ACA Exam Update

Little late here, but I passed the Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA) exam. This was the first time I'd taken a multiple choice exam in years--maybe since I took the GRE back in 2006. 

Obviously I'm pleased, and taking the exam comes with several benefits:

1) The studying/preparation forced me to read through books and examine schools of thought I never previously considered. I was able to trace the genesis of the field of archives in the United States, in Europe post-French Revolution, and, thanks to Posner, read up ancient examples of archives (Sumerian clay tablets, Romans, and archives in medieval Europe).

2) I could see where the field is going. Literature and scholarly articles found in recent journals provide a sense of ongoing struggles and challenges in the field (budgets, digitization, outreach efforts, retention, etc.)

3)  The letter from the ACA congratulating me on passing also came with my scores in each field, so I can see where I need to do some more work.

4) Let's not forget the most obvious thing: now that I've passed, once the check clears, I will be ACA-certified (officially beginning January 2014).

So, accompanied with the master's in history, the impending master's in library and information science, this is another notch in my belt. Only thing left is a PhD, but I will put that off for a few years.

Reflecting on the Academy of Certified Archivists' (ACA) Exam

I first heard about the Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA) back around 2008 when I was working in the North Carolina Room (NCR) at the New Hanover County Public Library (NHCPL). I was completing work on my master's degree in history and applying for archivist jobs, but almost all of them wanted the same thing: an ALA-accredited MLS. It didn't matter how well I knew history or could conduct historical research or process archival collections--that ALA-accredited MLS was virtually mandatory. 

However, some postings indicated that they would accept master's degrees "in a related" field with qualifying professional experience and ACA-certification. So, to become an archivist, it seemed there were two possibilities:

1) Go for the second master's degree in library science.

or

2) Take the ACA exam. 

While the latter seemed helpful, it did not seem to weigh as heavily as the ALA-accredited MLS. Looking at the Handbook on the official website (www.certifiedarchivists.org), I could see that my understanding of both the history and scholarship of the field was lacking. 

So finally, I decided to pursue the ALA-MSLIS.

And finally, after nearing completion on the ALA-MSLIS, I have (some) time to study and take the ACA exam.

Granted, I did not have as much time as others (guides suggest you need about at least 9 months to prepare, but a few years is nice too), and granted, I did not have a study group to work with, I do feel I had the following advantages:

1) Blogs/other online guides/resources at my disposal

2) By virtue of currently being in grad school and taking classes dealing with archival science, I was "studying"--even if I wasn't intentionally studying for the exam.

The only real con is that I could not devote all of my energies to the texts and I really could not fully anticipate what would be on the exam.

So what was my thought process? Well, I looked at the feedback from people who took the exam last year. Among the common gripes were that the questions were very tech-oriented and that they dealt with current readings and journals, vs. the established literature which everyone had used for preparation (because the handbook recommended said readings).

So, I based my preparation on their complaints--not really anticipating that, yes, maybe the test designers might, in turn, modify the exam--which they did.

So how did I do? I have no idea.

I felt good and bad about it. I know I got over 50% of the questions right, but I also feel that some of the questions were tricky, and I had to actually think hard for them. In such cases, it was not about taking information learned from the texts, but exercising judgment and ethics based on hypothetical scenarios. There were a few where training and literature as an archivist comes into conflict with training from other disciplines (in which I may have more experience), and I was torn on the answers. So 50% right, and 50% of the remaining 50% questions could go either way. I would say I scored a 72 with a +/- of 7.

"I KNOW this answer is right from prior experience working in museums and preservation practices, but that answer could be right according to archival practices..." So, just as there is professional conflict between historians, librarians, records managers, and archivists, so too was there conflict with my answers.

So, I don't know how I did. What I can say is that, yes, there is a pronounced emphasis on electronic records, digitization, and digital records, and the ACA is to be commended for taking such steps. The exam also included several questions tied to outreach and management of archives facilities (i.e. HR practices, training, funding, etc.). That was definitely my weak spot. 

In any case, I will find out by the middle of September.

Preparing for the ACA Exam

For the past few months, I have slowly been preparing for taking the Academy of Certified Archivist (ACA)'s exam. I first became aware of it back around 2008 or 2009, and while my experience and education were on the cusp of meeting the requirements for taking the exam, I think the additional four to five years of professional experience and the (impending) second master's help out considerably. Part of me wonders if, after all of this, I would need the ACA certification. My thinking? It can't hurt.

I remember the first time I looked at the sample exam in the ACA's exam study guide. I could grasp the ideas, but it reminded me a lot of taking the GRE--particularly the verbal section. Unlike the quantitative section, where it is easy to discern the best answer (unless it involves finding the potential values or range(s) of a variable--which can take time), the verbal section can be tricky. Often, there are multiple "correct" answers. Again, it's about finding the best answer--and while scholars who designed the test have a firm notion of what is correct and...not-so-correct, I think it's a bit more subjective than that.

I also think that there should be some points for being on the right track versus being utterly wrong altogether. In baseball terms, there's striking out, there's getting a walk, a single, a double, and a home run. Batting average does not factor in walks, which are factored in on-base percentage, and slugging percentage will point out a player's ability to get extra base hits--but it won't necessarily show how often he (or she) gets on base.

The point is, if the designers of exams are going to give multiple "right" answers, but only one best answer, then I believe the other decent answers should not immediately be counted as wrong--because it dismisses the abilities of the test-taker. "Oh, he didn't hit a home run--he just got a double. It's still not good enough."

I just wish that the GRE would weigh the values of each answer. "That one is the best, so it's a whole point. That one is good, but not the best. It shows he/she has a clue, so it's a half point. Those two are pretty bad, actually, so they are not worth anything."

That said, the ACA's certified exam is designed similar to the GRE. It's about the best answer and, again, there are multiple right responses. Looking at blogs and study guides and feedback from other past participants, that seems to be the leading cause of frustration. A question will be difficult and the answer may be ambiguous at best. In a world of gray, creating a sense of black and white (or this is right and that is wrong) when both answers could either be right or wrong is something I question. I am unsure as to what kind of lesson it teaches.

Still, I have faith in the designers of the exam--that the questions are based on scenarios and points (which are addressed in the study guide) that serve as models for how an archivist should respond or react if placed in a similar situation.

That said, times are changing. The profession changes because the material placed in the care of archivists is increasingly switching to digital records. I would imagine that future tests would have to increasingly adapt more questions focusing on electronic records management to ensure that future members of the ACA are adequately prepared for the challenges their profession faces. Naturally, all of this makes me increasingly nervous as the test nears, but this is something to cover in another entry.