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Studying for the IAAP WAS 📚

When I first considered the IAAP WAS exam, I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of material. As a visual and kinesthetic learner, I knew I needed a unique approach to tackle the 90-page Body of Knowledge.

Getting started

First, I had the IAAP WAS Body of Knowledge (BoK) PDF printed and bound. Then, I read through it cover-to-cover, highlighting items I felt I was weakest in. While the information was helpful, a 90 page document full of links quickly became overwhelming. Because I’m more of a visual and kinesthetic learner I opted to create a Notion website organizing information in a way that I could take the BoK bit by bit.

Creating my Notion website

Organize site into pages by domains 1, 2, and 3 as written on the BoK
Within each domain page add pages for all of the sections so as to mirror the BoK
Within each section, create content blocks for the study tasks and links to resources
Use the other space on the page to take notes on concepts I didn't know or wanted to make sure I studied further.
Start collecting acronyms and terms from the BoK to commit to memory (Appendix A)
Collate all of the study tasks into one long list
Duplicate the study tasks and start writing out answers to create a study guide (Appendix B)
Print study guide and study a little bit at a time.

Playing around with AI

The role of artificial intelligence in my career and day-to-day life is still taking shape. As mentioned previously, I learn more by doing than just reading. I used my time studying for the exam to play around with some AI tools. The output is in the appendices of the Notion website and outlined below.

AI Generated Podcast using NotebookLM (Appendix C)

‍I had one podcast generated from the IAAP WAS BoK and one generated from my personal study guide. Both podcasts were too high level to be helpful for studying but the concept was neat. Added points for being able to “call in” to the show and ask questions.

WCAG 2.2 Test Questions using ChatGPT (Appendix D)

Using ChatGPT, I generated 50 practice questions and an answer sheet based on WCAG 2.2. While some questions were helpful, others had multiple correct answers, highlighting the importance of cross-referencing with official materials.

Organizing screen reader shortcuts using ChatGPT (Appendix E)

‍Using Deque’s screen reader PDFs (https://dequeuniversity.com/screenreaders/) I asked chat GPT to identify patterns an recommend the best way to study the many keyboard shortcuts for screen readers. Again, I found some missteps in the content generated however, the study recommendations I did find helpful.

Check out the Notion website

Final thoughts

‍The WAS exam is not for beginners. Earning the IAAP WAS certification has deepened my understanding of accessibility standards, coding, testing, and remediation which is continuing to enhance my collaboration with developers. For those preparing for the exam, hands-on experience with accessibility tools is invaluable.

I'm excited to have my certification and look forward to learning more as maintain my certification through continuing education.