I’m reblogging this for the SI community because it is of prime importance that all of us take this exam. It is a tough exam but it needs to be that way so professions unrelated to Structural Integration cannot pass it. Myself and everyone I know passed it on the first try.

By: Shonnie Carson CAR, CSI, CBSI

As of today, 156 Professional Structural Integrators have taken the Certification Exam for
Structural Integrators. One hundred and thirty-six have passed the exam and have become the first Exam-Certified Structural Integrators in the world. As you can see, nearly everyone who’s taken the exam has passed. Confusions and questions are continuing to surface and we would like to take this opportunity to clear them up.

Why is the certification exam important?
A psychometrically-valid exam is developed using statistically valid methods and is
accredited by the National Organization for Competency Assurance, (NOCA). Such an exam is the primary legal tool that helps define the boundaries of a profession. Without a certification exam there is no legal way to protect our profession from untrained or badly trained practitioners claiming competence as Structural Integrators. This type of exam is recognized as valid by licensing agencies, legislatures, insurance agencies and other professionals. The certification exam is developed according to the standards required by the National Organization for Competency Assurance, (NOCA) and the American National Standards Institute, (ANSI) the national and international accrediting agencies for these exams. Certification makes the exam legally useful in every country, province and state. As the exam becomes more widely known throughout the bodywork professions, it will notify bodywork schools, faculties and practitioners that SI is a distinct profession requiring specific training and skills. Creating the exam was the crucial first requirement. Taking the exam is the second step. This validates the exam. The more SI practitioners that take it, the more important the exam becomes, and the more we become able to define ourselves and maintain our integrity as a separate profession.

What is the exam like?
The exam is a multiple choice test consisting of 120 questions. The passing score is 84.
The questions on the exam were deliberately designed to have more than one correct response, which is how certification exams are required to be written. This aspect is commented on frequently by frustrated candidates. The candidate is asked for the “most appropriate” or “best” choice, which tests for a deeper, analytical understanding of the knowledge base. These types of questions present you with choices that require some thinking and judgment in addition to basic knowledge.

I have a lot of anxiety about taking the exam – what if I fail?
Approximately 87% of people taking the exam are passing. This is considered an
excellent percentage. We are told this indicates that the exam committee did its job well – they created a fair, but not easy exam. Candidates that pass are notified of “pass” status and awarded the certification, Certified Structural Integratorcm. Candidates that fail are notified of “fail” status and receive their scores in each of the five exam sections to help them determine in what areas they need further study. Candidates that fail can repeat the exam. There is a study guide available on-line.

Exam scores are diligently safeguarded. Only two of the CBSI board members know
these scores. They are careful to avoid listings or announcements that would in any way
embarrass candidates that have failed the test. “Test Anxiety” is normal. Nearly everyone who takes an important examination feels anxious. We would encourage you to remember that the passing score is only 84, and if you should fail the first attempt, simply look upon it as a learning curve. The exam is for all practitioners of SI who have graduated from an IASI-approved training program or have met CBSI’s mentored/exceptions training standards. The difficulty level is designed so that most recent graduates should pass.

How was the exam developed and who developed it?
Work on this exam began in 2005. In May 2006, IASI hired Dr. Gerald Rosen, a
professional psychometrist who works with organizations creating certifications exams. He
guided us through the difficult and demanding standards of NOCA, and the ANSI.
It was a legal necessity to create an independent organization to administrate the exam. The Certification Board for Structural Integratorssm (CBSI) was created as a subsidiary of IASI. The CBSI has its own bylaws, Board of Directors, and is financially independent from IASI. The CBSI started with a grant from IASI of $100,000 to accomplish this task and has currently spent approximately half of that. Over 80 Structural Integration practitioners and faculty from all of the SI schools and
seven countries participated in the development of this exam. Participation included development of the Practice Analysis, item writing and review, and exam finalization. An open invitation was sent at several stages for volunteers to help with the development of this exam. But if you missed out on helping with this one, don’t worry…..about a year from now, we will need another group of volunteers to help write more exam questions and you can participate then.

Hopefully you now have a much better understanding of what a huge undertaking this has
been to develop this exam, and why it is important for the maturation of SI as a profession.

Important Notice for “Grandfathered” Members
Those of you who became members before June 30, 2004, have until October of 2009 to
take the exam for free. Exam schedules are posted on the website, www.SIexam.org. If you can organize a large enough group to take the exam in your locale, CBSI will bring the exam to you. In areas with a density of SI practitioners, it may be more practical to do this. If you have additional questions, please send them to info@SIexam.org.