How to Become an APTC Test Center Revision 1.0 November 18, 2011
Transcription
How to Become an APTC Test Center Revision 1.0 November 18, 2011
How to Become an APTC Test Center Revision 1.0 November 18, 2011 Licenses This manual is the exclusive property of Prometric Inc. This manual is licensed for use with restrictions to authorized centers and Agents. Information herein is proprietary in nature and may not be disclosed to unauthorized persons without the expressed consent of Prometric. Copyright© 2011 Prometric ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, Web distribution, or information storage and retrieval systems, or in any other manner—without the written permission of the publisher. How to Become an APTC Test Center 1 General ...................................................................................................................................... 1 Benefits of Delivering APTC Exams......................................................................................... 1 Owner Responsibility ................................................................................................................ 2 Testing Room Facilities ............................................................................................................. 3 Immediate Testing Area ............................................................................................................ 3 Staff ........................................................................................................................................... 4 Operations.................................................................................................................................. 4 Technology Requirements ......................................................................................................... 5 Mandatory Workstation Requirements........................................................................ 5 Mandatory File Server Requirements .......................................................................... 5 Mandatory Admin Station Requirements .................................................................... 5 Network and Router Configuration ............................................................................. 6 APTC Application ..................................................................................................................... 6 Revision 1.0 • 18-November-2011 Prometric Copyright ©2011 Prometric. Information herein is proprietary and company confidential. How to Become an APTC Test Center General Table 1. General Details. Details • Prometric owns and operates the worlds' largest network of testing centers and takes great pride in providing candidates with a testing environment that gives them the best possible chance of succeeding in their testing experience. • Authorized Prometric Testing Centers (APTCs) are dedicated to the delivery of certification tests for professionals in information technology. This includes test delivery services for our 100 partners such as Microsoft, Novell, Sun, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Apple, CompTIA, and Citrix amongst others • Prometric does not charge a franchise fee to deliver our exams. • There are strict operational, technical, and security standards that must be met and maintained. Benefits of Delivering APTC Exams Table 2. Benefits. Details Benefits of delivering APTC exams to your current as well as potential candidates/students will be: • Convenience Examinations are delivered to test centers on personal computers at individual workstations using Client Server and Local Area Networks. Test sites can therefore offer different tests simultaneously. • Immediate Scoring and Results Prometric computer-based tests can be scored immediately and results may be given to candidates before they leave the test center. • Comfort Every testing center is designed to minimize distractions and ensure that candidates are able to perform at their best level. Each test center will be a permanent, uniformed setting that includes private, modular workstations with comfortable seating, proper lighting and ventilation, and high clarity screens to minimize eyestrain. How to Become an APTC Test Center - 1 Revision 1.0 • 18-November-2011 Prometric Copyright ©2011 Prometric. Information herein is proprietary and company confidential. Details • Security We provide an unmatched level of security. Using our client server environment, test data is completely secure. All testing information is retained on a secure file server, encoded and transmitted regularly to and from the host computer. No floppy disks are used at individual workstations, ensuring that there is no possibility of tampering or exposure to computer viruses. Owner Responsibility Table 3. Owner Responsibility. Details Operator agrees that it will maintain and provide at the Operator's sole expense all of the following: • Software Security Operator agrees to maintain and utilize Prometric's required software security mechanisms which will be used to monitor and maintain the security of all Proprietary and Confidential Information, tests, tests items and Prometric Testing Software. • Data Privacy Operator agrees that it will only use Candidate names or Candidate-related personal information obtained through the registration or testing process solely for the purpose of fulfilling its obligations under this Agreement. • Physical Security Operator agrees to provide a testing facility ("Facility") convenient for access by Candidates (including those who are disabled) and suited for secure testing purposes, as specified by Prometric in its Manual. • Transmission of Data to Prometric Operator will, in conformance with the Manual, transmit back to Prometric all Candidate data files, supervisor