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Online proctoring for testing sounds like a sensible solution during a pandemic but is it worth the risk for exams considered high stakes? Read why some are resisting the urge to take shortcuts.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has altered nearly every aspect of our lives, including the way certification exams are conducted. Social distancing requirements now mean limited access to testing centers like Pearson VUE that provide the security necessary for high-stakes exams. (Credentialing exams for health care practitioners are considered high stakes for not only the test taker but also patient safety.) To quickly remedy the situation, some are turning to solutions that allow individuals to test online from their own homes. This method usually relies on the use of online proctors to keep those tests secure.
While online proctoring adds a layer of test security, the decision to put the exams online may make the exams vulnerable to significant security threats that undermine the validity and trustworthiness of the test itself. In fact, these are two of the greatest security threats: 1) Proctors may not be able to detect when individuals are stealing test content and 2) Proctors may not be able to stop individuals who are cheating using pre-knowledge. If these threats can’t be detected by online proctors or proctors working at testing centers, then extensive damage to an examination program may result.
As a leading certification agency for allied health professionals, AMT is not planning to allow its high-stakes certification exams to be offered outside the environment of the secure test site. The risk goes beyond the potential for a security breach in the near term as we partner with Pearson VUE and find new ways around the limits of a pandemic: Once test content security is breached, it may damage the reputation of all AMT credentials despite the fact they were earned in an honest and ethical way.
Protecting the validity and trustworthiness of the exam is a commitment AMT makes to both the applicant and to each of the 100,000 actively certified individuals who hold AMT credentials. It is imperative for AMT to preserve the reputation and recognition our professional members have attained and that employers seek.
Balancing security with access
Accessibility is the other side of the balancing act. In order to maintain the AMT standards for integrity and security, AMT is working with our partner Pearson VUE to find new ways around the limits of a pandemic and increase access while ensuring that the testing experience provides the quality credential that both the public and our members expect and deserve.
About AMT: As a professional association for allied health, AMT is a lifelong career partner that provides continuing education, networking and leadership development. Today, AMT has more than 100,000 actively certified allied health professionals in nine distinct specialties, each of whom are full members of our nonprofit membership society.
See more resources for community colleges at americanmedtech.org.