Accountability

To whom does the GBEC report?

  • The GBEC reports to the House of Bishops and to the General Convention.

How do I know the General Ordination Exam is fair?

  • Unlike most academic exams, the GOE is not created by a single individual but by specialized teams of members of the Board whose proposed questions in each canonical area are reviewed by the entire Board. This Board includes bishops, seminary faculty members, parish priests, and lay people experienced in the church and in education. Together they must approve each part of the entire GOE. This process is designed to eliminate bias in the questions. The Board as a whole, in other words, accepts responsibility for the integrity of the GOE, as it does for that of the evaluation. This is why the names of every Board member appear on the exam certificate.

How does the GBEC evaluate its own work?

  • The GBEC formally and informally evaluates its work every year. It formally collects and discusses feedback from Examining Chaplains, Readers, editors, staff, and professionals in the field of educational testing. Examining Chaplains evaluate Readers. The Board formally reviews the entire annual process of the GOE creation, administration, and evaluation, and it keeps performance statistics in every area. It also receives feedback from bishops, seminary deans, Candidates, and other sources.

How does the GBEC manage its work?


How does the GBEC take into account cultural and ethnic differences?

  • As far as possible, the board itself is culturally and ethnically diverse, and so are the selected Readers. The GBEC is also deliberately attentive to possible problems of cultural differences posed by the GOE questions.