Competency-Based Certification Project. Phase II: Examination blueprint.

Abstract

This is the second of three articles explaining the C.A.M.R.T.'s Competency-Based Certification Project--an effort to make the certification process more job-relevant. The first article (August 1994 Journal) explained the job analysis process used to specify and validate the list of duties and tasks of entry-level medical radiation technologists, the imaging and treatment procedures they perform, and the equipment they use. This article discusses how the results of the project's job analysis will help determine the content of the certification process. It explains the work involved in reviewing the C.A.M.R.T.'s examinations and summaries of clinical experience in the context of competency-based evaluation and the job analysis validation in each discipline. The resulting "examination blueprint" will become a key document for persons involved in the C.A.M.R.T.'s certification process. This article briefly describes the examination blueprint's components and related concepts. The third and final article of this series will examine the development of assessment standards for certification examinations and summaries of clinical experience.