Professional exams and certification requirements

Professional Exams

Today's careers are very different from careers of the past. Many professional career require the candidate to take and pass a standardized test before a diploma, certification or licensure is obtained. These standardized exams are rigorous exams that test the entire knowledge of the candidate in a specific area. This paper will discuss three of these professional exams which will include the exam for certified public accountants, the exam for social workers and the exam for real estate brokers. Topics such as test requirements, content, history, passage rate and other characteristics of the specific exam will be explored.

The CPA Exam

The CPA exam is the Certified Public Accountant's exam. This exam serves to protect the public interest by assuring that only highly qualified individuals become licensed as certified public accountants. There are specific requirements needed to take this test. These requirements include: completion of 150 college semester hours of general college education and completion of one of the following: completion of a graduate degree from a college approved by the CHEA or accredited by the AACSB, Received a graduate degree in business from an institution recognized by CHEA or accredited by AACSB with 30 semester hours of specified accounting at the undergraduate level or 18 semester hours at the graduate level (accounting subjects must include financial accounting, managerial accounting, auditing, taxation, and professional ethics), or received a baccalaureate degree with 30 semester hours of specified accounting and 24 semester hours in business subjects. (Accounting subjects must include financial accounting, managerial accounting, auditing, taxation, and professional ethics. Candidates must also check with their specific jurisdiction to assure what their specific jurisdiction requires. Each has different requirements.

The CPA exam contains very specific content. The test consists of essays and multiple choice questions divided into two separate sections; the new CBT sections and the current section. The new CBT section contains test materials that cover: auditing and attestation, financial accounting and reporting, regulation, and business environment and concept. The current section of the test contains test materials that pertain to audit, financial accounting and reporting, accounting and reporting, and law and professional responsibilities.

Over the years, the CPA exam has changed a lot. Back in the early 1990s, the CPA exam was a nineteen hour test that was taken over a three day period. It consisted of four different sections and was only administered in May and November of each year. Students were not allowed to use any form of assistance, including use of a calculator. By the late 1990s, the CPA exam was changed to a two hour test that contained four different sections and students were permitted to use a calculator. Later in 2004, an electronic online version of the CPA was made available to students. This new test is now offered six days a week throughout the year. (Wikipedia)

The national passage rate for the CPA is 43%. Students are required to earn a minimum score of at least 75% to pass this test and only 43% of students who attempt the CPA pass the test. (Pustorino).

The ASWB Exam

The ASWB exam is a professional exam for candidates seeking to obtain licensure to be a certified social worker. The requirements of this test are determined by the specific jurisdiction. However, many states are uniform in their ASWB exam requirements. The main purpose of licensing and certification in social work is to assist the public through identification of standards for the safe professional practice of social work. Each jurisdiction defines by law what is required for each level of social work licensure. Typically, there are four categories of practice that jurisdictions may legally regulate. These categories are: Bachelors (Baccalaureate social work degree upon graduation, Masters (Master's degree in social work-MSW with no post-degree experience), Advanced Generalist (MSW with two years post-master's supervised experience), and Clinical (MSW with two years post-master's direct clinical social work experience). (ASWB)

The content of the ASWB changes depending on the level of the test administration. In general the content of all tests contain a section on human development and behavior in the environment, a section on diversity, a section on assessment in social work practice, a section on direct and indirect practice, communication, professional relationships, professional values and ethics, a section on social work supervision, and a section on service delivery and social; work administration. Each test contains a series of 190 questions.

Like the CPA exam, the ASWB exam has been around for several years. However as times change, so does the ASWB tests. During the 1990s, the ASWB were long, drawn out courses. Nowadays, students have the option of studying and even taking this test online.

The passage rate for the ASWB is 79%. This percent can change depending on the level at which the test was administered. 73.3% of the students pass the ASWB exam at the graduation level.

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