For more than 40 years, the multiple-choice examination has been the standardized assessment tool used in the certification process of OSH professionals (Wright, Turnbeaugh, Weldon, et al., 2015). The use of a multiple-choice exam to award a credential, however, has been criticized by many OSH professionals. This may be primarily due to a perception that relates to their previous academic experience with multiple-choice exams and a misunderstanding of the science behind the development of such exams.

The use of standardized tests clearly ensures a consistent and rapid method of scoring, but the use of such tests is legally defensible only if the test is developed through a systematic, psychometric process that objectively measures the relevant skills and knowledge of the individuals being assessed (Wright, et al., 2015). These exams are not, as many perceive, developed solely by individual certificants intending to make the test questions as hard or as trivial as possible.