Tamara Richter (College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA)); Greg Sadesky (Yardstick); Greg Pope (Yardstick)

Jurisprudence examinations are used in a variety of contexts and for a variety of purposes among the health professions in Canada. On the one hand, some of the regulators of these professions choose to administer jurisprudence exams under a high-stakes model, and the performance on these exams have significant consequences for the candidates’ ability to practice. Others choose more of a formative approach in which the exam is viewed more as an opportunity to focus professional development. The College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA), in partnership with Yardstick, have devised an innovative approach to conducting jurisprudence assessment under a formative model, utilizing the latest in computer based test development and administration services. The requirements of the project were unique and multi-faceted: Low cost, high flexibility for candidates and administrators, rapid turnaround of items and exam forms, impeccable psychometric defensibility, non-proctored test administration, and leading edge formative reporting back to candidates. This session will present details of the computer based online assessment solution that was designed, developed, and implemented for the CLPNA. The session will highlight successes and challenges during this process, focusing on how a streamlined yet highly defensible online assessment instrument came to pass. Attendees will learn not only about the experience of the CLPNA in putting the Jurisprudence Exam project together, but also about how to apply a conceptual framework, the Assessment Life Cycle, to engineer examination defensibility in low, medium, or high stakes contexts.