by Eden Donahue DNP, RN, PHN, NCSN and Robin Swett Newberg, MSN, RN, NCSN

As with the changing of the seasons, this is the time of the year that the Exam Development committee takes time to recognize the hard work of the various subject matter experts (SMEs) and plan for the upcoming year. If you’ve ever wondered how the NCSN exam is developed, here is a snapshot of the yearly cycle of exam development:

Beginning (January to May)

Form Review - SMEs conduct a robust review of each form (i.e., exam).

Middle (June to September)

Item Writing - SMEs come together to write new items.

Statistics Review - Exam Development committee and testing company (e.g., PSI) reports to NBCSN about exam statistics.

End (October to December)

Item Review - SMEs review, edit, and update newly drafted items to get the items ready for pre-test. 

Thank you to our many wonderful SMEs who make a valid, rigorous NCSN certification exam possible!