May 17, 2024—CCO employs “pilot questions” to assess new, unscored exam items and evaluate their performance relative to candidates’ responses to scored questions. This practice, integral to exam development, allows CCO psychometricians to gauge the effectiveness of new questions before they are scored items on the exams.
Beginning July 15, candidates taking the Mobile Crane Operator exams will encounter additional pilot questions that will increase the total number of questions on the exams. Specifically, five questions will be added to the Mobile Crane Operator Core Exam, with an additional two questions incorporated into each Specialty Exam.
Notably, Specialty Exams will introduce fill-in-the-blanks questions alongside the traditional multiple-choice format. Unlike traditional questions with predefined answer options, fill-in-the-blanks questions require candidates to discern the correct calculation or response without provided choices. This adjustment reflects real-world scenarios faced by operators, where the emphasis lies on accurate problem-solving rather than selecting from predetermined options.