PAEA Hosts Successful Exam Development Summit

PAEA recently welcomed more than 70 Exam Development Board (EDB) members to Austin, Texas, for the 11th annual Exam Development Summit—a key event marking the culmination of a year-long exam item writing and review process.

Over four days, EDB members took part in intensive peer review sessions to finalize nearly 1,000 exam items for use in future administrations of the PACKRAT®, End of Curriculum™, and End of Rotation™ exams. This annual summit is an essential part of ensuring high-quality, valid, and reliable assessment tools for PA students.

The 2025 Summit welcomed seven new EDB members, who began their service with an in-person item writing training session led by Assessment Editor-in-Chief, Melinda Blazar. They joined experienced board members, PAEA staff, psychometric and test development partners, and PAEA President Dipu Patel in contributing to the critical work of exam development.

In addition to reviewing newly written items, participants worked in exam validation sessions with PAEA’s psychometric partners. These sessions focused on analyzing performance statistics for items previously administered, with the goal of determining whether each item is functioning as intended or requires revision.

Although the Summit is highly focused and collaborative, it also provides important opportunities for connection and community-building. Representing 66 PA programs from across the country, EDB members had the chance to network, share insights, and celebrate a year of hard work. One highlight of this year’s social events was an evening at Electric Shuffle, offering some friendly shuffleboard competition and time to unwind.

PAEA extends heartfelt thanks to all Exam Development Board members and chairs for their dedication and expertise. Your commitment ensures that our assessments remain rigorous, relevant, and reflective of the evolving needs of PA education.

We look forward to another year of innovation, collaboration, and excellence in exam development.