Proctor Certification

Proctor Certification 

NCTA is excited to announce the launch of a new Proctor Certification Program in early 2024! We are proud to offer this new certification in response to the industry's need for standardization of professional competency across sites, jurisdictions, and types of testing.

Why seek certification? Attaining the NCTA Proctor Certification can:

  • Enhance the credibility of professional proctors by demonstrating they understand and adhere to proctoring best practices. 
  • Further the professional development of testing staff working in educational institutions and the private sector.
  • Help to ensure the preservation and relevance of exam content for all stakeholders including test vendors, sponsors, and examinees.
  • Provide opportunities for new proctoring training that is non-specific to a test program.
  • Protect testing integrity by ensuring individuals understand industry standards and guidelines.

Ready to become NCTA Proctor Certified?

  • Review the Proctor Certification Handbook to learn more. 
  • Visit NCTA Continuing Education and Proctor Recertification for CE information.
    • To maintain the credential(s), the certification holder must meet the minimum requirement of 15 CEs for each three-year term. Payment of the $100 certification maintenance fee is due once your CE credit is approved at the end of the 3-year certification period. 
    • Certified individuals should self-report all activities within 90 days of the event to ensure documentation is still available. Reminder emails to submit CEs will be sent ahead of renewal period. To self-report, click HERE. 

2024 - 2025 Proctor Testing Windows and Important Dates

  • June 3-28, 2024
    • Registration Deadline: May 3, 2024
    • Accommodation Request Deadline: April 18, 2024
    • Click HERE to register for the June 3-28 Proctor Certification Window
  • October 7-31, 2024
    • Registration Deadline: September 2, 2024
    • Accommodation Request Deadline: August 16, 2024
    • Click HERE to register for the October 7-31 Proctor Certification Window
  • February 17-March 21, 2025
    • Registration Deadline: January 17, 2025
    • Accommodation Request Deadline: December 27, 2024 
    • Click HERE to register for the February 17-March 21 Proctor Certification Window
  • June 2-27, 2025
    • Registration Deadline: May 2, 2025
    • Accommodation Request Deadline: April 18, 2025
    • Click HERE to register for the June 2-27 Proctor Certification Window
  • October 6-31, 2025
    • Registration Deadline: September 5, 2025
    • Accommodation Request Deadline: August 22, 2025
    • Click HERE to register for the October 6-31 Proctor Certification Window

Registration Details

  • Registration Fees: $150 NCTA Members, $200 Non-Members
    • Exam registration fees are payable by credit/debit at the time of application. Fees may be paid via invoice and must be paid 30 days in advance. Any invoice not paid 30 days out from the test window will result in an unprocessed application. Candidate applications will be held until payment is received.
    • Please Note: ADA Requests must be received by NCTA no later than 45 days prior to the testing date. Requests received outside of this timeline will be assigned to the next testing window. 
    • Fees are required for each test registration, including re-testing.

NCTA's Terms of Service

NCTA Change to Purchase Order Process

History

In 2018, an NCTA committee was formed to develop the first certification for professional proctors in the field. The committee completed Request for Information and Request for Procurement processes, leading to contracting with Meazure Learning to assist with the design and development of the Proctor Certification exam, along with providing test delivery. NCTA's mission includes "the promotion of professionalism and quality in the administration of testing services and programs."  Proctor Certification, including the exam, continuing education opportunities, and recertification policy, represent a major step forward for the profession toward this goal. On completion of the exam development and candidate handbook, the program is now managed under the Professional Services Division. 

Contact Information

Questions can be sent to the Proctor Certification team. 

Resources

NCTA does not provide training to prepare for the exam. However, a non-exhaustive list of references used in the development of exam content is available here:

  • American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, National Council on Measurement in Education. 2014. The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.  (available for free download).
  • American Psychological Association. (December 2020). “The Rights and Responsibilities of Test Takers: Guidelines and Expectations”. 
  • Association of Test Publishers, National College Testing Association. 2015. Proctoring Best Practices. ATP, NCTA. (free to members, hardcopy can be purchased)
  • Association of Test Publishers. (2015). ATP Security Survey Report
  • Bristol, T. (2017). Test and Examination Security Technology. http://www.jtln.org/article/S1557-3087(17)30131-2/pdf
  • Caveon:  The Lockbox Blog (Available:  https://caveon.com/insights/), including: 
    • David Foster, PhD, CESP, CEO, Caveon Test Security. Caveon: The Lockbox Blog - Are Proctors Deterrents. Feb. 2022. https://thelockbox.readz.com/are-proctors-deterrents.
  • Gregory J. Cizek. 1999. Cheating on Tests: How to Do It, Detect it, and Prevent it. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
  • College Board. (2024) Spring 2024 SAT Suite of Assessments Test Coordinator Manual (collegeboard.org)
  • P. Ericsson & R. Haswell (eds.). Machine Scoring of Student Essays: Truth and Consequences
  • HESI Test Taker Portal. 
  • Honorlock. How to Reduce Test Anxiety.
  • International Test Commission (ITC). International Guidelines for the Security of Tests, Examinations, and Other Assessments. 2000. https://www.intestcom.org/files/guideline_test_security.pdf.
  • Journal of NCTA (open access)
  • James Lang, Cheating Lessons: Learning from Academic Dishonesty
  • Morin, M., Alves, C., & DeChamplain, A. 2022. The show must go on: Lessons learned from using remote proctoring in a high-stakes medical licensing exam program in response to severe disruption. Journal of Applies Testing Technology. 23.
  • Muckle, T.J., Meng, Y., & Johnson, S. 2022. A quantitative evaluation of live remote proctoring pilot. Journal of Applied Testing Technology. 23.
  • NCTA Conference Presentation in 2022 with Dr. Sara Rieder Bennett, Dr. Cindy James, and Andrew Dedes from Meazure Learning: “Introducing the NCTA Proctor Certification Exam”
  • NCTA blog “The Value of Testing” (https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13613787/), including: 
    • Jarret Dyer, Rachel Hample, Sara Rieder Bennett. (May 2, 2019). The College Admissions Scandal Perspectives from Test Administrators 
  • NCTA Emergency Contingency and Planning Special Interest Group. Emergency Plan for Testing Services. NCTA. Draft copy reviewed 9/16/2022.
  • National College Testing Association. Proctor Certification Examination Classification System (2022). (available in candidate handbook and presentation handout from 2022 conference)
  • NCTA Proctoring & Monitoring Definitions (open access)
  • NCTA Professional Standards and Guidelines. NCTA. NCTA Professional Standards & Guidelines. https://www.ncta-testing.org/assets/docs/Standards/standards.pdf. Retrieved August 2022. (member login required).
  • NCTA webinar series (member login required).
  • National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME), NCME Library.
  • Olson, J. F., and Fremer, J (2013). TILSA Test Security Guidebook.
  • PearsonVUE Test Accommodations. Retrieved 3/13/2024.
  • Testing Times by Gordon Stobart
  • W. Willingham & N. Cole, Gender and Fair Assessment
  • James A. Wollack, John J. Fremer. 2013. Handbook of Test Security. New York, New York: Routledge.