PATC. PECB Approved Testing Center Requirements

Transcription

1 PATC PECB Approved Testing Center Requirements Copyright 2018 PECB. Reproduction or storage in any form for any purpose is not permitted without a PECB prior written permission. No other right or permission is granted with respect to this work. All rights reserved.

2 Table of Contents 1. Introduction General Facility Requirements Technical Requirements Operating System (OS) Computer Requirements Hardware Installed Applications Camera Requirements Administrator Process Application Form Remote testing Initial Approval Surveillance Maintenance... 4

3 Page 1 of 4 1. Introduction Through the PECB Exams software, PECB provides opportunities for organizations to deliver testing for PECB Professional certifications. Initially, an institution interested to provide PECB online examinations must undergo an administration and technical process in order to be granted an approval by PECB to run a test center. In order to be granted permission, a procedure must be followed and requirements regarding facility and technical resources must be met. This document discusses in detail the requirements and standards needed to administer PECB exam sessions. 2. General Facility Requirements To be able to host PECB exam sessions a test center must initially provide a suitable environment where the testing is conducted. In order for a facility to be accepted as an appropriate testing environment it must: a) be a professional, comfortable and quiet area b) provide access to people with disabilities, in compliance with local laws and regulations c) have a separate area for checking in candidates d) have lockers or other suitable lockable storage for personal belongings e) be able to restrict all other activities in the exam room during exam sessions f) be able to restrict test takers to use tobacco products, food, drinks, or chewing gums g) have a proper ventilation and optimal temperature for taking exam h) have sufficient lighting that allows test takers to read the questions without difficulties i) provide individual and private desks to examinees as well as comfortable chairs situated in a proper distance and separated with a partition or spaced apart by 3.5 inches or 1 meters to prevent test takers from viewing from one another. j) have a test administrator certified by PECB who invigilates the exam either by: k) by being inside the exam room with a video surveillance system (with only 1 camera) accessible by PECB s online invigilators who would be able to see both, the candidates and the test administrator. In this case, no external camera would be required from candidates l) by being outside the exam room with a video surveillance system (with multiple cameras), where the test administrator would be able to see the candidates from outside the room through his/her workstation (PC). In this case, external cameras would be required from each candidate, and the test administrator, besides the exam room, would be able to see each candidate s desk.

4 Page 2 of 4 3. Technical Requirements Apart from providing the appropriate facility, the test center must also provide all technical resources required to deliver an exam session online. The technical requirements relate to providing the devices (PCs) and the related technical infrastructure needed for running the PECB exams software Operating System (OS) PECB exams application supports the following operating systems: Windows 7, 8, 10 Macintosh OS X 3.2. Computer Requirements The online exam sessions must be held in a computer (laptop or desktop), while other devices such as mobile phones, tablets, etc., are not acceptable. The device used must support the following specifications: Specifications Screen Keyboard Pointing device Network Security Minimum Requirements Display must measure 24.6 cm (9.5 inches) diagonally and support resolution of at least 1024 x 768 at 32,000 colors. Physical keyboard (wired or wireless) is required for desktop computers. Mouse, trackpad, touchpad or touch screen or other pointing device with which the student is familiar. Connected to the internet with at least 1 Mb per second download and 1 Mb per second upload for each concurrent device in a test session. The device must be secured so that the student does not have access to unauthorized websites, applications and spell checking features. An approved secure app will be provided to assist with the temporary locking down of devices for the test session. Moreover, to ensure that you are able to launch the program, the computers must meet the following hardware and software requirements. These requirements apply for all the operating systems supported.

5 Page 3 of Hardware a) Minimum 200MB available space b) USB PnP external webcam with a built-in microphone c) Internet access (Recommended minimum of 1 Mbps upload / 1 Mbps download) and ping must be below 200 milliseconds Installed Applications a) Ports 80 & 443 to be opened 3.3. Camera Requirements Recommended Specifications: a) Minimum Video Resolution of 720p with a frame rate of 30 fps b) High Speed USB 2.0 connection Plug and Play preferred c) Built-in microphone highly recommended d) We recommend cameras with a heavy base and flexible neck to allow easier placement e) Cord length of 6 (2m) or more. Digital Camcorder, Smartphone, Tablet, additional Laptops/computers are not acceptable as camera alternatives. You have to place your camera on your left or right side of your desk so the invigilator is able to see you and your PC. Note: Camera is required only if exam session is invigilated by the test administrator outside the exam room. Only external cameras are accepted 3.4. Administrator PECB Approved Testing Centers must have an appointed Administrator in order to be an invigilator as well as serve the role of the IT Systems Manager as well. Administrator s main role will be to ensure that the Testing Center meets all general and technical requirements, support candidates for technical assistance, and coordinate with PECB Technical team for any request regarding the PECB Exams application. Administrator can be anyone working for the company that is capable to ensure the requirements are being met and be able to make modifications if needed. 4. Process The process of having a testing center approved by PECB is straight forward. It s important for the testing center to provide all information that shows compliance with the general, facility, and technical requirements.

6 Page 4 of Application Form The first step is to fill out the application form and sending it to atc@pecb.com. It s very important to fill out all information correctly in order to allow PECB to perform a proper review of the conditions of the testing center. Download the Application Form here. 4.2 Remote testing After receiving the application and successful evaluation of meeting requirements, PECB will perform a remote testing with the testing center. More precisely, technical team at PECB will perform individual tests in every workstation using remote connection software to ensure technical requirements are met and that PECB Exams application is installed. 4.3 Initial Approval Upon successful evaluation of general and technical requirements, PECB will approve the testing center to operate PECB exams. As such, Reseller will be granted with access in their Reseller Dashboard to organize private examination events. Detailed manuals will be provided to the Testing Center Administrator, as well as demo session with PECB technical team. In addition, PECB technical team will assist the Testing Center Administrator to install the application as well as answer any technical questions so the ATC can run smoothly. 4.4 Surveillance PECB has the right to perform annual audits of the Approved Testing Center and continuously monitor ATC operations to ensure the ATC is performing accordingly to the PECB standard for Approved Testing Centers. 4.5 Maintenance a) PECB will update its examination platform on ongoing basis and ATC is obligated to perform updates and upgrades as per PECB request; b) To ensure accreditation compliance, PECB will store recordings of the examination session made through the camera and Invigilator application. Should PECB encounter irregularities during the examination sessions or any breach of PECB examination policies, the exams submitted will not be taken into consideration and testing center will no longer be authorized to organize PECB exam sessions. # # # End of Document # # #