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State exam office endorses NBCE and readies California law exam changes
Summary
OPES found the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) meets psychometric standards for California licensure and outlined implementation steps for the new California Chiropractic Law Examination (CCLE) based on a 2024 occupational analysis.
The Office of Professional Examination Services (OPES) told the board Aug. 1 that its review of national testing and a 2024 California occupational analysis supports continued use of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) tests and updates the state law exam the board administers.
Amy Welch Gandy, OPES director, and test specialist Ganesh Kumar described a three-part national exam review: a psychometric evaluation, a linkage study comparing national and Californian practice analyses, and a determination of how well national and state examinations together cover California practice. OPES concluded the NBCE sections “meet psychometric standards” and recommended continuing to require NBCE components as part of California licensure.
“OPES supports the board’s continued use of the NBCE examination as part of licensure requirements in California,” Amy Welch Gandy said during the presentation.
OPES also described work on the California Chiropractic Law Examination (CCLE), which the office develops. Test specialists said OPES completed a California occupational analysis (OA) in 2024. The OA was sent to all licensed California chiropractors and drew a higher-than-typical response: staff reported distribution to roughly 10,325 licensees and 338 completed responses used for analysis (about a 3.3% raw response but larger effective dataset after data cleaning). OPES staff described that process as unusually extensive for a profession-specific OA.
Ganesh Kumar outlined steps OPES will use to update the CCLE: develop an outline from the OA, recruit diverse subject-matter experts (SMEs) to write and review items, pretest items in scored forms to collect statistical performance data, and set passing scores using a criterion-referenced method (currently the modified Angoff method). OPES said the updated CCLE outline will be implemented on examination forms starting in September 2025.
Board members pressed OPES on SME composition and confidentiality. OPES staff said their policy discourages but does not strictly bar board members and educators from SME panels because some national tests include board members; OPES asks for transparency if board members participate. The department’s policy also restricts board members from reviewing scored exams because of past confidentiality breaches. OPES said it will add sample CCLE items to the candidate handbook for the first time to help candidates prepare.
Board members expressed support for OPES’ work and appreciation for the OA’s scale and SME participation; several members noted the new CCLE will add a specific professional boundaries subsection that was not previously included.
Why this matters: The board depends on psychometrically valid exams to determine who may practice safely. OPES’ endorsement of the NBCE and its plans for the CCLE shape licensure pathways and candidate preparation, and the September 2025 CCLE timeline establishes near-term operational actions for licensing staff and test administration.
Ending: OPES will continue item development, monitor pretest performance, and consult SMEs for passing score setting; board staff and OPES will post sample CCLE items in candidate materials before live administrations.
