Source Evaluation Society (SES)

           Updated April 18, 2017

Notice: Eliminating the 30-day waiting period requirement before repeating an SES Methods Knowledge Exam

With the approval of the Source Evaluation Society Board of Directors, the SES QSTI/QSTO Committee has decided to eliminate the required waiting period between repetitions of an SES Methods Knowledge Exam. The policy to date has been to require a candidate who failed to meet a passing score for an exam to wait 30 days prior to repeating that exam. Instead, the revised policy will allow the candidate to schedule a repeat exam at the candidate’s convenience and the availability of the exam delivery provider (i.e., Eastern Technical Associates or Castle Worldwide, LLC). Castle Worldwide, LLC is working on the programming of this and we will update this page as soon as they complete this.

SES QSTI/QSTO Appeal Policy Update

Notice: The SES QSTI/QSTO committee will no longer offer a manual audit or appeal of an SES Methods Knowledge Exam

With the approval of the Source Evaluation Society Board of Directors, the SES QSTI/QSTO Committee will no longer offer the detailed exam review and appeal program. The service available since 2004 has been to provide candidates a review of an individual’s answers and any associated comments to determine of a score change is justified. With nearly zero successful appeals over the past several years, the exam appeal program has evolved to one of individualized tutoring (i.e., providing the candidate with method references specific to missed questions).

The committee has observed a near zero incidence of exam scoring errors over the past few years with the advent of increased QA/QC and the use of electronic scoring procedures. Secondly, the committee believes that there are exam study guides and other information more effective than an individualized exam review service. For example, the committee last year published a comprehensive review of testing practices and the emissions test methods intended to explain and to steer the candidate towards those sections of methods and testing practices particularly relevant to the questions that appear on the exams. This publication is the SES Methods Group Exams – A Guide for Preparing for SES Methods Group Exams.

Second, the Live Online Proctoring (LOP) exam delivery program provided by Castle Worldwide includes immediate feedback to identify for the candidate narrow domains within the test methods and testing practices that are relative to the questions missed on the exam. This information supported by the comprehensive study guide will provide to the candidate more complete information than would the individualized tutoring information resulting from an exam appeal process.

As of May 15, 2017, the committee no longer provides the exam audit for appeal program nor provides individualized exam reviews. The committee will continue to solicit and review comments any candidate has about the exam questions with a view towards continual improvement of the methods groups knowledge exams. Candidates have an opportunity to leave such comments and suggestions on forms available upon completing an exam from both exam delivery programs. Candidates may also request a scoring-only review for an exam. One must contact the SES QSTI/QSTO administrator, Theresa Lowe for a scoring check of a paper exam offered by ETA – no charge. One may contact Castle directly for a scoring-only check of an exam offered by Castle Worldwide. This review costs $50.