2022 Update
NCCA Live Remote Proctoring Breaks Guidance Document: For the purpose of compliance with NCCA Standards, the NCCA has developed a guidance document related to security and breaks during live remote proctored exams.
Timeline overview:
March 2020 – November 2020: The NCCA stood up the LRP Exception program. If you have an NCCA accredited program(s) that began delivering LRP during this time, you were required to have submitted and received an approved Exception application before administering exams with LRP.
November 2020 – Present: The LRP Exception application converted to the LRP Notice of Material Change application. NCCA accredited programs that did not participate in the Exception program but wish to begin administering exams using LRP must submit and receive an approved LRP Notice of Material Change application before administering LRP.
Important Notes:
- Once you have received an approved LRP application (either Exception or Notice of Material Change), you may continue to administer your exam with LRP, with no additional application submission requirements beyond the expected Annual Reports and Reaccreditation applications.
- An approved LRP application is only a preliminary acceptance of the general/overview LRP considerations addressed in the application. Programs are highly encouraged to review the Program Considerations When Selecting Live Remote Proctoring (LRP) Document, paying close attention to the security and validity needs of their program. As always, programs must also prepare to address all of the relevant standards in their reaccreditation application as it relates to LRP administration and other administration modalities.
- NCCA Resources:
February 2021 Update
The NCCA released the full Report on the NCCA Assessment of Live Remote Proctoring (LRP) on February 5, 2021.
To examine whether a certification program could meet its Standards while using live remote proctoring, the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) undertook an assessment beginning in January 2020 to address this question.
Based on the limited data collected, the NCCA has determined that it is possible for programs to meet the Standards using LRP as a delivery method, provided that implementation is thoughtfully executed. Importantly, as LRP is a relatively new delivery method for certification, continued research is needed.
Access the full Report on the NCCA Assessment of LRP for details regarding the NCCA’s data collection and review methods, results, and conclusions from this study.
Free for I.C.E. Members | $50 for Non-Members Not a member? Join Now!
November 2020 Update
On Wednesday, November 11, at the 2020 I.C.E. Virtual Exchange, the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) provided an update on the outcome of its limited assessment of Live Remote Proctoring (LRP) and determined that it is possible to meet the NCCA Standards when using Live Remote Proctoring provided implementation is thoughtfully executed.
The Commission produced and distributed a Considerations Document for programs to use when weighing the benefits and risks in making the decision whether or not to offer LRP.
The Commission also announced three pathways for programs to proceed regarding the use of LRP:
- Exception Program participants will be expected to complete and submit their Compliance Reporting requirement within 60 days (by January 15, 2021). Compliance reports will be updated to include an attestation that the program has reviewed the Considerations Document as part of its decision to continue utilizing LRP. (Note: programs may choose to discontinue the use of LRP, but must still submit a compliance report for the time they utilized LRP).
- Accredited Programs who wish to begin utilizing LRP following the Commission determination must submit a Notice of Material Change LRP application which will include an attestation regarding the Considerations Document. The current Exception Program will be discontinued.
- New applicants for NCCA accreditation who plan to offer LRP should utilize the Considerations Document when preparing their application for accreditation.
The NCCA plans to publish a white paper on the results of its limited-time assessment which they expect to be available within the next 30 days.
Please watch for additional information to be forthcoming on this topic as the Commission continues to assess information it receives from programs. Should you have specific questions regarding your program’s obligations, contact the I.C.E. Accreditation Services staff at info@credentialingexcellence.org.
Access the Notice of Material Change Application - opened November 16, 2020
The application is located in the LearningBuilder accreditaiton Portal. To access the application:
- Click on "Accreditation" on the main navigation, then select, "Online Application Portal" and Enter Now
- Direct link: Accreditation Portal (note: you must be logged into your ICE account to access the accreditation portal)
- Hover over “My Programs” then click “Applications”
- Scroll down to the "Organization" listing (where annual reports are accessed)
- Find the "Notice of Material Change LRP NCCA Application"
March 2020 Updates
The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), is very much aware of the impact that the concerns around COVID-19 (Coronavirus) have had on our industry and profession. Many of you have already made operational policy changes such as extending eligibility dates for testing and waiving change fees as reasonable short-term measures; the Commission encourages certification organizations to grant these exceptions to eligibility deadlines and testing fee policies as warranted to mitigate hardships attributable to complying with public health measures.
