2023–24 YouScience Brightpath Industry Certifications for high school students
Each academic year, the talented team at YouScience collaborates with industry specialists to meticulously assess and enhance specific YouScience Industry Certifications. This dedicated effort guarantees that the certifications remain precise and in perfect harmony with the dynamic skills demanded by various industries. With a commitment to staying up-to-date, YouScience diligently reviews all exams and standards, ensuring their relevance to industry needs at least once every three years and often more frequently.
2023-24 updates at a glance
New and updated exams of note
Behavioral Health Introduction is of particular interest because it focuses on mental health. According to Mental Health America, 19.86% of adults are experiencing a mental illness, equivalent to nearly 50 million Americans. Those interested in pursuing a career in Behavioral Health will likely find plenty of opportunities and go on to make a difference in the lives of many.
Additionally, two other new exams in the Human Services and Finance fields include Investing and Wealth Management, and Personal and Family Finance. Both of these exams are in the pilot phase and provide insight into often overlooked skills.
The full 2023-24 list of certifications for high school students that are new or updated
Here’s the detailed list of YouScience Industry Certifications that are new, updated, or renamed for the 2023-24 academic year.
New exams
All new exams are released as pilot exams. That means the standards and exams are available, but students can’t yet earn a certification when they take the exam.
The pilot phase is important to help set the cut score of the exam. To set the cut score, exam specialists work with subject-matter experts (SME), input and psychometric analysis of the pilot results and other data, and a modified-Angoff method (the most common method for determining the cut scores used for licensure and certification achievement tests).
| New Exams for 23-24 (in PILOT status) | Exam no. | Career cluster(s) |
| Behavioral Health, Introduction | 304 | Human Services, Health Science |
| Individual and Family Relationships | 306 | Human Services |
| Investing and Wealth Management | 237 | Human Services, Finance |
| Material Science | 625 | STEM, Manufacturing |
| Personal and Family Finance | 307 | Human Services, Finance |
| Web Development, Advanced | 895 | Information Technology |
Exams that have updated standards and a new name
Exams are sometimes renamed to better reflect the content of the standards and exam questions.
| Reviewed Exam Name | Exam no. | Name Change |
| Agricultural Mechanics and Technology 1 | 110 | Was Agricultural Systems Technology 1 |
| Agricultural Mechanics and Technology 2 | 113 | Was Agricultural Systems Technology 2 |
| Graphic Print Design 1 | 562 | Was Production Graphics 1 |
| Graphic Print Design 2 | 564 | Was Production Graphics 2 |
| Graphic Print Design 3 | 567 | Was Digital Print Design (568) |
| Early Childhood Education 1 | 325 | Was Early Childhood Education 1a |
| Early Childhood Education 2 | 328 | Was Early Childhood Education 1b |
Additional existing exams that were reviewed and have updated standards
| Reviewed Exam Name | Exam no. |
| Agricultural Mechanics, Advanced | 115 |
| Agricultural Biology | 1911 |
| Agricultural Mechanics and Technology 1 | 110 |
| Agricultural Mechanics and Technology 2 | 113 |
| Business Law | 240 |
| Child Development | 320 |
| Commercial Art 1 | 530 |
| Commercial Art 2 | 532 |
| Commercial Art 3 | 534 |
| Certified Protection Officer (LAPSEN) | |
| Customer Service | 403 |
| Early Childhood Education 1 | 325 |
| Early Childhood Education 2 | 328 |
| Early Childhood Education 3 | 329 |
| General Financial Literacy (GFL) | 4501 |
| Graphic Print Design 1 | 562 |
| Graphic Print Design 2 | 564 |
| Graphic Print Design 3 | 567 |
| Health Science Introduction | 700 |
| Hospitality and Tourism | 410 |
| Physical Therapy, Introduction | 735 |
| Web Development 1 | 893 |
| Web Development 2 | 894 |
| Welding Technician 1 | 595 |
| Welding Technician 2 | 596 |
| Welding Technician 3 | 597 |
2022-23 certifications that moved out of pilot status
The following exams, which were introduced in 2022-23 or earlier, are out of pilot status, and students can now earn a certification after passing the exam or if they met the exam cut score.
