IJCA - Volume I - Flipbook - Page 21
20 The International Journal of Conformity Assessment
[9] European Standards. n.d. “EN 13432:2000 Requirements for
packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation
– Test scheme and evaluation criteria for the final acceptance
of packaging.” https://www.en-standard.eu/bs-en-13432-2000packaging.-requirements-for-packaging-recoverable-throughcomposting-and-biodegradation.-test-scheme-and-evaluationcriteria-for-the-final-acceptance-of-packaging/
[10] ISO. n.d. “ISO 14855-1:2012 Determination of the ultimate
aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials under controlled
composting conditions – Method by analysis of evolved
carbon dioxide – Part 1: General method.” https://www.iso.org/
standard/57902.html
[11] ASTM International. 2018. “ASTM D5511-18 Standard Test
Method for Determining Anaerobic Biodegradation of Plastic
Materials Under High-Solids Anaerobic-Digestion Conditions.”
https://www.astm.org/d5511-18.html
[12] OECD. 2006. “Test No. 208: Terrestrial Plant Test:
Seedling Emergence and Seedling Growth Test.” OECD
Guidelines for the Testing of Chemicals, Section 2. https://doi.
org/10.1787/9789264070066-en.
2022 | Volume 1, Issue 1
[14] Plachá, D., Raclavská, H., Kučerová, M., and Kuchařová, J.
2013. “Volatile fatty acid evolution in biomass mixture composts
prepared in open and closed bioreactors.” Waste Management 33,
no. 5 (May): 1104-12.
[15] Lun, L.W., Gunny, A.A., Kasim, F.H., and Arbain D. 2017.
“Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis of paddy
straw pulp treated using deep eutectic solvent.” AIP Conference
Proceedings 1835, no. 1 (April): 020049.
[16] Oh, S.Y., Yoo, D.I., Shin, Y., Kim, H.C., Kim, H.Y., Chung, Y.S.,
Park, W.H., and Youk, J.H. 2005. “Crystalline structure analysis of
cellulose treated with sodium hydroxide and carbon dioxide by
means of X-ray diffraction and FTIR spectroscopy.” Carbohydrate
Research 340, no. 15 (October): 2376-91.
[17] Colom, X., Carrillo, F., Nogués, F., and Garriga, P. 2003.
“Structural analysis of photodegraded wood by means of FTIR
spectroscopy.” Polymer Degradation and Stability 80, no. 3
(January): 543-9.
[13] Cotter, P.D. and Hill, C. 2003. “Surviving the acid test:
responses of gram-positive bacteria to low pH.” Microbiology and
Molecular Biology Reviews 67, no. 3 (September): 429-53.
•
Enhances recognition and acceptance of accredited facilities in national and
global markets.
•
IAS accreditation is accepted by regulatory bodies in numerous countries. In
the United States, accreditation to ISO Standard 17025 is recognized by federal,
state and local governmental bodies.
•
IAS is a signatory to the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) with the Asia
Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC) and the International Laboratory
Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), helping increase recognition of test reports.
•
IAS offers prompt, personal service, including rapid scheduling of assessments
to meet the needs of laboratories.
By Osman Vural, Director, International Personnel Certification Association; Ioannis Anastasopoulos, Department
of Mathematics, University of California at Berkeley; and David S. Nelson, PE, Ph.D., President, Quality Psychometric
Services
Abstract
Validating the examinations provided by conformity
assessment bodies for personnel certification
purposes is a requirement of the international
standard ISO/IEC 17024 “Conformity assessment—
General requirements for bodies operating
certification of persons.” A fundamental requirement
for each examination developer is to achieve a reliable
and fair examination process.
This paper describes the steps to design the ideal
examination (personnel evaluation) system, as well
as some of the statistical techniques that can be
used to analyze items that are necessary to establish
question banks.
IAS Accreditation:
Demonstrates compliance with ISO Standard 17025, the global standard for
laboratory competence.
Mathematical Methods Used to Affirm Fairness, Validity,
Reliability, and General Performance of Examinations
Used for Personnel Certification Complying to ISO/IEC
17024 Standard Requirements
There are prescribed steps in linking the relatedness
of the examination to the knowledge and skills
required for a job. These steps lead to an examination
that has been “validated” in that its content accurately
measures the necessary knowledge and skills
required for the job.
Testing laboratories around the world seek accreditation from the
International Accreditation Service (IAS). Our reputation for technical
competence and commitment to meeting the needs of customers
has helped IAS to become a leader in accreditation services.
•
DOI: 10.55459/IJCA/v1i1/OV.DN.IA
The validity of a test paper depends on the quality
of the sections that constitute the examination.
Considering that the examination must measure
the competencies derived by the relevant job/task
analysis, there is a direct connection between the job/
task analysis outputs and the respective examination.
Testing Laboratory
Accreditation Program
For More Information
International Accreditation Service
www.iasonline.org
22-21282
21
The scope of this paper is limited to the “job
analysis” component of certification schemes and
does not extend to requirements for administration
of examinations, including performance-based
assessments, oral examinations, and remote
assessments.
Keywords: mathematical methods, examination, validation, testing,
job analysis, personnel certification, conformity assessment,
competence, ISO/IEC 17024
Definitions
1. Fairness (ISO/IEC 17024:2012, Clause 3.16)
Equal opportunity for success provided to each
candidate (3.14) in the certification process (3.1).
2. Validity (ISO/IEC 17024:2012, Clause 3.17)
Evidence that the assessment (3.8) measures
what it is intended to measure, as defined by
the certification scheme (3.2). NOTE: In this
international standard, validity is also used in its
adjective form “valid.”
3. Reliability (ISO/IEC 17024:2012, Clause 3.18)
Indicator of the extent to which examination
(3.9) scores are consistent across different
examination times and locations, different
examination forms, and different examiners (3.10).
4. Standard deviation. Index of variability in a set of
numbers. Computationally, this is the square root of
the sum of deviations of each score and the mean,
divided by the number of data points in the set.
5. Mean. The average score for a set of numbers.
6. Standard error of measurement (SEM). This is the
estimate of the variance of a person’s scores if
the person took many tests of a similar size. It is
computed with the reliability coefficient of a test
and the standard deviation of the set of obtained
scores.
7. Item. The smallest measurable component of a
test that can be scored is called an item.
8. Item analysis. Several characteristics of (usually)
multiple-choice items that indicate the quality of
the item and of the whole test.
