May. 8, 2015
CWU Testing Center Earns National Certification
Central Washington University’s Testing Center and its staff have received certification by the National College Testing Association for providing quality testing services and following best practices in the industry. CWU is the second institution in Washington to be certified and one of four in the Pacific Northwest.
NCTA certification is valid for five years. To be chosen for the voluntary program, institutions must submit a detailed application with supporting documents and undergo a site visit. The certification means the CWU Testing Center operates under high standards and procedures for all types of testing.
“Overall, this certification is the culmination of a lot of hard work and signifies that our test center is dedicated to professionalism and quality in administration of testing services and programs,” said Bill Thelen, director of the CWU Testing Center.
The CWU Testing Center serves more than 500 people per month. Thelen and his staff, Deborah Williams, Jessica Scott and Kristalyn Huss, are certified proctors and are monitored to ensure they maintain high security standards.
The center is a resource for national and international testing companies that provide exams for agencies such as the FBI, the US Border Patrol and the US Postal Service, in part because of the center’s rigorous security measures. Last year the center became authorized by Pearson VUE®, which is part of Pearson, PLC, the largest commercial testing company and education publisher in the world. Pearson is Microsoft’s sole provider for certification and other exams. It also offers the Washington Educators Skills Test for teachers and a variety of certification exams, including CompTIA, Cisco Systems, C++ Institute, Linux, and GED.
The center also administers EMS paramedicine entrance exams, construction management exams, the Automotive Service Excellence exam, and oversees 60-plus health and fitness exams. Other services such as proctoring exams for online courses and employment screening for public safety professionals also are offered. This is all in addition to providing testing services for the university community. CWU’s Testing Center is located in Bouillon 125. For more information, go to www.cwu.edu/testing.
Media contact: Barb Arnott, CWU Public Affairs, 509-963-2841, barnott@cwu.edu
May 8, 2015