Defining "minimally-competent" candidates in examination standard setting: Mental models may help

One of the most important yet consistently challenging aspects of any standard-setting is operationalizing the target (i.e., "minimally-competent") candidate. I explore how standard-setting facilitators can more effectively engage their subject matter experts and help them converge on a shared operational definition of minimal competence. To do this, I integrate research insights from the cognitive psychology and industrial/organizational psychology literatures regarding the development of team shared mental models. By using a shared mental model approach, standard setters may better develop an accurate and convergent understanding of minimal competence more efficiently and with less error.