This article describes the yearlong process of systematically developing an MPA Major Field Test with a team of five schools in various regions of the United States. Each school professor on the test team interviewed numerous practitioners to determine current issues in the profession. The practitioner information was filtered through at least one academic team member who used the information to create exam questions and submitted them for peer review. The test is based on NASPAA’s five competencies for the MPA degree. Four schools list the data gleaned from the test results and its impact on their MPA program. Though the data set is currently not large enough to determine validity or reliability, the article describes the process and the utility of the test to offer the first collaborative measurement for schools to determine the strength of their MPA program.
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