EXAM PREFERENCES
1. How comfortable would you be with taking a proctored in-person multiple choice exam covering general a specialty conservation concepts?
| A. Very comfortable | 37.7% |
| B. Somewhat comfortable | 38.9% |
| C. Somewhat uncomfortable | 16.3% |
| D. Very uncomfortable | 7.1% |
2. How comfortable would you be with taking a proctored paper-based short answer and essay exam covering both general and specialty specific concepts? The exam would be graded by multiple reviewers who would not know the identity of the candidates.
| A. Very comfortable | 33.7% |
| B. Somewhat comfortable | 38.2% |
| C. Somewhat uncomfortable | 18.4% |
| D. Very uncomfortable | 9.6% |
3. How comfortable would you be with taking an online exam either in a multiple choice or essay format?
| A. Very comfortable | 48.8% |
| B. Somewhat comfortable | 35% |
| C. Somewhat uncomfortable | 10.8% |
| D. Very uncomfortable | 5.3% |
4. How important is it to you that any certification program developed by AIC contain information related to your Specialty(s)?
| A. Extremely important | 58.9% |
| B. Somewhat important | 29.2% |
| C. Not very important | 8.4% |
| D. Unimportant | 3.5% |
EXAM VALIDITY
5. Which type of exam(s) do you feel are valid ways to judge if a conservator is qualified to become certified? (Please check ALL that apply)
| A. A proctored in-person multiple-choice exam covering knowledge that every conservator should know and including specialty-specific case studies. | 57.6% |
| B. An unproctored multiple choice or short answer time restricted online exam including specialty-specific case studies. | 42% |
| C. A proctored in-person short answer and essay exam including specialty-specific case studies where the candidates would be required to draw on personal experience to answer the questions. The exam would be graded by multiple reviewers who would not know the identity of the candidates. | 66.3% |
| D. An unproctored short-answer and essay exam including specialty-specific case studies done independently, where the candidates would be required to draw on personal experience to answer the questions. The exam could be turned into AIC at 3 deadlines per year. The exam would be graded by multiple reviewers who would not know the identity of the candidates. | 59.3% |
6. If you could only pick ONE, which type of exam do you feel would be the best way to judge if a conservator is qualified to become certified?
| A. A proctored in-person multiple-choice exam covering knowledge that every conservator should know and including specialty-specific case studies. | 17% |
| B. An unproctored multiple choice or short answer time-restricted online exam. | 10.6% |
| C. A proctored in person short-answer and essay exam including specialty-specific case studies where the candidates would be required to draw on personal experience to answer the questions. The exam would be graded by multiple reviewers who would not know the identity of the candidates. | 38.5% |
| D. An unproctored short-answer and essay exam including specialty-specific case studies done independently, where the candidates would be required to draw on personal experience to answer the questions. The exam could be turned into AIC at 3 deadlines per year. The exam would be graded by multiple reviewers who would not know the identity of the candidates. | 34% |
EXAM MODELS
7. Which type of AIC certification exam would you be more likely to take assuming they were priced the same:
| A. A multiple-choice exam given in person | 12.2% |
| B. A review-based exam with short answer and essay questions given in person | 9.2% |
| C. A review-based exam with short answer, essay questions as well as supporting documentation required, which could be submitted for grading several times a year, once you had felt you answered the questions to your satisfaction. | 28.8% |
| D. I would take any of the exams | 34.5% |
| E. I would take none of the exams | 15.3% |
8. After reading the descriptions of both proposed AIC models on the AIC website site which exam do you feel would best assess who should be a certified conservator?
| A.The multiple-choice exam | 13.6% |
| B. The review-based exam | 48.6% |
| C. Neither | 14.2% |
| D. Don’t Know | 23.6% |
9. After reading the depictions of both the proposed AIC models on the website, which exam would you be more likely to take?
| A. The multiple-choice exam | 22.8% |
| B. The review-based exam | 38.6% |
| C. Neither | 15.2% |
| D. Don’t Know | 23.4% |
10. After looking at the budgets developed for the two proposed certification exams, which answer best describes your reaction:
| A. A multiple-choice model is my first choice of exam, and I would be willing to pay $650 to take such an exam, because it would be a suitable exam for AIC. | 6.3% |
| B. A review-based model is my first choice of exam, and I would be likely to take it at the $350 cost. | 40% |
| C. I would prefer that AIC develop a multiple-choice model, but I would be unwilling to pay the $650 cost. Although it is not my 1st choice, I would be likely to take the review based exam if the cost to take the exam was around $350. | 19.7% |
| D. I would not be interested in taking either model at the proposed costs. | 20.9% |
| E. I am not interested in taking a certification exam of any kind at any cost. | 13% |
11. If the fee for taking a multiple choice certification exam was $650 for AIC members and the exam was offered at the annual meeting, would you take the AIC-sponsored mutiple choice certification exam within 3 years of its launch?
| A. Yes | 21.2% |
| B. Yes, but not within the first 3 years. | 4.1% |
| C. No, the cost of the exam is too high. | 43.8% |
| D. No, I would not be interested in taking exam regardless of cost. | 14.2% |
| E. Undecided | 16.7% |
12. If the fee for taking a review-based certification exam was $350, would you complete the application process within 3 years of its launch?
| A. Yes | 51.1% |
| B. Yes, but not within the first 3 years. | 6% |
| C. No, the cost of the exam is too high. | 12.4% |
| D. No, I would not be interested in taking exam regardless of cost. | 11.5% |
| E. Undecided | 19% |
ABOUT YOU
13. How long have you been an AIC member?
| A. 0-2 years | 13.5% |
| B. 3-5 years | 13.3% |
| C. 6-10 years | 17.4% |
| D. 11-15 years | 14.5% |
| E. 16-20 years | 13.2% |
| F. over 20 years | 28% |
14. What is your membership type within AIC?
| A. Associate | 33.7% |
| B. Professional Associate | 42.3% |
| C. Fellow | 12.7% |
| D. Student/Interim Year | 10.9% |
| E. Institutional Representative | 0.04% |
15. What is your primary occupation?
| A. Practicing Conservator | 78.3% |
| B. Conservation Scientist | 1.6% |
| C. Conservation Administrator | 7.8% |
| D. Allied Professional | 3.3% |
| E. Conservation Student | 7.8% |
| F. Other | 5.6% |
16. Where do you work?
| A. A museum, library, archive, or other collections institution | 78.3% |
| B. Private practice | 37.9% |
| C. A regional conservation center | 7% |
| D. Some combination of private practice and institution/museum setting | 6.6% |
| E. I am a student | 5.8% |
| F. Other | 4.5% |
16. Comments and/or Questions
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