The BCPO® examination consists of 125 multiple choice questions with four (4) choices per question. Twenty-five of these questions are included for research purposes only. The research questions are not identified; therefore, candidates should answer all questions to the best of their ability. Examination results will be based only on the 100 scored questions on the examination.
There are several versions of the examination. Because it is important that each candidate have an equal opportunity to pass the examination, no matter which version is administered, a weighted review process is in place. Professional organizer subject matter experts provide input as to the difficulty level of all questions, and that information is used to develop examination forms that have comparable difficulty levels. Due to variation in weighting, the raw number of questions required to pass the examination may be different for each version, so the scores are converted onto a reporting scale to ensure a common standard.
The passing grade required is a scaled (weighted) score of 70 out of a possible 100 points on the grading scale (and not merely 70 correct answers out of the 100 non-research questions). Candidates are not required to have a passing score in each of the six domains of the examination in order to achieve a passing score.
The BCPO® examination is a pass/fail examination and no actual scores will be reported to candidates. However, candidates who do not pass will be provided with an analysis of their performance, by content area, to assist in further study.