| Exam Name | Exam no. | Pilot status for 23-24 |
| Agricultural Machinery Technology | 114 | Certificate Available |
| Criminal Justice Findamentals | 571 | Certificate Available |
| Unmanned Aerial Systems 1 | 670 | Certificate Available |
2022-23 exams that remain in pilot status
The following exams, which were previously introduced, remain in pilot status until sufficient data is available to determine a cut score. Students can’t earn a certificate until an exam is out of pilot.
| Exam Name | Exam no. | Pilot status for 23-24 |
| 3D Animation 2 | 8192 | PILOT |
| Algorithms and Data Sturctures | 845 | PILOT |
| Behavioral Health, Introduction | 304 | PILOT |
| Cloud Computing 1 | 891 | PILOT |
| Cloud Computing 2 | 892 | PILOT |
| Database Development | 860 | PILOT |
| Floriculture, Advanced | 135 | PILOT |
| Guide Dog Training | 129 | PILOT |
| Individual and Family Reationships | 306 | PILOT |
| Investing and Wealth Management | 237 | PILOT |
| Linux Fundamentals | 890 | PILOT |
| Material Science | 625 | PILOT |
| Medical Anatomy, Advanced | 703 | PILOT |
| Mobile Development Fundamentals | 850 | PILOT |
| Non-Destructive Testing | 598 | PILOT |
| Personal and Family Finance | 307 | PILOT |
| Web Development, Advanced | 895 | PILOT |
New partner exams
In addition to the new and updated industry certificates for the 2023-24 academic year, one new partner exam was updated.
Certified Protection Officer (LAPSEN)
Exams that have a new name
These exams use the previous standards but have been renamed to better reflect industry trends.
| Reviewed Exam Name | Exam no. | Name Change |
| Agricultural Mechanics and Technology 1 | 110 | Was Agricultural Systems Technology 1 |
| Agricultural Mechanics and Technology 2 | 113 | Was Agricultural Systems Technology 2 |
| Graphic Print Design 1 | 562 | Was Production Graphics 1 |
| Graphic Print Design 2 | 564 | Was Production Graphics 2 |
| Graphic Print Design 3 | 567 | Was Digital Print Design (568) |
How are certifications updated or created?
YouScience creates new exams when industry needs to validate new skills. We review exams anytime industry requirements, products or processes, or standards change and when exam performance data indicates an exam needs updating.
The intensive multistep process starts with a review committee, consisting of YouScience exam experts, education and industry SMEs, and state or association specialists, that meets to:
- Review or modify existing exam standards.
- Build or modify an exam blueprint to define the scope of the exam. The blueprint ensures the exam and questions align to each standard. It also acts as a guide to focus the committee on a quality product.
- Review psychometric data for the exam and each item (question) to ensure proper performance.
- Review, modify, or add exam content as needed for each item in the exam.
- Based on the review and SME input, exams or individual questions on the exam are enhanced, meaning information is improved to deliver better results, deleted, or rewritten, or a new question added.
- YouScience exam experts create a draft of the updated exam.
- The committee reviews the draft at least three times to ensure it matches the blueprint before the updated or new exam is released.
What’s the benefit of YouScience Industry Certifications?
Certifications give students tangible proof of the skills and knowledge learned in career and technical education (CTE) courses. They get proof they can use to enter the workforce or skip entry-level college courses. And proof of the skills needed by industry.
Educators access validated industry standards, exams, and data. They get ready-made tools to help with preparing students for life after school. They also access tools to support their programs and meet federal and state requirements.
Pre- and post-tests (where available) let them measure student growth, drive program improvements, adapt to local pathway needs, build stackable credentials, and easily meet and report on funding requirements. Data also lets educators increase diversity in certification programs to maximize funding.
Standards give employers and educators a common language about industry needs, which strengthens education-to-career connections.
Can colleges use YouScience Industry Certifications?
Yes. YouScience Industry Certifications were developed to be used in the secondary education sector as well as colleges and universities. Read this recent case study on how YouScience is making an impact in higher education.
To learn more about YouScience Industry Certifications, visit youscience.com/certifications