Becoming a Prometric center

1. Becoming a Prometric center Beverly Hilliard, University of North Dakota John Krucenski, Prometric

2. In The Beginning • Have your idea • Have a time frame • Know your contacts • Don’t give up, don’t give up, don’t give up

3. Present Your Idea • Search for support • Pro’s and Con’s list

4. After Approval • Be prepared to wait! • You get a detailed list of what you need. • Legal documents can take a long time when they need to go through many departments. • Verify every item you order as it can change slightly

5. The Waiting Game • Read as many rules and regulations as you can! • Be prepared for delays in getting things up and running! Especially at the University level. • Delays in shipping, ordering, payment, returns, etc.

6. Staffing • Never to early to think about this • Can you run center with current staff • If you hire – be careful – high energy position • YOUR ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR STAFF-PERSONAL STRESSORS CAN NOT SHOWAT CENTER

7. OPENING – EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED • Training – planned well TOM(Territory Operations Manager) – server damaged • Server cabinet did not fit • Training was condensed due to server – hands on training • Organization is a must • You will need more filing cabinets than you think

8. OPENING • Training will prepare you for opening • TOM stayed for morning of opening • Nervous – not really • Positive, professional, I CAN DO IT attitude • Many resources

9. PRO’s • Students love having the center – get positive feedback everyday • Monetary Reward – fund other position for Counseling Center • Training • Extensive Resources – list of people to call

10. CON’S • The delays with contracts • Communication on so many levels • The Unexpected

11. ?????’s • YES – the Pro’s outweigh the Con’s!!!!

12. Prometric Perspective Universities & Colleges are ideal partners • Already committed to testing. • Understand the importance of test security. • Strong customer service skills. When possible – Prometric partners with U & C • Replacing a Sylvan partner. • Adding capacity/seats to an existing market. • Opening a new market.

13. Decision Process Where, When & How Much • Annual Test Center Planning Process – review current capacity. • New clients may require new sites. • Replacement sites. • Different timeline for each. Who We Contact • Current partner gets priority • NCTA membership & contacts • Cold call

14. Moving Forward Working with the School – Discovery Period • Find a Champion • Explain the Requirements • Find Space 50% of all discussions end at this point

15. Requirements of the Test Center Operator • Requirements for CBT delivery with Prometric include: • Minimum 5-6 days per week of operation • Saturdays needed • Long-day testing (9-hours) at least 1x per week • Test all programs offered by Prometric • Dedicated staff to the testing area • Background checks required • Other services may be requested to support broader line of business: • Fingerprinting • License issuance • Dedicated test room

16. Test Center Layout • Dedicated room • Direct line of sight • 48” wide desks • Access between proctor & test room

17. Moving Forward Success Depends Upon Teamwork & Support • Senior Level Support • Legal/Contracts Support • Facilities/IT Support • Other Critical Support. Successful Implementations have the following • Clear vision & plan to share internally. • Conduct an internal discovery meeting with all stakeholders. • Ensure budget & schedule can be supported. • Kick off meeting. • Frequent progress reports

18. Prometric Expansion into Colleges & Universities Lessons Learned • Long lead time to negotiate agreement. • Internal approvals for remodeling can be daunting. • Initial set up requires a significant amount of work. • Need a strong champion. • Passive support takes too long. • Prometric operations staff understanding academic environment. Flexibility – Patience – Communication -Understanding Necessary from all parties. Prometric & the University