SFSC’s Testing and Assessment Center Receives National Certification

AVON PARK, Fla.–May 14, 2015–The Testing and Assessment Center at South Florida State College is one of only six testing centers in Florida to have been recently awarded Test Center Certification by the National College Testing  Association ( NCTA).                                          

“This certification allows us to offer the best opportunity for testers to demonstrate their knowledge, potentially improving the accuracy of the test results,” said Mary Ann Little, director of SFSC’s Testing and Assessment Center. “By receiving the certification, students and the community know that we have aligned our procedures with the recommended best practices. We have demonstrated that we have established an optimal environment for enrolled and potential students, distance education students, and community members.”

NCTA certification criteria are rigorous, and the Testing and Assessment Center initially submitted a pre-application to determine if the center met the professional standards and guidelines to be considered, according to Little. Following application approval, the center submitted documentation including floor plans of testing center rooms, photos, policy and procedures manual, test administration, and training manual to a NCTA advisor for review. An on-site evaluation was the final step before certification approval by NCTA board members.

The NCTA said SFSC’s Testing and Assessment Center “has set the bar high for other post-secondary test centers and achieved national status as a leader in excellent testing practices.”

“There is a limited window of time to submit a pre-application each year and a limited number are accepted,” Little said. “We have been working on developing policies and implementing the requirements for about 18 months, so that when we applied we would be fully ready.”

“Every staff member contributed to the development, documentation, and implementation of the policies, which follow the NCTA standards in areas of policy, contractual agreements, staffing, college representation and coordination, physical environment, testing accommodations, and specific guidelines for paper-based and computer-based tests,” Little said.

The National College Testing Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of professionalism and high-quality service in the administration of testing programs, offers certification to college and university test centers that demonstrate exemplary practices.

SFSC’s Testing and Assessment Center provides online and paper-based testing services to SFSC students and the public in its friendly, secure environment. The Testing and Assessment Center is located in the Catherine P. Cornelius Student Services and Classroom Complex (Building B) on the Highlands Campus. Some testing services are also available at the DeSoto and Hardee campuses and the Lake Placid Center.

For more information about SFSC’s Testing Center, contact the Testing Center at 863-784-7214.