I was among the very first to take the ACA exam way back in 1989, and can bearly remember remember the questions I had to answer.  I took it at the time because I was qualified to do so, I wanted to boost my professional credentials, and because my boss advised that, over time, the test would only get harder, rather than easier (she was right). 

 

I assisted in proctoring the exam last week, and while sitting there, had a look at the test questions to help pass the time.  A lot has changed on the realm of architopia since '89, and most of the changes are technologically related.  Many of the questions had several right answers, and picking the best one seemed a daunting task.  I think I would have had a hard time getting through the test today without doing my utmost to keep up with the profession and the technologies we use. 

 

In addition to proctoring the test, I also sat in on the item-writing workshop for the very first time (N.B. I attended primarily as an observor).  One of the impressions that I made during both the proctoring and item-writing experiences is that there is a range of different types of archives and archivists (i.e. business archives, government archives, manuscripts, photographic archives, audio-visual curatoriaship, religious/church archives, and more), so it seems to me that the questions should be rather general in nature, and not too specific.  It would take an Albert Einstein to keep up with all of the areas of archival curatorialship.

 

Still, in spite of all of the criticisms against the test, having some measure of professionalism is better than none, and I am glad to see that the ACA is steadily growing.

 

:-)

Bob McInnes, BA, MA, CA, MBA