CPQ™ Assessment Validity, Reliability & Fairness Standard

1. Purpose & Basis

This document is presented as proposed CPQ™ policy for external review, extending the founding standards pack and drafted to align the CPQ™ ecosystem with ISO/IEC 17024 principles for bodies certifying persons. Any new procedural or numeric requirement remains Draft and does not become binding within CPQ until changed to Active through a documented governance decision; it is not a claim of accreditation or recognition by another body.

This standard complements CPQ-ASMT and CPQ-ASSESSOR by requiring assessment instruments to measure what they are intended to measure, produce consistent and fair results, and resist malpractice.

2. Assessment Validity

• Derive assessment items from the certification scheme and task analysis in CPQ-SCHEME.
• Map every item to a C01-C08 competency and weighting.
• Require Credentials & Assessment Committee review before new tools are used.

3. Standard Setting

Pass thresholds T1=70, T2=75, T3=80 and T4=85 must be justified through a competence-referenced standard-setting methodology, with documented rationale and periodic review using performance and appeal data.

4. Assessment Reliability

Reliability is supported through assessor calibration, random double scoring and an inter-rater consistency coefficient. Tools are reviewed where outcomes vary by assessor rather than candidate performance.

5. Reasonable Adjustments & Special Consideration

Candidates with a disability or temporary circumstance may request reasonable adjustments such as additional time, an alternative format or a suitable environment, without lowering the competence standard. Requests and decisions are documented.

6. Assessment Integrity & Malpractice

• Candidate impersonation or evidence submitted for another person.
• Cheating, collusion or unauthorised materials.
• Theft or leakage of protected assessment content.
• Falsified practice, supervision or client evidence.
• Improper influence on an assessor or committee.

Confirmed malpractice is referred under CPQ-ECR and may invalidate results, suspend an application or revoke an existing credential, with appeal rights preserved.

7. Periodic Review of Instrument Validity

Question banks and performance-observation tools are periodically reviewed for weak discrimination or cultural/linguistic bias, with items revised or removed and every change version-controlled.