– Leading allied health certification provider to enhance its latest program with live proctored exams in pursuit of NCCA accreditation –
Access to quality medical education resources has become even more essential in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which turned many professionals away from in-person test taking in favor of remote proctoring. While this approach was new to some, companies like National Performance Specialists (NPS) have been pioneers in the field of remote test taking and certification even prior to the pandemic’s impact on the industry.
As NPS continues to provide cutting-edge educational resources and flexible access to national certification exams for allied health professionals, the company has also dedicated itself to pursuing NCCA accreditation for its programing. As part of this initiative, NPS began exploring options to enhance its anytime, anywhere final exam access to incorporate live proctoring of exams with an emphasis on quality, integrity, and efficiency for its members.
Working with Hanchar Consulting Services under the leadership of Ronald Hanchar, NPS began to evaluate providers that would meet their needs for live remote exam proctoring. Work was already underway on crafting new exam questions through a job task analysis methodology, with NPS also collaborating with ACS Ventures to establish a validity argument for the national exam. The right partner would need experience working with companies in pursuit of NCCA accreditation as well as a level of comfort collaborating with several entities at once to establish a viable proctoring program.
Finding the Right Proctoring Partner
At Hanchar’s recommendation, NPS explored the options available from Meazure Learning, a forerunner in the exam industry that provides integrated solutions allowing educational entities to offer remote and live proctoring to customers the world over. Its ProctorU product has been available for over 15 years, providing the most secure and robust options for remote proctoring in the industry. The company is responsible for remotely proctoring over five million exams each year, leveraging a network of over 16 proctoring locations based in eight different countries and serving as the longest-standing remote proctoring organization in the industry.
NPS reached out to the team at Meazure Learning looking for a solution that would allow them to provide live remote proctoring to their members while also providing the same flexibility that NPS users are accustomed to. NPS prides itself on offering access to exams from anywhere, at any time, to accommodate the unique needs and schedules of its members, and the right solution would further allow this flexibility while also prioritizing secure, ethical test taking. For compliance with the NCCA requirements for its upcoming Medical Assistant certification program, NPS would also need to provide one-to-one live proctoring via web cam, audio, and a secure browser.
Incorporating Remote Proctoring into the Bigger Accreditation Picture
The ProctorU product from Meazure Learning was more than able to meet these requirements, and then some. NPS selected Meazure Learning from among several available in the test center industry because of the company’s ability to provide agile, customized solutions that addressed the NPS team’s specific needs. Their industry expertise also helped them to offer a unique program that would accommodate the current NPS system from a technology integration standpoint.
Working directly with Harry Klein, Senior Business Development Manager at Meazure Learning, NPS was able to craft a program that would allow it to integrate live proctoring into its existing web framework and proprietary member management system. Klein guided the NPS team through the process of delivering live proctoring for NCCA accreditation based on the more recently updated robust guidelines from NCCA in the wake of the pandemic.
Considering the User Experience with ProctorU and NPS
The great news is that not much will change from an end user standpoint when it comes to receiving access to high-quality, on-demand national certification through NPS. The Meazure Learning team has worked hard with NPS to create a program that will seamlessly work with the existing platform while allowing members to have complete control over when and where they take their final exam.
The key difference for users will be the live element of the exam proctoring. Leading up to their exam, members will be asked to self-select their exam time from slots available 24/7, 365 days a year. When it’s time for their exam, they’ll be asked to log into the platform in a distraction-free space where they have access to audio and web cam. The live proctor will administer the exam through a dedicated and secure lock-down web browser, helping to keep the member focused on the content at hand while restricting access to resources that could compromise the integrity of their test results. Artificial intelligence running in the background can also monitor everything from environmental scans to rapid eye movement and system scans to ensure ethical test taking. All test data, including recordings of the exam experience itself, are logged in the system for review by the accrediting body on demand, as needed.
Gearing Up for the New Medical Assistant Certification Program
Medical assistant professionals completing a training program and looking to pursue their national certification can look forward to the pilot exam availability, set for the second quarter of 2023. Participants will not only be able to test drive the latest in the ProctorU technology suite as part of their exam experience, but the first cohort will also help pave the way for future NPS members by contributing to the cut score determination for the national exam as a whole.
NPS is not stopping with its new medical assistant certification program, either. While the move to live proctoring was initiated by need for the upcoming Medical Assistant certification program, NPS plans to extend its live proctoring to all of its national certification exams in 2023.
For more information and to take part in the early access pilot, contact NPS directly at info@npscerts.com.
