Esri Beta Exam Comments
The Esri Certification Program works with industry professionals to update each exam to the latest version every 18-24 months. This is done to ensure that the exams test skills relevant to the GIS industry and align with the latest ArcGIS software versions.
Esri’s Beta Exams are an important part of Exam Development, especially when many changes are needed to update an exam. When you participate in taking one of our beta exams, we encourage you to utilize the Comments feature to provide feedback. Read this blog to learn more about the importance of the comments feature during the beta exam. If you aren’t familiar with Esri’s Beta Exams, read our Esri Beta Exam FAQs to learn more.
What is the importance of the Comment feature on beta exams?
The feedback collected allows Esri and our testing vendor to identify the highest quality exam content and use that content to create the published operational exam. Your participation in utilizing this feature is allowing your ‘voice’ to be heard during the exam development process and your participation ensures that the exam is updated to be a valid measure of the skills defined within the exam’s information guide, located on the exam details webpage (select an exam card to view).
How do I use the comments during my beta exam?
When launching your beta exam, the introduction screens will walk you through the process and what to expect.
1. The Important Instructions page is the first screen where you will see the Comment feature addressed.
2. The Key Features page lists the features that are available during the exam, including the Comments.
3. Once you get to the questions portion of the exam, the Comment feature is displayed in the bottom left-hand corner of every question.
4. When you click on Comment, a box will appear where you can type your comments. Click Ok to submit the Comment or Cancel to cancel out of the feature.
5. If you submit a Comment, a confirmation message will appear. Click Ok to move forward to the next question.
Expectations for Comments
Now that you know how to use the feature and the importance of Beta Comments for exam development, let’s talk about what types of comments are expected. Esri reads through every comment that is left during our beta exams, so it’s important to know what to look for.
Be sure to review the Exam Information Guide for the exam in Esri Academy prior to taking the exam, so that you are able to identify any potential issues outside of what should be included in the exam. While reviewing each question in your Esri Beta Exam, consider the following:
- Exam Information Guides list the ‘Description of Qualified Candidate.’ Is the question appropriate for the qualified candidate?
- Exam Information Guides notate the software that the candidate should have experience with under ‘A qualified candidate should be familiar with the following.’ Does the question reference any software outside of that list?
- Exam Information Guides list all the objectives included in the exam under ‘Skills Measured.’ Does the question fall outside these objectives?
- Do you believe there is more than 1 right answer?
- Is the question structured appropriately? (i.e. no typos or grammar errors, no abbreviations, etc)
What is the next Esri Beta Exam I can participate in?
The Esri Beta Exam Schedule blog provides interested candidates with a quick link to the Exam Details page, the voucher purchase and registration date, and a link to mark your calendar.