Tennessee Licensing Requirements

[Michael Larson]

Some interesting reading from when this was discussed last Fall

in part:

The NHIE maintains it's psychometric validity through a continuous process under the direction of Pearson VUE, they are the exam administrator for EBPHI. Every year four new exams go online, those exams (questions) are based on the current RDS (Role Delineation Study). This is a study of the profession (What is the job of a home inspector) that is done every 3-5 years, or as the profession changes. A new RDS has just been completed and this has generated a new "Exam Blueprint" that will guide the exam for the next 3-5 years. Around 3,000 home inspectors from all of the associations and 1,100 independent or non-affiliated inspectors participated in the RDS.

It is a very expensive task to maintain such a quality exam and one that must be undertaken for the NHIE to maintian its reliability and defensibility. The annual cost just for maintaining the exam is in excess of $100,000 once you average in the cost of performing the RDS.

[James H. Bushart]

The first post on this thread....where a recent tester was required to answer questions about systems that were not relevant to his geographical area....is proof that the test he was required to take is not valid. If it were psychometrically valid, it would pertain only to those areas of knowledge required of home inspectors receiving that particular license...and it does not.

The NHIE is a "one-size-fits-all" quiz that does nothing to show one's competency to perform a home inspection. Even the president of the disguised ASHI group who administrates it will tell you that a passing score guarantees nothing in regard to one's ability to perform a home inspection.

Those who push licensing in order to sell their NHIE to the states as being a valid test, do so to profit from it, fraudulently (IMO).

When you flunk it because of information that is not relevant to your license....you must pay the NHIE folks more money to take it again, and again, and again...until you finally can show that you know about systems that are not relevant to your license. Who, other than those collecting the test fee, profits from this?

[Nick Gromicko]

In terms of qualifications to assess a home inspector exam... we can use "Home inspector licensing board" and "5 high school cheerleaders" interchangeably. I'm not trying to insult anyone, just making the point that both groups are equally incompetent to take on the task of assessing an exam.

One of the arguments used by 5 high school cheerleaders to adopt the NHIE is that other groups of cheerleaders adopted it. In adopting an exam, the high school cheerleaders all point to other high school cheerleader's past decisions. Michael reiterates this argument again in his post #42.

I leave it to the reader to decide for themselves if the argument makes sense.

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by gromicko

In terms of qualifications to assess a home inspector exam... we can use "Home inspector licensing board" and "5 high school cheerleaders" interchangeably. I'm not trying to insult anyone, just making the point that both groups are equally incompetent to take on the task of assessing an exam.

I completely agree with Nick

One of the arguments used by 5 high school cheerleaders to adopt the NHIE is that other groups of cheerleaders adopted it. In adopting an exam, the high school cheerleaders all point to other high school cheerleader's past decisions. Michael reiterates this argument again in his post #42.

The argument is not mine but post #42 clearly demonstrates that the NHIE is the accepted test for determining competence for those wishing to become a Home Inspector. Apparently this has happened because there is no competing product that has met the requirements of the licensing boards and legislators.

Nick has claimed that the NACHI test is psychometrically valid with out providing any evidence to support that statement.

I leave it to the reader to decide for themselves if the argument makes sense.

I am of the opinion that the NACHI test is a good product that serves it's intended purpose. It is my hope that it would gain the status of "accepted" alongside the NHIE(flawed though it may be)

I agree that the reader should decide if any arguments presented here make sense.

P.S.

It may well be that the NHIE is no longer psychometrically valid but that has not be proven in this thread in any meaningful way.

[Nick Gromicko]

Shortly after I published this article: http://www.nachi.org/examsthatharm.htm , University after University began asking me to give lectures on this subject. It seems that professors often author their own exams and Universities are worried about this practice. These professors may know their subject matter but they incorrectly assume that they can achieve a higher fail rate by asking more of what they think are "difficult questions," and they can. But in fact, like the NHIE, they are simply asking the wrong questions (see post #1 of this thread) and so not measuring subject knowledge or competence at all.

Perhaps I will begin accepting these speaking gigs. I can use the NHIE as an example of exactly how NOT to develop and administer an exam.

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by gromicko

Shortly after I published this article: http://www.nachi.org/examsthatharm.htm , University after University began asking me to give lectures on this subject. It seems that professors often author their own exams and Universities are worried about this practice. These professors may know their subject matter but they incorrectly assume that they can achieve a higher fail rate by asking more of what they think are "difficult questions," and they can. But in fact, like the NHIE, they are simply asking the wrong questions (see post #1 of this thread) and so not measuring subject knowledge or competence at all.

Perhaps I will begin accepting these speaking gigs. I can use the NHIE as an example of exactly how NOT to develop and administer an exam.

Why not start your speaking tour with state licensing boards who are forming their rules.....then move up to legislative hearings where the "dumbing down" of our profession begins - in the form of home inspector licensing bills?

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by jbushart

Why not start your speaking tour with state licensing boards who are forming their rules.....then move up to legislative hearings where the "dumbing down" of our profession begins - in the form of home inspector licensing bills?

Fantastic idea James.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

This is the best way to put A$HI in its place. But does Mr. Hyperbolou have the courage? It would be interesting to see and would bring a lot more members to NACHI.

[Harvey D. Speakman]

The NHIE is adopted for competence assessment in nineteen states: Alabama (10/03) Mississippi (3/02) Alaska (7/03) New Jersey (6/02) Arizona (4/01) Oklahoma (5/03) Arkansas (7/03) Pennsylvania (12/01) Illinois (10/02) Rhode Island (7/01) Indiana (5/05) South Dakota (10/03) Kentucky (1/06) Tennessee (1/06) Louisiana (11/00) Virginia (7/02) Massachusetts (5/01) West Virginia (3/06) Wisconsin (1/00)

I had gone into the website of which PSC administers the NHIE. Out of all the states mentioned above, I only observed three (3) states that confirm this argument. They are Tennessee, Oklahoma and effective May 1st Washington State. See for yourself.
www.psiexam.com

[Michael Larson]

Harvey, I'm not sure what you are saying.

Please explain.

What is PSC?

[Harvey D. Speakman]

I am not am not critizing the state of Tennessee. My argument is valid. If I am to comply with the Standards of Practice of InterNACHI, it would be wrong for me to inspect Pools, Spas and Lawn Irrigation Systems( by the way I did make 100% in both of these areas on the exam) because I would be violating the standards, needless to say that if I messed up on this type of inspection, I don't think E&O insurance would cover it because it would be on the outside of the standards of practice. It is clear that the NHIE exam is out of contents with the home inspection basic procedures. The questions are turned around so much that a professional would go away scratching his head. I have no complaint about there should be a standardized test prior to applying for the state exam, however this test should be made available in contrast with the home inspector's certification course. If I took the final exam of 294 questions through my certification process, why am I have a hard time of passing a 175 question test through NHIE test? The 294 question test was all all component systems. I was even an Instructor at a University teaching masonry. If I gave my students a test like NHIE's just maybe 1 out of 10 would pass.

[Harvey D. Speakman]

I meant PSI. Sorry

[Michael Larson]

OK PSI but the states I listed all require the NHIE for licensure, registration or what ever term they use in those states.

Perhaps PSI is the adminstrator of the the test in only the states you listed.

I took the NHIE to meet WI requirments but took it in MN through Promisssor which is now Pearson Vue

[Brian E. Kelly]

Both the NHIE and the INACHI tests have their strong points and their flaws. But as Michael has pointed out the NHIE test is the most recognized and independently verified.