The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA and NCME, 2014) define validity as “the degree to which evidence and theory support the interpretations of test scores for proposed uses of tests.”
What happens in each phase
Typical weeks for a new exam built from the start.
Define the decision
Weeks 1 and 2We write down the decision the score supports, who it applies to and the claim it must back.
Blueprint the content
Weeks 3 to 8A job or curriculum analysis becomes a blueprint: a weighted content outline your committee approves.
Build the items
Weeks 9 to 16Your experts write items, reviewers check bias and accessibility, and each item is banked with metadata.
Deliver the exam
Weeks 17 to 20A pilot, then live delivery online or in person, with accommodations configured before test day.
Prove the scores
After each windowItem analysis, reliability, a cut-score review and a technical report, then the next cycle starts.
What you decide and receive
You approve each phase in writing before the next one starts.
| Phase | What you decide | What you receive |
|---|---|---|
| Define | The decision the score supports and who takes the test | A one-page statement of intended use and the claim behind it |
| Blueprint | Which tasks or topics count, and how much each one weighs | The job or curriculum analysis report and a weighted blueprint |
| Build | Which items your experts approve for the bank | Reviewed items, banked with history, tags and review status |
| Deliver | Window dates, delivery mode and approved accommodations | Locked forms, a pilot report and a supported live window |
| Prove | The cut score (the pass mark), after a panel recommends one | Item statistics, reliability, a standard setting report and the technical report |
What we will not promise
We will not promise a pass rate, accreditation or a ruling in your favor. A court, a regulator or an accreditor decides those. We promise the record: every decision dated, every study written up, so you can show how a score was reached.
Run the Prove phase first
A Test Health Check reviews an exam you already give and returns a written report in ten business days.