EDITORIAL BOARD RESEARCH WHITEPAPER
We show our work, source by source.
This is the TestPrepPilot Editorial Board's published research standard — the
investigation protocol every guide is built from. Every requirement, fee and
deadline on this site is traced back to a primary regulatory document; this page
explains exactly how a guide is investigated, how it is checked, and what happens
when a rule changes.
The one rule that governs everything
We cite primary sources. A "primary source" is the body that actually makes or
enforces the rule: a state licensing board, a federal agency, an exam vendor's
own candidate handbook, or the statute behind a credential. We read those
documents directly. We do not build pages by paraphrasing other
blogs, and we do not let a prep-course company tell us what the requirements are.
Where a figure cannot be confirmed from a primary source, we say so. You will see
confidence labels on our pages ("verified", "confirm with the board") rather than
a false sense of certainty.
The investigation protocol
Each credential page moves through the same investigative pipeline, owned end to end
by the Editorial Board. Nothing is published until it has cleared every step.
- 1
Scope the credential
Identify the exact issuing authority and jurisdiction — a state board, a
federal agency, or a private certifying body — and the precise name and
abbreviation of the credential.
- 2
Read the primary sources
Pull the statute, administrative code, candidate handbook and fee schedule.
For state credentials we read the board's own site; for national credentials
we read the awarding body's published materials.
- 3
Extract the facts that matter
Eligibility, education hours, exam format, question counts, pass marks, fees,
timelines and renewal rules — each captured with its source attached.
- 4
Structure into a roadmap
Turn the legalese into a plain-English, sequential path: what to do, in what
order, and what it costs — so a first-time candidate can act on it.
- 5
Expert review
Before publication, the draft is checked by a licensed professional in that
field where one is available. See our
Review Network.
- 6
Publish with a "last reviewed" date
Every substantive page carries the month it was last verified against its
sources, so you can see how fresh the information is.
- 7
Monitor for change
Boards revise fees and rules constantly. We re-check high-traffic pages on a
rolling schedule and update the "last reviewed" stamp when we do.
How we verify — and what "last reviewed" means
Each page shows a last reviewed date. That date is the month we
last confirmed the page's figures against its primary sources — not the date the
page was first written. When we re-verify, we update the stamp.
We also flag confidence explicitly:
- Verified — confirmed against a current primary source
at the last-reviewed date.
- Confirm with the board — the figure is current to
our knowledge but changes frequently (fees especially), so we ask you to confirm
before you pay.
- Not yet verified — a page still being researched; we
label it as in-progress rather than presenting guesses as fact.
Independence from affiliate revenue
TestPrepPilot participates in affiliate programs to fund its research (see our
Affiliate Disclosure). That relationship never
touches the facts. The requirements, exam format and costs on a page are researched
from primary sources first; provider recommendations are made separately, on the
merits, and we routinely list providers we earn nothing from when they are the
better route.
No provider can pay to alter a requirement, change a ranking, or secure a
recommendation. Where an affiliate link appears next to a recommendation, it is
labelled inline.
Corrections & updates
Rules change and we make mistakes like anyone else. When we find an error — or a
reader reports one — we correct the page and refresh its last-reviewed date. If a
correction is substantive, we note what changed. You can report anything that looks
off via our contact page; we read every one.
What we will not do
- We will not hide a total cost or timeline to make a path look easier.
- We will not alter a fact to flatter a provider we earn commission from.
-
We will not present unverified information as confirmed, or invent an expert
reviewer.
- We will not accept guest posts disguised as independent research.