question allows RACC to obtain psychometric/statistical information to screen questions for fairness and general performance. By pretesting (piloting) a question, RACC can ensure a fair examination process.
Q: Will I know which questions are pretest (pilot) questions?
A: No. Pretest (pilot) questions are randomly distributed throughout the exam and are not identified.
Q: What is an exam form?
A: An exam form is comprised of specific questions assembled into a single set of test questions. Each certification candidate may receive a different exam form (i.e., a different set of questions) than other candidates. The CRA, CFRA, and CPRA each may have multiple exam forms.
Exam Scoring
Q: What is scaled scoring?
A: Scaled scoring is a certification industry best practice for reporting scores. Scaled scoring converts a candidate’s total number of correct answers (also known as raw scores) onto a consistent and standardized scale. Scaled scores allow candidate scores to be comparable from one exam form to the next.
Q: How are differences between exam forms addressed?
A: Candidates are assured fairness when exam form difficulty varies by a statistical process called equating.
Q: Do other exams use scaled scoring?
A: Scaled scoring is used on many other standardized exams evaluating a candidate’s knowledge and skills such as the ACT, SAT, GRE, GMAT, MCAT and LSAT.
Q: What is equating?
A: Equating procedures account for the difficulty of each exam form and adjust the passing score as needed so that the same level of candidate performance is reflected in the passing score regardless of the difficulty of the exam form. This ensures candidates that a score for an exam taken on one date would be the equivalent to a score taken on another date. Candidates who happen take a slightly easier exam form are not given an unfair advantage and candidates taking a slightly more difficult exam form are not penalized.
Q: What score must I get to pass an examination?
A: Candidates must achieve a scaled score of 500 to pass a RACC certification exam.
Q: How many questions must I get correct to past the exam?
A: The actual number of questions a candidate must answer correctly may vary depending on the difficulty of the exam form the candidate receives.
Q: Will I receive my raw score?
A: No. Candidates will receive a scaled score between 200 and 800.
For any questions on these changes, please contact us.
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