National Home Inspection Exam News

NHIE a valid, reliable home inspector examination

Home inspector regulatory legislation is in draft or introduced in Missouri, Colorado, Florida, Alaska and other states. To protect the public and provide fair regulation, any such legislation should require a valid, reliable, legally defensible examination.

To our knowledge, the National Home Inspector Examination is the only home inspector competence assessment tool that is developed and maintained according to joint standards established by the American Psychological Association, the National Council on Measurement and Education, and the American Education Research Association. The processes used to prepare and score the Examination are in accordance with applicable psychometric concepts to assure validity, reliability and legal defensibility.

EBPHI has developed legislative language addressing competence assessment by requiring a high-stakes, content-valid, legally defensible examination in home inspector legislation and/or regulation. We urge you to provide it to lawmakers or others seeking input on this requirement:

Qualifications for licensure

Must pass an examination designed to test competence in home inspection practice, as determined by recognized role definition methodology and developed and administered in a manner consistent with the American Educational Research Association’s Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing; the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s  Uniform Guidelines for Employee Selection Procedures; the Civil Rights Act of 1991; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; and other applicable standards.

Annual item review and test assembly

In January, 21 home inspectors participated as subject matter experts in EBPHI’s annual item writing meeting. The six states that have adopted the NHIE for competency assessment-Arizona, Connecticut, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Wisconsin-were represented.

The follow-up test assembly meeting is scheduled for April, again with subject matter expert home inspectors. Both activities are conducted under the guidance of CASTLE Worldwide, Inc., a full service psychometric consulting firm.
VA approves NHIE for reimbursement

The Illinois State Approving Agency of the Department of Veterans Affairs has approved the National Home Inspector Examination for reimbursement through its Licensing and Certification Approval System (LACAS). Approval is valid nationwide. Veterans should contact their local Veterans Affairs office for more information.