HRCI signs new testing vendor for certification exams - Human Resource Certification Institute

The Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) has selected New York-based Professional Examination Service (PES) as the new exam administration vendor for its Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) exams beginning in May 2001.

Online registration, faster score reporting and commitment to customer service are among the reasons the credentialing affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has selected PES, according to HRCI Director Cornelia Cont, CAE.

In addition to test development and exam administration, PES also provides a range of consulting services. For example, PES managed HRCI's recent practice analysis study that led to revised test specifications reflecting the current practice of HR professionals. As exam administrator, PES will be involved in incorporating related revisions into the PHR and SPHR examinations to be offered beginning in 2002 and beyond.

"PBS is a nonprofit resting organization with more than 50 years' experience developing examinations for professional licensure and certification," said PES president and CEO Dr. I. Leon Smith. "We currently serve more than 100 state and national credentialing organizations from a broad range of professions in the health, business, industrial and government sectors. [Our] mission is to promote the understanding and use of sound credentialing practices by providing services and making contributions to credentialing stakeholders in the areas of assessment practice, educational activities, scientific research and policy development," Smith added.

Streamlining process

As part of its response to HRCI's request for proposals, PES suggested conducting a feasibility study on the move to computer-based testing (CBT). The study explored the perceptions of key stakeholders and the potential impact of moving to CBT. PES learned that candidates place a high value on customer service, especially fast turnaround time on score reporting, and CBT was seen as a means of achieving this.

Smith said the shift from paper-and-pencil to online registration will make it easier for people to apply. Online registration will begin with the May 2001 exams. Registrants will receive an e-mail confirmation within 24 hours. This may be the first step toward computer-based testing and will help the institute develop logical, careful transitional plans that preserve the integrity of the certification process should HRCI move in that direction.

Even before any technology-based testing changes are made, PES has committed to distributing scores earlier than the usual 10 or more weeks turnaround time that candidates have bad, starting with the May 2001 exams. Dr. J. Patrick Jones, Executive Vice President of PES, said that beginning with the May exam, test takers can expect to receive the combined score report and certificate no later than seven weeks out from the test date.

"By the end of 2001, the reduction in time to four weeks will be assured," added Dr. Sandra Greenberg, vice president for Research and Development and Public Service.

"I feel very confident that PES will stand by their commitments to us," said Cont. 'PES will be more than a vendor; the company will

Testing dates, registration deadlines

Following are the scheduled exam dates and application postmark deadlines for 2001:

Exam date: May 5, 2001

Application deadline: Feb. 23, 2001

Exam date: Dec. 1, 2001

Application deadline: Sept. 21, 2001

Exam date: June 23, 2001 (at SHRM Annual Conference site in San Francisco)

Application deadline: May 4, 2001 be our partner in ensuring what's best for certification candidates and the testing procedures. They train their proctors and examiners so they understand the procedures of monitoring the certification exam process. PES is an organization that sets standards for certification programs.

"There will be a transition period from our previous vendor to PES," Cont continued. "The test bank of questions and former candidate data has to be transferred to a PES database. PES will be ready to troubleshoot whatever is necessary. HRCI will have read-only access to the PES database, which will allow our staff to field registrants' questions without delay. A project team will be working on HRCI's program. PES also will offer suggestions for improvement and innovation."

"Close to 25 to 30 individuals will be providing direct service, including customer service staff, call center workers, staff within the test administration group, along with management and senior staff," Jones said. "This requires a great deal of coordination. Our philosophy of customer service is team coordination [toward] delivery of services."

"The back-end time it took to administrate certificate delivery took us away from personalizing our services," Cont concluded. "PES will free up the HRCI department to do a better job of communicating with chapters and certification coordinators. HRCI also plans to do more marketing to the business community as a whole."

Karen Caldwell is the editorial assistant for SHRM's Editorial department.

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