General Knowledge Exam (GKE) History

The GKE was developed using the process outlined below. A nationwide structure of Peer Groups was established among the ABC member organizations. After completing their work, they found that the posi-tion descriptions and knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) they identified closely paralleled similar work done by CAC when they created their Professional Competency Examination.

The ABC Examinations Committee reviewed the CAC examination to determine if its questions would meet the needs developed by ABC Peer Groups. The Examinations Committee recommended purchasing the rights to the CAC examination following their review.

In 1991, the ABC purchased the rights to the examination questions and began modifying the test to fit na-tionwide needs. Using ABC Peer Group decisions, California-specific questions (i.e., laws, CAC Code of Conduct, etc.) were removed, as were questions deemed “too specialized” for a general examination. Still other questions were reworded in order to make the examination suitable for a nationwide audience. The examination was evaluated by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), arguably the premier test development organization in the U.S. Some questions were added and others were modified based on suggestions from the ETS consultants.

Examinations Development

The process used to design the GKE examination was recommended by experienced test development companies and has been followed in the design of numerous professional examinations. It is an inclusive approach that gives all members of the forensic community the opportunity for direct involvement and on-going representation. The process has three major steps.

1. Develop a job description.
2. Describe knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) necessary to meet the requirements of the job description.
3. Draft questions to measure the knowledge identified.

The process also was used to develop the Specialty Examinations and Technical Specialist Examinations.

The ABC accomplishes these steps through a regional system of Peer Groups formed within the ABC member organizations. Forensic examiners from organizations not members of ABC (e.g., United Kingdom and Canadian Societies of Forensic Science) also participate in the Peer Groups.

The regional Peer Groups first develop job descriptions (JDs), upon which KSAs are then based. The Peer Groups identify appropriate KSAs using surveys, and other mechanisms, to get additional forensic community input. The Peer Groups then develop questions which measure the knowledge identified. The Peer Chairs take the Groups' output and, together with a member of the Examinations Committee, finalize the job descriptions, KSAs and examination questions.

Prior to incorporation into any examination, each question is reviewed to ensure that it reflects a KSA and that each question has an authoritative reference to the correct answer associated with it. Final questions are critiqued by a test development company.

The examination is piloted to evaluate how well individual questions, and the test as a whole, perform. Questions are modified or eliminated as needed. Examination refinement is an evolutionary process and continues as each examination is administered. Additional questions are added and poorly performing questions are eliminated (both from the grading and future examinations). Not all questions included in each examination are used for scoring. Some questions are being evaluated for use in future examinations, as part of the examination validation and development process. Examinations Management Committees (GKE and Specialty) oversee this process to ensure the examinations remain current and viable.

New Specialty and Technical Specialist Examinations are developed as funding and personnel become available, and as dictated by our peer organizations. Significant resources (primarily people) are required to work through the examination development process. Those persons interested in working on development of additional examinations should contact the ABC.

Examinations Content and Grading

The GKE consists of approximately 200 questions. Questions are drawn from the GKE Study Guide refer-ences, plus a few questions from current journal articles, and the ABC Code of Professional Conduct. All answers are discernible from the readings. Candidates must understand the general concepts sufficiently to be able to reason through questions and to apply the knowledge. Experience in more than one discipline is helpful, but certainly not essential to pass the GKE.

Specialty Examinations range from 150 to 350 questions. These questions also are drawn from their study guide references. The SEs require successful candidates to have an in-depth working knowledge of prin-ciples and analytical practices (both fundamental/historical and current) in their specialty. Technical Specialist examinations range from 250 to 400 questions, drawn from their study guide references. Besides extensive knowledge in the technical specialty, the examination challenges understanding of key forensic concepts of ethics, evidence control, quality assurance and other pervasive essentials of all forensic laboratories.

The number of questions on the examinations for each knowledge/skill area on the GKE, SE and TSE is determined by a weighted percentage (e.g., importance to daily casework). These percentages are agreed upon by Peer Groups during the development of an examination.

The ABC believes that completing each phase of the certification process should be an achievement. Tests that anyone can pass are a disservice to the forensic profession, and to the clients and communities we serve. Persons with no background in criminalistics, and without broad training and experience, would not be expected to pass the ABC certification examinations. An individual who has worked for several years in a forensic science laboratory, and who adequately prepares using the study material provided by the ABC should be able to pass the GKE. In-depth experience in a specialty area and solid preparation using the ABC study materials are needed to successfully complete the Specialty Examinations and Technical Specialist examinations.

The examinations are scored and statistically evaluated by a professional service. The statistical treatment provides indications of many factors including question performance and test reliability. A testing con-sultant/statistician reviews the results, makes recommendations for a passing score, and identifies questions to be reviewed by the subject expert panel. The appropriate Examinations Management Committee (EMC) reviews these recommendations and makes adjustments to the final scoring. Poorly performing questions may be deleted from the current examination or modified for future examinations. New questions included in the examination for evaluation/validation purposes are eliminated from scoring. The ABC Board expects that suc-cessful candidates will be able to correctly answer 80% of the validated questions on an examination, but specific cutoff scores are based on critical review of test performance by experts in test design.