2024โ25 YouScience Brightpath Industry Certifications for high school students
Each academic year, YouScience collaborates with industry experts to evaluate and improve the YouScience Industry Certifications. This ongoing commitment ensures that the certifications remain accurate and aligned with the evolving skill requirements of various industries. By consistently updating exams and standards, YouScience ensures their relevance to industry demands at least once every three years and often even more frequently.
2024-25 updates at a glance
new exams
reviewed exams
total new and reviewed exams
New and updated exams of note
Food Science and Nutrition is one of the most popular exams with nearly 25,000 students taking it last year. For the 2024-25 academic year, the exam has been renamed (previously Food and Nutrition), and the standards have been updated as well.
Additionally, UAS Lab: Design, Build, Maintain and UAS Lab: Intermediate Flight are two new drone exams in the pilot stage. There is also a new Influencer and Content Marketing exam in the pilot phase.
The full 2024-25 list of certifications for high school students that are new or updated
Here is the detailed list of YouScience Industry Certifications that are new, updated, or renamed for the 2024-25 academic year.
New exams
All new exams are released as pilot exams. That means the standards and exams are available, but students canโt 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 24-25 (in PILOT status) | Career cluster(s) |
| Influencer and Content Marketing | Marketing |
| UAS Lab: Design, Build, Maintain | Transportation, Distribution, & Logistics |
| UAS Lab: Intermediate Flight | Transportation, Distribution, & Logistics |
| Radio Production 1 | Arts, A/V Technology & Communications |
| Radio Production 2 | Arts, A/V Technology & Communications |
| 3D Print Technology | Arts, A/V Technology & Communications, Information Technology, STEM |
| Food Production and Processing |
Agriculture, Food &ย Natural Resources |
| Sports and Outdoor Recreation Marketing | Marketing |
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 | Name Change |
| Architectural Design 1 | Was CAD Architectural Design 1 |
| Architectural Design 2 | Was CAD Architectural Design 2 |
| Architectural Design 3 | Was CAD Architectural Design 3 |
| Food Science and Nutrition | Was Food and Nutrition |
| Interior Design 3 | Was Interior Design, Advanced |
| ย Mechanical Design 1 | Was CAD Mechanical Design 1 |
| ย Mechanical Design 2 | Was CAD Mechanical Design 2 |
| ย Mechanical Design 3 |
Was CAD Mechanical Design 3 |
| Small Business Math | Was Business Math and Personal Finance |
Additional existing exams that were reviewed and have updated standards
| Reviewed Exam Name |
| Business Office Specialist |
| Commercial Photography 1 |
| Commercial Photography 2 |
| Computer Systems 1 |
| Computer Systems 2 |
| Digital Audio 1 |
| Digital Audio 2 |
| Digital Business Applications |
| Economics |
| Guide Dog Training |
| Individual and Family Relationships |
| Machining 1 |
| Machining 2 |
| Machining 3 |
| Networking |
| Real Estate |
| Unmanned Aerial Systems |
| Veterinary Assistant 2 |
2024-25 certifications that moved out of pilot status
The following exams, introduced in 2023-24 or earlier, are out of pilot status, and students can now earn a certification after passing the exam or meeting the exam cut score.
| Exam Name | Pilot status for 24-25 |
| 3D Animation 2 | Certificate Available |
| Agricultural Machinery Technology | Certificate Available |
| Algorithms and Data Structures | Certificate Available |
| Floriculture, Advanced | Certificate Available |
| Mobile Development Fundamentals | Certificate Available |
| Non-Destructive Testing | Certificate Available |
| Behavioral Health Introduction | Certificate Available |
| Individual and Family Relationships | Certificate Available |
| Investing and Wealth Management | Certificate Available |
| Material Science | Certificate Available |
| Personal and Family Finance | Certificate Available |
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.
Whatโs 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