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OPES explains California exam rules: occupational analyses, Section 139 and how national exams are reviewed
Summary
The Office of Professional Examination Services briefed LATC on required five-year occupational analyses, how OPES reviews national exams for California practice under Business and Professions Code Section 139, and how state supplemental exams are developed and scored.
The Office of Professional Examination Services (OPES) told the committee the legal and professional standards that guide licensing examinations in California and explained how OPES works with boards to validate national and state-specific exams.
Karen Okasich, Research Data Supervisor II, said California requires licensing examinations to be developed under Business and Professions Code Section 139 and that the law mandates "examinations must be based on a current occupational analysis." Section 139 requires that boards conduct occupational (practice) analyses approximately every five years to identify the tasks and knowledge required of entry-level practitioners.
Okasich and Brian Knox, Research Data Analyst II, described OPES's process: subject matter experts with diverse practice backgrounds review draft task and knowledge statements; OPES then surveys practitioners statewide about frequency and importance of tasks; a second SME group reviews results and finalizes the examination blueprint and weighting. "The occupational analysis is a study of the profession designed to identify the important tasks that new licensees must be able to perform safely and competently at the time of licensure," Knox said.
OPES also performs national-review linkages. For national exams used by California boards, OPES conducts a psychometric evaluation of national occupational analyses and testing processes, holds an SME workshop to compare the national OA with California practice (a "linkage study") and determines whether a California supplemental examination must cover gaps. Okasich said OPES last audited the national exam relevant to LATC in 2023 and expects to review it again within a few years.
On setting passing scores, OPES described criterion-referenced methods and the modified Angoff procedure now used for the California Supplemental Exam (CSE). "It is not taking into account minimum competence," an OPES presenter said of fixed-percentage approaches; OPES recommends criterion-referenced methods that map to the occupation's minimum competency standard.
OPES described item development practices: SME item writing, separate SME item review, pretesting (unscored items) to gather performance statistics, exam construction using the occupation blueprint and a formal passing-score setting process. The committee asked how regulatory changes between five-year analyses are handled; OPES said boards must notify OPES of changes and OPES will work with the board to phase-in any exam content changes and inform candidates.
No policy action was taken; OPES said it will work with LATC on the next California occupational analysis and on periodic national reviews.
