ABRET announces changes in the R. EP T. credentialing examination process
As of the 2010, candidates may take a written examination in Evoked Potential Technology offered by ABRET in order to earn an R. EP T. credential. An oral examination process will no longer be required.
The eligibility requirements, remain the same.
Candidates must
1. be enrolled as a current student, or be a graduate of a CAAHEP-accredited END program, or
2. have a minimum of an associate’s degree plus one year of experience in electroneurodiagnostics, or
3. have a minimum of three years of experience in electroneurodiagnostics.
How will the examination be different?
The expected knowledge will not be changing, but the manner of testing that knowledge will now be in a written (computer based) examination format. The questions are likely to be slightly more complex and include more practice based scenarios and samples.
As is the case with all ABRET examinations, the new R. EP T. examination will be based on a Practice Analysis, which is a document that lists expected knowledge for technologists performing evoked potentials. The Practice Analysis for each of the ABRET credentialing examinations are created by subject matter experts in the field, and not the by ABRET Board of Directors. This document is the blue print for the item writers enlisted by ABRET to develop test questions for the examination item banks.
The cost of the R. EP T. examination will be increasing slightly. Once a candidate is successful on the written examination, they will have earned an R. EP T. credential that will need to be renewed in 5 years.
What if I have already passed the Evoked Potential written examination?
If you have already begun the process of earning your R. EP T. by taking the written examination, you will have the option of continuing on that path and complete the oral examination in order to earn a 10 year R. EP T. credential.
Alternatively, you may opt not to continue on with the oral examination process, but to take the new R. EP T. written examination. The R. EP T. credential earned through the new examination process will be a 5-year credential.
ABRET will continue to offer an evoked potential oral examination through 2014. All candidates have five years from the time they were successful on the written examination to complete the oral examination process. This will not change.
At this time there are no plans to alter the current examination schedules. The written examinations are offered two times a year, and the oral examinations are offered four times a year.
Candidate Handbooks and applications for the ABRET 2010 examinations will be available in November at www.ptcny.com.