Quality Control Procedures:

The Quality Control for the American Chiropractic Neurology Board is a multifaceted process.  First, all examination materials are maintained in a double locked environment, while in storage, while in transit and during test administration.  The electronic copies of the examination are 128 bit encrypted.  The written examination is taken to a professional printer, retrieved and brought to the ACNB offices where each copy is numbered.  Then the examinations are sealed in flexible file folders and the seal is initialed by the Test Director.  Then, all tests are placed in a trunk and padlocked.  The trunk remains in the locked office of the Test Director until he/she transports it to the Board examination.  All confidential materials are transported by the Test Director in padlocked trunks and locked in a van, then, upon arrival at the testing location, moved into the Board room and maintained under a double locked situation.  The Test Director or a Board member remains with the examinations continuously.

Candidates submit pictures that have been authenticated by notary publics as a part of the their applications. Once the candidate arrives at the examination, he/she registers and receives his/her badge that identifies him/her by the Candidate # and the picture identification.  The badges are color coded according to what examination parts the candidates are scheduled to take.  The registrar checks the picture against the individual, has the candidate sign for the badge next to the Candidate number.  Then the candidate reports to the station where all personal belongings are kept.  Any books, cell phones, electronic devises, pens or other potential cheating tools are left under the guard of a Board member in a secure location.  The candidates next report to the testing room.  The Test Administrator checks the picture and the candidate number.  Then, as numbered examinations are distributed to the candidates, each candidate signs for the examination next to the examination booklet number.  The Test Administrator transports the examinations for a given session in a double locked case.  He/she retrieves it from a padlocked trunk in the locked Board Administration Room that is guarded by a member of the ACNB Board at all times.

Restrooms are examined before and after each exam period and candidates are escorted to and from the restroom.  No candidate is left unattended at any time from the beginning of the examination session until its conclusion.  The Board assures that proctors of each gender are available to assist with this part of the process.

Once each examination session is completed, the Test Administrator collects the scantron sheets and the test booklets, assuring that all test materials are in the possession of the Administrator prior to candidates leaving the testing room.  The test sign-out sheet is compared to the returned tests and the return is documented. The Test Administrator also collects each candidate’s badge at the same time to assure that no one returns to the room after the examination ends.  The test booklets are returned to the flexible file folders and resealed and initialed by the Test Administrator. The examination booklets and scantron sheets are placed in the doubled locked traveling case and returned to the Test Director in the Board Room and placed in the padlocked trunk for transport back to the ACNB office.  This process is reiterated with each session of the written examination (three sessions of four hours each for a twelve hour written examination).

The Quality Control for the Practical Examination includes the training of every Associate Examiner.  The security of the grading sheets and the Examination notebooks for the video clip questions are maintained in a locked trunk in the guarded Board Room.  Each Associate Examiner team must sign out his/her notebooks for the individual practical examination room for the particular form of the practical examination.  Candidates register in the same manner as for the written exam.  All forms of the Practical Examination are equated using the Angoff Panel.  All Associate Examiners undergo a four hour training session so that the administration and scoring of the practical examination is standard between examiners.  A Senior and a Junior Associate Examiner score each practical examination.  Inter-rater reliability is determined for each pair and across all pairs.  When a new Associate Examiner is trained, he/she may be paired with more than one Senior Examiner to assure inter-rater reliability.  A professional videographer oversees the video taping of each practical examination.  Thus providing for a mechanism for review of any session where the candidate appeals the result of the examination.  These tapes are also used in training of new examiners.  If the inter-rater reliability is below .99 and the difference may mean passing or failing for a candidate, the Associate Examiners are required to watch the video tape and determine the correct rating.

Additionally, the ACNB utilizes one Associate Examiner per examination administration as a Quality Control Reviewer.  This individual sits in on the practical examinations give by each team of examiners and rates their performance, counsels them for change and provides feedback to the Board.  This individual must have at least five (5) years experience as an Associate Examiner and have participated in the full Associate Examiner Training session for the Examination where he/she is the Quality Control Reviewer.  This individual then completes the following form covering each Associate Examiner, the Test Administrator, and the Test Director. 

The Quality Control Reviewer uses the following form to evaluate Associate Examiners.

At the conclusion of the examination, all materials are returned to the ACNB office in a double locked manner with the locked trunks and the locked vehicle.  Once in the office, all test materials are checked against a log and then, paper copies of the examination are shredded.  Electronic copies remain encrypted and the password is changed at the end of each Board examination.  All video tapes from the practical examinations are transferred to DVD format for permanent storage or use in appeals or training.

©2002-2006 ACNB | Contact | Home