Certification

After the examination has been administered, HTCC’s testing consultant/psychometrician executes a detailed statistical analysis of the performance of each item (question). The data from the analysis, along with candidate comments, are reviewed item-by-item by HTCC to determine if any question might be flawed (e.g. no clear correct answer, more than one correct answer). Flawed items, if any, are adjusted by accepting 2, 3, or all 4 of the choices as correct responses. HTCC engages in this process to ensure that no candidate is penalized by the presence of a flawed item.

HTCC strives to bring the latest industry standards to our testing program. Every examination form uses a unique combination of questions from the question bank, so that no two test forms are identical. Although each test form is designed to fairly assess the knowledge and skills that are required for the proficient practice of hand therapy, the overall level of difficulty may fluctuate slightly among test forms as the difficulty of the questions on the test may fluctuate. To compensate for these potential minor fluctuations, a process known as “equating” is used to statistically analyze each test form and adjust its passing score as necessary.

Equating ensures that candidates of comparable knowledge and skill will receive comparable pass/fail decisions on the examination regardless of which form of the test they take. Thus, no candidate will be penalized for taking a form of the examination that turns out to be more difficult than another form of the examination, and no candidate will be given an advantage by taking a form of the examination that is less difficult. The end result is that all candidates have an equal and fair opportunity to receive a pass/fail decision on the examination that accurately reflects their knowledge and understanding of hand therapy.

In addition to equating, another statistical procedure called scaling transforms raw scores to "scaled scores." Comparison of test scores from one test form to another would be difficult if raw scores were used because the raw passing score on each form varies. Thus, in order to compare test scores across forms, a uniform frame of reference is used. Scaled scores ensure that the reported scores on different forms of the examination have the same meaning. Transforming raw scores to scaled scores is similar to transforming a temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius.

PLEASE NOTE THAT A SCALED SCORE IS NEITHER THE NUMBER OF QUESTIONS YOU ANSWERED CORRECTLY NOR THE PERCENTAGE OF QUESTIONS YOU ANSWERED CORRECTLY. Your results will be reported as a scaled score, on a scale ranging from 0-99 points. The passing score for the Hand Therapy Certification Examination is 75 points.