reports and other test-related files. • Commencement of Testing Operator agrees that it will have all hardware and software installed and be prepared to administer tests within thirty (30) days of the effective date. • Convenience Examinations are delivered to test centers on personal computers at individual workstations using Client Server and Local Area Networks. Test sites can therefore offer different tests simultaneously. • Immediate Scoring and Results Prometric computer-based tests can be scored immediately and results may be given to candidates before they leave the test center. • Comfort Every testing center is designed to minimize distractions and ensure that candidates are able to perform at their best level. Each test center will be a permanent, uniformed setting that includes private, modular workstations with comfortable seating, proper lighting and ventilation, and high clarity screens to minimize eyestrain. • Security We provide an unmatched level of security. Using our client server environment, test data is completely secure. All testing information is retained on a secure file server, encoded and transmitted regularly to and from the host computer. No floppy disks are used at individual workstations, ensuring that there is no possibility of tampering or exposure to computer viruses How to Become an APTC Test Center - 2 Revision 1.0 • 18-November-2011 Prometric Copyright ©2011 Prometric. Information herein is proprietary and company confidential. Testing Room Facilities Table 4. Testing Room Facilities. Details • The testing room must be quiet and free from distractions such as printers, copiers, conversations, and general facility traffic. • The testing room should be pleasantly and comfortably furnished. The room should be well lighted, must have proper ventilation and be temperature controlled during testing for general comfort. • The testing room shall contain no materials (reference texts, posters, etc.) that are related to the subject matter of the tests. • The testing room and equipment will be dedicated to testing based on your pre-determined schedule. • Each testing workstation will be separated by an acoustical partition and located such that no candidate can read the monitor of another candidate. *Partitions are strongly preferred, however, in cases where partitions aren't available, no one work station should not have any direct line of site to another with a minimum of 5 feet (1.524 meters) between workstations unless privacy screens are used, then a 3 foot (.9144 meter) minimum would be acceptable. • The available desktop space at each workstation must be at least 3 feet (.9144 meters )wide by 2 feet (.6096 meters) deep. • The room will be furnished with workstation furniture that is ergonomically designed to allow for adult candidate comfort during testing. • The Test Center and testing room must meet American Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for disabled persons access, or other similar disabled persons requirements according to local law, and at minimum, permit wheelchair access. Immediate Testing Area Table 5. Immediate Testing Area. Details Your test center must include: • Space outside but near the testing room that can be used to support an administrator workstation and printer. • Space outside but near the testing room for the file server. This should be a secure area with a noninterruptible power supply attached to the file server. • A secure storage area, such as a lockable file cabinet or other lockable cabinet, outside the testing room, to securely store candidates' personal belongings during the testing session. • Visual monitoring of candidates through a window or via a video monitor. The viewing window or video monitor must be within easy viewing distance of the administrator's work area. Many consumer grade video-monitoring systems also have audio capability. The use of audio monitoring is also recommended as an aide to proctoring. • A locked storage cabinet for Prometric's testing clients' exhibits and other testing supplies that is accessible by authorized personnel only. How to Become an APTC Test Center - 3 Revision 1.0 • 18-November-2011 Prometric Copyright ©2011 Prometric. Information herein is proprietary and company confidential. Staff Table 6. Staff. Details The Test Center owner/operator will assign a minimum of one person, (two or more are strongly recommended), to be trained and certified as a Prometric Test Center Administrator (TCA). (Please note: individuals holding IT certifications, or currently pursuing the same, cannot serve as TCAs.) A TCA must: • Complete the annual Prometric Standard Operating Procedures Training Course. • Earn a passing score on the Prometric TCA Certification Exam. • Engage in periodic Continuing Education modules. • Not be involved in any activities or actions which might suggest a conflict of interest regarding the content of the tests to be administered, such as hold an IT industry certification(s) (MCSE), pursue an IT industry certification while serving as a TCA, or participate in or train a preparatory course for any IT tests delivered on behalf of Prometric and its testing clients. • Manage daily test center operations and: • Be available to administer tests during scheduled testing hours. • Be skilled at customer service relations and committed to providing high-quality services to all candidates. • Be skilled in test administration and secure proctoring. • Be skilled in handling difficult situations with professionalism. • Be fluent in (U.S.) English and over the age of 18. • Manage daily test center communications and: • Online communications with Prometric. • Maintain communication with Prometric district and/or territory managers. Operations Table 7. Operations. Details The owner/operator must: • Agree to use Prometric's