NCEES Press Release

[Administrator]

NCEES Principles and Practice (PS) Exam will become a closed-book exam in April 2013.

See attached press release.

[land butcher]

Their reasons LOL

[shaunb]

well, can't say that I'm overjoyed about going in to a closed book exam now, but I guess it is what it is.

going to be difficult to figure out what to make sure i study.

guess I'll be one of the guinea pigs on the new format like many were on the state exam this year.

Should prove interesting

[E_Page]

One of the measures of a professional is not what he or she is able to recall off the top of their head, but knowing where and how to find the best answers to the questions presented to them.

IMO, this is a stupid direction for the NCEES to go. It is not in the best interest of the profession, and certainly not in the best interest of protection of the public by ensuring that only those with a professional level of knowledge become licensed. It does not consider the actual role or qualification of the licensed professional, but is being done almost exclusively in consideration of costs.

An exam administered and graded by computer is cheaper than one administered and graded by a team of real live people.

An exam that offers a list of possible answers, only one of which is correct by the grading plan is not only easier to administer, but is more "defensible" than one in which the candidate actually has to fully assess a presented situation, and not only provide answers to the questions posed, but demonstrate sound reasoning by explaining it. It is too subjective, just like real practice, and open to challenge by the failures, thereby making the exam too expensive to defend.

By not allowing materials in, far fewer procters will be needed to keep an eye on things to ensure that no one is snapping pictures of the screen or downloading exam content to a flash drive.

But then, the materials that examinees are bringing in are not on electronic reading devices and flash drives, they are printed and bound materials.

Bad, bad, bad. The NCEES and the states following along are moving us to be a math based technical trade.

[land butcher]

well said Evan.

[BeachBum]

Total agreement with you Evan.

Question - is this for the National portion only, or will this be the case for the CA State Specific too?

[land butcher]

I see the tests going the way of API worksafe. If you are not familiar with API it's a big money maker for API but costly to employers. The test is completely computerized. It's divided into sections of 4-5 questions each and you need to answer at least 3 correctly to pass that section. If you fail the section you have to retake that section and the questions are different. Now I don't see that happening but I think the following might already be in place. The computer has a bank of numerous questions for each section and assigns them randomly. 2 people taking the test next to each other at the same time are not getting the same questions. And the test can be taken anywhere anytime, and you print out your certification card.

I foresee the LS tests set up the same way, only having to go to a testing center to take a closed book test. Hundreds of questions in the computer bank assigned randomly and graded by computer and your pass/fail letter computer generated. All professionalism removed and basically the same as a RE test or Contractors test. And people think a 4 year degree is needed for that.

And if the State exam is already that way, no reason not to offer a second exam date this year.