Greetings from your Certification Team!
We have something exciting to announce this week!
A *NEW* version for both the CHSE and CHSOS practice exam has been approved and is scheduled for launch in November. So, now is a perfect time to talk about practice tests, some common misconceptions, and how they should be used to help you prepare for taking the CHSE or CHSOS exam.
Misconception 1: Doing well on the practice test guarantees a passing result on the actual exam.
While I wish this one were true, unfortunately nothing other than the certification exam itself is used to determine a pass/fail status. The practice tests are intended to give candidates insight to their major domain-level strengths and weaknesses as well as provide rationales from the item writers on how to choose the best response. Additionally, SSH practice tests are delivered using the same computer-based testing system as the actual exam, so candidates can gain confidence in navigating the system and recording their answers.
Misconception 2: Questions on the practice test are ones that are retired or were deemed not good enough for the actual exam.
SSH does not hold separate item writing workshops for practice tests and the certification exams. Our goal in doing this is to help ensure that items included on the practice test are of the same quality as those on the actual exam. The item writing and review process does not separate “real” test questions from practice questions. All questions are reviewed as if they would appear on the certification exam, and it is not until after the test questions are reviewed and approved that they are assigned to the practice bank or the certification test bank.
Misconception 3: The more practice tests you take, the better your results will be.
While I am all in favor of any study method that makes you feel more confident going into the certification exam, taking every practice test under the sun can be detrimental to your success. Not only is this because study burnout is shown to cause impaired information retention and decreased problem-solving skills, but when candidates go beyond the standard exam preparation offerings, they are more likely to come across misinformation that will hinder exam performance. I like to relate this to a Google search where after page 1, the results are less and less helpful.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns about our exams, including the practice tests, I encourage you to reach out to the SSH Certification team.
Thanks for reading and until next time, be excellent to each other!
Rachel Araujo
SSH Director of Certification