Internet-based product, Polaris, including Site Manager and Pulse. • Agree to have its site listed on the Prometric website www.prometric.com (not applicable for "Private" sites). • Agree to accept all testing candidates referred to the test center, that is, candidates other than your own students. (Private testing centers are exempt from this requirement.) • Agree to deliver certification tests for all testing clients that Prometric specifies for the testing site. • Agree to establish a fixed schedule for testing. (Private centers are exempt from this requirement.) • Request any changes to alter the fixed testing schedule at least 30 days in advance. • Establish communications with Prometric at specified times as determined by Prometric. A communication session must occur at least 24 hours prior to and immediately following a testing session. • Participate actively in Prometric's quality assurance program. How to Become an APTC Test Center - 4 Revision 1.0 • 18-November-2011 Prometric Copyright ©2011 Prometric. Information herein is proprietary and company confidential. Technology Requirements Mandatory Workstation Requirements Table 8. Mandatory Workstation Requirements. Requirements • Display monitors: 17 inch CRT or 15"+ Flat Screen • Display resolution: 1024x768, 24 or 32 Bit color • Workstation: 1 GHz or faster • Operating system: Windows XP Professional SP 2 or higher • RAM: 1 GB • Hard Disk Space: 8.5 GB free disk space • Browser: Internet Explorer 7 or 8 • Audio Output capability • Network Throughput must be a minimum of 100 MBS • Internet Access Capability minimum of 256K per each workstation • Microsoft .Net 2.0 Mandatory File Server Requirements Table 9. Mandatory File Server Requirements. Requirements • 1 GHz or faster • Operating system: Microsoft Windows 2008, Microsoft Windows 2000 Server SP4, Microsoft Windows 2003 Server SP2, configured as a (Domain & Workgroup) controller • Peripherals: DVD drive • RAM: 1 GB • Hard Disk Space: 8.5 GB free disk space • Browser: Internet Explorer 7 or 8 • Internet Access Capability, Minimum 256K • Network throughput: 100 MBPS • Microsoft .Net 2.0 • Antivirus Software (updated) Mandatory Admin Station Requirements Table 10. Mandatory Admin Station Requirements. Requirements • Display monitors: 17 inch CRT or 15+ inch flat screen • Display resolution: 1024x768, 24 or 32 Bit color • Workstation: 1 GHz or faster How to Become an APTC Test Center - 5 Revision 1.0 • 18-November-2011 Prometric Copyright ©2011 Prometric. Information herein is proprietary and company confidential. Requirements • Operating system: Windows XP Professional SP 2 or higher Peripherals: DVD drive • RAM: 1 GB • Free Hard Disk Space: 8.5 GB • Network through put: 100 MBPS • Browser: Internet Explorer 7 or 8 • Internet Access: 256K minimum • Microsoft .Net 2.0 • Adobe Acrobat 9 or above Network and Router Configuration Table 11. Network and Router Configuration. Requirements • 100 MBPS Switch • Must be able to access: www.2test.com, www.polaris.prometric.com, www.pulse.prometric.com Port 11001 and port 11002 APTC Application Table 12. Application. Application Important Note: For your application to be accepted, you must provide your employer/institution e-mail address only. For security reasons, Prometric no longer accepts public e-mail addresses such as Yahoo!, Hotmail, Gmail, Rediff Mail, etc *Required Field Site Details * Company name * Legal company name *Address *City *Country State/Province *Zip or Postal Code Web Site Address Previous APTC Site Code Federal Tax ID# (Please note: A Dunn and Bradstreet report will be run on every potential partner.) How to Become an APTC Test Center - 6 Revision 1.0 • 18-November-2011 Prometric Copyright ©2011 Prometric. Information herein is proprietary and company confidential. Application Mailing Address (if different from above) Address City State Country Zip or Postal Code Primary Contact Details *First Name: *Last Name Title/Role within the Company *E-mail address *Confirm E-mail Address *Telephone Number: (Please include country code & area code) Fax Number: (Please include country code & area code) Testing Information *How would you best describe your business? Academic Institution Commercial/independent Information Technology (IT) Training Organization Government Agency Military Installation Testing-only Institution Other *How many years have you been in business? *How many IT examinations are you expecting to deliver each month? Are you currently offering/providing IT testing are your location or elsewhere within the organization? Yes No If yes, please provide details of test center locations and partnerships: *If approved as an APTC, are you prepared to complete installation and open your test center within the next 30 days? Yes No How to Become an APTC Test Center - 7 Revision 1.0 • 18-November-2011 Prometric Copyright ©2011 Prometric. Information herein is proprietary and company confidential. Application Training Information *What type of non-IT training is offered? English Language Accounting University Entrance-level Certification Preparation Graduate Record Examination Preparation Other *Number of active training seats: *Number of testing workstations: *Is this a state/province certified or accredited teaching institution? Yes No If yes, please provide details: Vendor Authorization: Membership/Authorization Number: * Adobe Authorized Training Center Yes No Apple Authorized Training Center Yes No * Citrix Authorized Learning Center Yes No * CompTIA Member Yes No * HP Certified Partner Yes No * IBM Business Partner Yes No * IBM Education Center Yes No Microsoft Certified Partner Learning Solutions Yes No * Microsoft IT Academy Member Yes No Oracle Learning Partner Yes No * Sun Business Yes No Any other IT Authorizations/Memberships: How to Become an APTC Test Center - 8