OSHA Training Network - Course 900 CSHM Preparation

Certified Safety Health Manager Exam Preparation

Certification Examinations

The Institute’s CSHM certification examination is administered nation-wide a minimum of three times a year. Examination application deadlines and dates are posted at the Institutes website (www.ishm.org.). The examination consists of 150 multiple-choice questions, each with four possible answers. Three hours are allocated to respond to the multiple-choice questions. A passing or cut score is determined using the expert judgments of a standards setting panel. This score will vary depending on the actual examination form utilized.

The certification examination measures an individual’s mastery of the body of knowledge deemed appropriate as a result of a Job Practice Analysis conducted by the Institute. Preparation for the examination is best accomplished by mastering the body of knowledge recognized as appropriate for safety managers. The Institute uses exclusively four option multiple-choice items in its certification examinations for a number of reasons:

1. They are flexible and adaptable.
2. They tend to be more reliable than other formats.
3. They can accommodate a wide range of skills, knowledge and abilities to be measured.
4. They provide good sampling.
5. They have low chance scores.
6. They can be machine scored.

Multiple-choice items consist of three parts:

Stem - The stem states the problem or question to be answered.
Correct Answer - The correct answer is one of four potential options which represents the only correct response or the best correct response. (“Best” means a panel of experts would agree to this judgment.)
Distractors - Three distractors serve as incorrect responses. They are plausible, yet wrong, or not the best possible option.

The following is an example of the parts of a multiple-choice item:

Stem: Typically, the most unreliable tool utilized in the selection process is a(n):
	Correct Answer:	A. employment interview
	Distractor:	B. selection test
	Distractor:	C. physical examination
	Distractor:	D. background check

Items used on the Institute’s certification examinations were developed by certified safety and health managers who volunteer their services. A final review of each examination form was conducted by the Institute’s Board of Directors. Each examination form is carefully evaluated by the Board before being certified for use.

The three-step process of item development, item review and validation and examination review ensures that items are:

clear, unambiguous and grammatically proper
technically correct
appropriate in terms of fairness--geographically, ethnically or culturally
important for human resource professionals to know, and
correctly coded to the ISHM Content Outline

EXAMINATION PREPARATION METHODS, STRATEGIES AND RESOURCES

An important issue for examinees is preparation. There are a number of methods available in preparing for the ISHM examination. The selection of a method is a matter of individual preference based upon what best fits into one’s lifestyle. In the future, methods will range from the highly informal individual self-study to highly structured courses and workshops offered by professional organizations such as the National Safety Management Society.

Likewise, the strategy used to prepare for the certification examinations is equally important. Just like a world class athlete must “peak” at the precise moment of competition, so must an examinee on examination day. In addition to being able to master the safety management body of knowledge, the examinee should be both mentally and physically prepared to sit for the examination. Strategy is a critical element of preparation. The resources used to prepare are also critical elements of preparation. Sometimes the resources utilized will be a function of the preparation method selected. Other times, the potential examinee will have to select an appropriate resource from a wide range of possibilities. A mistake in selecting resources can significantly impact an examinee’s score.

Source: ISHM Electronic Certification Guide

Back

Legal stuff: This material is for training purposes only. Its purpose is to inform employers of best practices in occupational safety and health and general OSHA compliance requirements. This material is not, in any way, a substitute for any provision of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 or any standards issued by OSHA.