A new standard has been released by ISO which outlines the code of practice for IT based computer testing. ISO/IEC 23988:2007, derived from British Standard BS 7988 was released in January 2007 provides a means to (quote from ISO):
- show that the delivery and scoring of the assessment are fair and do not disadvantage some groups of candidates, for example those who are not IT literate;
- show that a summative assessment has been conducted under secure conditions and is the authentic work of the candidate;
- show that the validity of the assessment is not compromised by IT delivery;
- provide evidence of the security of the assessment, which can be presented to regulatory and funding organizations (including regulatory bodies in education and training, in industry or in financial services);
- establish a consistent approach to the regulations for delivery, which should be of benefit to assessment centres who deal with more than one assessment distributer;
- give an assurance of quality to purchasers of "off-the-shelf" assessment software.
Mickie S Rops in her Association Knowledge and Credentialing Blog encourages
"All associations considering or offering computer- or internet-based testing (and all associated service providers/vendors) would benefit from a review of this informative standard which, by the way, applies to both low and high-stakes assessments."
Interestingly one of the key assessment methods - assessment through simulations is excluded in the standard. Go here for more information from ISO
Hopefully this will be the first of a few helpful posts around the subject of ISO17024 (General Requirements for Bodies operating Certification of Persons).
What it ISO17024?
Released in 2003, ISO 17024 is designed to harmonize the personnel certification process worldwide. There is still much debate as to the effectiveness of the standard to date, especially with the variability in how it is applied by Accreditation Bodies globally.
The issues that ISO 17024 tackles can be simply summarized:
- Defining what it is you are examine (the competencies)
- Knowledge, skills and personal attributes
- Examination must be independent
- Examination must be a valid test of competence
Where competency is typically described as:
”The demonstrated ability to apply knowledge, skills and attributes”
Guidance
Each Accreditation body provides various levels of guidance around compliance and the implementation of ISO 17024. I have attempted to bring together the more in-depth references below:
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
Overview of Personnel Certification Documents related to accreditation under ISO 17024
ISO 17024 FAQ
Directory of Accredited Bodies
Standards Council Canada (SCC)
Overview of Personnel Certification Criteria and Procedures
Directory of Accredited Clients
Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAZ-ANZ)
Personnel Certification Homepage
United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)
Certification Body Schedules
International Accreditation Forum (IAF)
ISO 17024 Guidance
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
Link to ISO 17024
A new standard has been released by ISO which outlines the code of practice for IT based computer testing. ISO/IEC 23988:2007, derived from British Standard BS 7988 was released in January 2007 provides a means to (quote from ISO):
