Late Additions

The Birth of a Certification Exam

On November 12 in Philadelphia, pharmacists from all practice settings will sit for the first certification exam in geriatric pharmacy practice. Many applicants are wondering: What will the exam look like? How was it developed? We contacted the Commission for Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy (CCGP) to find out.

"The exam will consist of 150 multiple-choice questions assessing knowledge and skill in areas ranging from data collection and care planning to therapeutic monitoring, disease management, and quality improvement," CCGP Executive Director Michael Martin explained.

The exam that will be used in Philadelphia was developed by a 12-member Examination Development Committee of geriatric pharmacy educators and practitioners under the guidance of CCGP testing contractor Applied Measurement Professionals (AMP). Last month at CCGP headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, the committee gathered to fine-tune and finalize the 150-item exam.

The committee also conducted a "cut-score" study to help CCGP determine an appropriate passing score. "This was achieved through a modified Angoff procedure, a criterion-referenced method of defining a minimum skill level," Martin explained. "Using this Angoff technique, the expert panel arrived at a definition of a minimally competent CCGP candidate."

In the next stage of the cut-score study, committee members were asked to project the expected performance of a hypothetical minimally skilled candidate on each of the 150 exam items. "The individual ratings of each panelist were pooled and averaged to arrive at an average passing score," Martin said. "Next, the ratings were analyzed for degree of variability, which permits a determination of appropriate confidence intervals within which the actual passing score will reside," Martin said. "Based on that range of acceptable scores, CCGP will determine the appropriate cut-off for passing and failing scores."

Following administration of the first exam, the difficulty of future exams will be maintained through "equating"-a statistical procedure requiring use of a set of common items on different versions of the same exam. Martin explains: "By analyzing the first group of candidates' performance on this set of common exam items, we can assess the relative difficulty of subsequent versions. Equating will permit us to adjust the passing point of future exams up or down, depending on the exam's relative difficulty."

"Through this process of equating and ongoing refinement, the rigor and integrity of future exams can be maintained," Martin said.

The second administration of the certification exam will take place on May 16, 1998, at up to 20 testing sites across the United States; the application deadline is March 16. To receive a Candidate Handbook containing examination policies and procedures, application materials, and test preparation tips, call or write AMP, 8310 Nieman Road, Lenexa, KS 66214-1579; 913-541-0400, ext. 450; fax 913-541-0156.

CCGP Board Profile Philip Gerbino, PharmD, was elected chairman of the CCGP board of commissioners in July. He is also serving as ex officio member of the CCGP Examination Development Committee. Gerbino is president of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, where he has held various faculty and administrative posts over the past 20 years. He has consulted to organizations such as the U.S. Air Force and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Gerbino was the 1986 recipient of ASCP's George F. Archambault Award, the consultant pharmacy profession's highest honor.