Beginning in 2015, NCRA will move away from the traditional brick-and-mortar testing sites and shift the RPR, RMR, CRR, CBC, and CCP skills tests to an online proctoring model using the advanced technologies of myRealtimeCoach and ProctorU.
Why the change?
NCRA heard the call of the membership. Among the requests were: 1) more testing opportunities each year, 2) instantaneous results, 3) the chance to pay for each test leg individually, and 4) more convenient testing. The shift to online testing allows for the fulfillment of these requests and more.
Benefits of this new format include:
- Increased convenience – test when you’re ready
- Test from the comfort of your home or office
- No distractions
- Flexible scheduling – you will be able to take a test when you are ready, not just in May, August, and November as the current model dictates
- Cost savings – no more travel, gas, hotel expenses to the closest testing site
- Registration fees will now be priced per test leg, which will result in cost savings for most candidates
- Get your license sooner for those CSR boards that use the RPR
- Get your increase sooner for those employers who offer an increase/bonus with new credentials
- Decreased anxiety – take the test in your own environment
Timeline
The skills tests will be administered at all current brick-and-mortar sites on November 1, 2014, and at select sites on May 2, 2015. From then on, all skills tests will be administered online via a live, professional proctor. Please visit the Certification Test Center at NCRA.org/testing for updates on the timeline.
Vendors
NCRA is pleased to partner with Realtime Learning Systems (“myRealtimeCoach”) and ProctorU to offer online testing.
Realtime Coach For over 30 years, the creators of Realtime Coach have delivered world class online learning and testing solutions to students and working professionals alike. In early 2006, Realtime Coach was launched as a smart, fun, and habit forming way to increase speed, accuracy, and confidence. It quickly became the most popular online skill-building and assessment tool on the planet, with nearly 2 million practice hours logged, thousands of tests delivered and scored, and a growing and energetic membership. Today, Realtime Coach members are more active than ever before, doing things they never thought they could, and going places faster than they imagined. For more information, visit myrealtimecoach.com.
ProctorU ProctorU is a live online proctoring service for candidates taking exams online. ProctorU’s professional proctors use a three-step process to replicate the face to-face proctoring experience over the Internet: 1) The proctor connects with the candidate via a Web cam, 2) the proctor monitors the candidate’s computer screen in real time, and 3) the proctor authenticates the candidate’s identity using a multi-factor process. Through this process, the professional proctors can see the candidate, see what they are doing, and know who they are monitoring. ProctorU does this while adhering to the highest standards in the industry. For more information, visit proctoru.com.
Technology requirements
Both myRealtimeCoach and ProctorU have systems in place to allow candidates to test their systems online. In addition, both companies provide customer service for technical assistance. With the shift to online testing, candidates will need to meet the following equipment requirements:
| Minimum | Recommended | |
| Web Camera | 640×480 resolution | 1280×720 resolution |
| PC Users | Windows XP | Windows 8 |
| Mac Users | Mac OS X or higher | Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks |
| Internet Download Speed | .768 Mbps | 1.5Mbps |
| Internet Upload Speed | .384 Mbps | 1.5Mbps |
| RAM | 1024MB | 2GB |
Other requirements:
- Headphones
- A functioning microphone (sometimes web cameras have built-in microphones)
- One of the following compatible web browsers:
- Google Chrome (preferred)
- Mozilla Firefox
- Safari
- Internet Explorer 7, 8, 9, or 10
- The following plugins for your Web camera:
- Adobe Flash Player v11
- Adobe Shockwave player
Not yet supported
At this time, ProctorU does not support the following platforms; however, it is working on solutions to accommodate every platform.
- Google Chromebooks
- Android tablets (Nexus 7, etc.)
- iOS tablets (iPad, iPad mini, etc.)
- Linux operating systems
- Microsoft Surface RT
Security
NCRA and its partners are dedicated to securing candidate data collected during all aspects of the testing process. This data includes personal information, financial data, test performance, and records. In particular, ProctorU is compliant with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and myRealtimeCoach’s secure data center includes enterprise-level security and privacy, advanced security systems and defensive barriers, and redundant Tier 1 ISP backbones.
Appreciation
NCRA would be remiss if it did not thank the hundreds of volunteers who made NCRA testing possible over the past 30+ years. Much appreciation is extended to the state associations that helped sponsor the exams, testing personnel who assisted on-site, the Qualified Graders (who will still be needed for grading verification), and finally the extremely dedicated and passionate chief examiners, who gave their time and efforts in administering the exams. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Watch the video: New NCRA Testing – 2014 NCRA Exhibit Hall. NCRA is very excited to be making the move to online testing. To learn more about NCRA’s online testing process, please visit TheJCR.com and NCRA.org.
