The Certified Usability Analyst Exam™

Overview of HFI’s Training and Certification Program

We help make companies user-centric

Overview CUA Certification
Goals
 Measures practitioners’ factual knowledge of current User-Centered Design
(UCD) domain in 4 competency areas:
• User Experience Foundations
• User-Centered Analysis
• Application and Web Design
• Usability Testing
 Assesses UCD practitioners’ ability to apply proven techniques, practices,
methodologies, and tools to common UCD problems
 Provide a level of basic certification of UCD. The CUA is not intended to replace
or compete with academic degrees earned in the field of Human Computer
Interaction
 The CUA exam was designed to gauge knowledge and performance, and not to
be a “final" exam of the HFI 4-pack courses

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About the CUA Exam Format
 Administered online via a Web browser
 Open book exam
 100 total questions
 2.5 hour time limit for English speaking test takers (4 hours for those not fluent
in English, please request a time extension if applicable)
 Divided into four parts:
• Research/Foundations - 10 items
• User-Centered Analysis - 26 items
• Application and Web Design - 38 items
• Usability Testing – 26 items
 All questions are multiple-choice with 4 available responses and 1 correct
answer
 70% of the questions are factual, 30% of the questions are application

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About the Integrity of the CUA Exam
 A unique exam is created for each test taker by randomly selecting equivalent
items from a larger database of questions
 The order of selected test questions is randomized within each of the 4 test
sections
 The order of responses within each selected test question is randomized

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Preparing for the CUA Exam...
 The exam is challenging
 Those who have the best chance of passing the exam on the first attempt
typically have:
• A few years of practical experience in user-centered design
• Taken all of the most recent 4-pack courses
• Prepared for the exam by organizing their course materials
• Done some individual or group review
• Formulated a strategy for taking the exam

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Sample CUA Exam Factual Question...

The menu design above appeared on one version of the IBM

Correct! home page. What type of content organization scheme does this
This menu reflects
actual user
menu best represent?
categories (A) Task-oriented
(B) Audience-oriented
(C) Chronological
(D) Topical

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Sample CUA Exam Application Question...
As a Certified Usability Analyst, you were recently asked by the
product manager of a customer service Web application to
attend a meeting with the design team. The purpose of the
meeting is to finalize a usability test plan in preparation for an
upcoming test with actual customer service representatives. The
current focus of the discussion centers on conducting the pilot
test. Which one of your colleagues is NOT offering sound
advice?
(A) Marie: “Before the pilot test, I think we should identify which
one of us will be responsible for tracking time”.
Correct!
Pilot tests should focus (B) Rick: “Before the pilot test, I think we should get with the
only on the test protocol legal department to determine if we need to ask participants for
and materials, not actual informed consent”.
data gathering.

(C) Treye: “For the pilot test, I think we should recruit actual
customer service participants so we can gather some initial
usability data”.

(D) Amanda: “After the pilot test, I think we should allow at least
one or two days before beginning the actual test”.

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Upon Completion of the Exam...

 The final page of the exam indicates whether the examinee passed or failed and
shows the percentage of correct answers for each section
 HFI does not provide questions or answers as test questions are proprietary
 If a passing score is achieved, examinees receive a CUA certificate and electronic
emblem
 Two attempts are included in the exam fee. If an examinee does not pass the first
attempt, he/she will be contacted to schedule the second attempt

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About Initial Pass/Fail Rates...

 Typically, 80% of test takers pass the exam on the first attempt
 Typically, those who fail the exam and review their materials pass the exam on
the second attempt

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Recent Feedback About the Exam...

 Feedback from those who have passed describe the exam as a good or excellent
measure of their knowledge
 Feedback from a PhD-level, UCD Manager at a large, Midwestern software
development company said that those who recently passed the exam were more
effective in their role as UCD practitioners, compared to a group that did not pass
the exam.

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Thank You!
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