How BPI Creates and Maintains Their Industry-Leading Certifications

Ever wondered what goes into creating a Building Performance Institute (BPI) certification? The process is far more rigorous and collaborative than most people realize. These credentials aren’t developed in isolation by a small team (although that would probably be much easier and faster). Instead, they’re the result of extensive industry collaboration, psychometric analysis, and continuous refinement.

In the following two interview clips, BPI CEO Amanda Hatherly pulls back the curtain on the comprehensive process that makes BPI certifications the gold standard in building performance. From the initial identification of industry needs to the ongoing maintenance that keeps certifications current, every step follows the demanding American National Standards Institute (ANSI) framework.

The development process involves real industry experts. 

Subject matter experts (SMEs) from across the country define the job task analysis, eligibility requirements, and scope for each certification. These aren’t BPI staff members making assumptions about what’s best. These SMEs are proven building science professionals who understand exactly what skills and knowledge are needed out in the field.

Rigorous testing ensures quality. 

Every certification undergoes pilot testing followed by psychometric analysis to identify questions that are too easy, too hard, or poorly written. This scientific approach ensures that passing a BPI exam truly means competency.

Continuous improvement keeps certifications relevant. 

Standards technical committees regularly review and update certifications based on stakeholder feedback and industry evolution. When changes are proposed, they go through public comment periods, giving the entire industry a voice in the process.

These reasons are why federal, utility, and state programs consistently call out BPI standards and credentials. The ANSI-aligned process creates certifications that industry professionals, government agencies, and consumers trust.

Let’s tune into what Amanda has to say about how this comprehensive process works (and don’t miss the second video further down the page)!

Transcript below.

Brit: Can you walk us through how BPI develops those certifications and what that process looks like from you first identifying a need all the way to having this certification?

Amanda: Usually it’s in collaboration with some partners – either program administrators, utility programs, program implementers, government partners, experts out in the industry. They’ll identify either a standard or a credential that they’re looking for.

It’s not like we sit there and make it all up in our heads. We bring together subject matter experts from around the country and then those subject matter experts define things like: what are the tasks, what’s the required knowledge, and what’s the scope? I think people do think that BPI staff make these up and we don’t. We rely on the people who really know across the country. 

Anybody can contact us and apply to be a subject matter expert or be on one of our committees, so it’s open to the public. 

Once we’ve done that, once we’ve gone through that process of identifying the knowledge, then we’ll develop exam content based on the knowledge, and then make sure it’s aligned to whatever other industry standards are out there.

Then we do a pilot exam/pilot testing. Then after the pilot testing, we have what’s called psychometric analysis, where they analyze all of the results of the exam. So they see, did everyone get this one wrong, in which case the question wasn’t written well, or it was way too easy or way too hard. Or did everyone get this right? And so then, based on the psychometric analysis, the exam may be adjusted a bit. Then after that, we will have it out there in the industry for people to be able to take. 

Everything’s aligned to the ANSI process. ANSI is the American National Standards Institute and that’s very rigorous. That was something when I first started as CEO, I had no idea quite how rigorous it was.

Brit: I have heard that the ANSI process is quite rigorous. When something is an ANSI standard, you know this is really well vetted. This is a big team effort.

Amanda: I think that’s one reason why across the country – like federal programs, utility programs, state programs – call out BPI standards and credentials because we go through that process with them.

Transcript below.

Brit: How does BPI ensure that its certifications stay relevant and rigorous over time? 

Amanda: We have standards technical committees for the different standards, and they will periodically be reviewing them, getting stakeholder feedback, and making adjustments.

When a standard is updated because of the committee recommendations, it goes up for public comment so that everyone out there in the public can see that we might be making this change and they can give feedback. The industry professionals around the country are really deeply involved in the development and revision of standards and credentials.