Limited Exception for Live Remote Proctoring - opened March 20, 2020
The NCCA has not yet determined whether the use of Live Remote Proctoring is consistent with its Standards. However, during this unprecedented global situation, the NCCA has authorized a limited exception, consistent with its core mission to protect public health and safety. Under this exception, a currently accredited program that is prevented from conducting in-person testing due to test center closures or governmental orders may, after careful consideration of the potential effect on its program, offer Live Remote Proctoring to meet an urgent need during the period that in-person testing is unavailable.
The program will not lose its NCCA accreditation as a result of such decision if it complies with the Exception conditions, which can be found in the online Exception application. Instead the program will be classified internally as “Accredited with Compliance Reporting” during that period. If a program decides to make use of this Exception option, it must complete an application and receive approval for each program it plans to enroll before implementing live remote proctoring.
For more information about the Exception, as well as the current NCCA live remote proctoring assessment pilot, please read the NCCA's official communication.
Access the Exception Application
The Exception application is located in the LearningBuilder accreditaiton Portal. To access the application:
- Click on "Accreditation" on the main navigation, then select, "Online Application Portal" and Enter Now
- Direct link: Accreditation Portal (note: you must be logged into your ICE account to access the accreditation portal)
- Hover over “My Programs” then click “Applications”
- Scroll down to the "Organization" listing (where annual reports are accessed)
- Find the "NCCA COVID-19 Exception Live Remote Proctoring Application" and click "Begin"
Sample application - for viewing purposes only. All applications must be submitted via online form.
Compliance Reporting
The NCCA has finalized the compliance reporting requirements for programs approved for the Exception program. The compliance report will become available as an addendum to your approved Exception application. A PDF version of the compliance requirements can be accessed now.
Once an Exception application is approved, programs will have access to view the compliance report. However, the compliance report is not due until the earliest of the following dates:
- within 60 days of the phase-out notice of the Exception Program, OR
- within 60 days from the date that the Commission issues a determination that the Standards can be met with the use of Live Remote Proctoring, under certain conditions, provided your organization submits its completed Compliance Report during that timeframe. The Compliance Report must confirm either that you are complying with all of the conditions specified by the Commission if continuing to utilize Live Remote Proctoring, OR that you have ceased using Live Remote Proctoring.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- If a program needs to make additional adjustments, such as policy changes, to deal with the COVID-19 crisis, is there a separate process?
In its previous communication to accredited programs, the Commission encouraged operational policy changes such as extending eligibility dates for testing and waiving change fees as reasonable short-term measures to mitigate hardships attributable to complying with public health measures. The same applies to other operational policy changes such as temporarily extending recertification due dates and broadening categories of activities that would be eligible to earn credit (such as webinar attendance in lieu of live events). These are time-limited adjustments that do not materially affect the program requirements and therefore do not need to be reported in advance to the NCCA. However, in accordance with Standard 24, documentation of the temporary measures taken must be maintained and submitted with the organization’s Annual Report.
For other changes that would be considered material, Standard 24, Commentary 2 states:
“Programs should present material changes to the ICE office in writing PRIOR to implementation because of the possibility that the implementation of the change could violate current Standards. These may include major changes in any of the following:
- Legal status or governance structure of the certification agency;
- Purpose, scope, or activities of the certification program;
- Purpose, scope, or objectives of any certification examinations;
- Examination development, administration and/or evaluation procedures."
The Commission commits to responding to these inquiries promptly. If there is any question whether a program change is operational or material, the Commission recommends reaching out to the Accreditation Services staff for assistance at info@credentialingexcellence.org.
- Who can apply for Exception for the use of live remote proctoring?
Only currently NCCA-accredited programs can apply for Exception for the use of live remote proctoring.
-
What considerations should my program be thinking about?
The NCCA has compiled a list of considerations that was provided to participants in the Live Remote Proctoring pilot. We hope that it provides useful information for programs as they consider whether applying for Exception approval is necessary.
ICE has also collected some resources related to remote proctoring on the ICE COVID-19 resource page: https://www.credentialingexcellence.org/covid19
-
What should I have prepared before submitting an Exception application for my accredited program?
You should have a document that address the services to be provided for live remote proctoring, including, at minimum, procedures and policies that address the following items:
- Confirms the live remote monitoring of candidates during testing (both audio and video);
- Verification of candidate identification;
- Security of examinations and testing records;
- Specified maximum allowed candidate/proctor ratio;
- Security software to ensure candidates cannot access any unauthorized content or controls (e.g. lockdown software preventing printing or opening of other browsers);
- Examination termination capabilities should misconduct be observed; and
- Provider retention of sufficient records of the process to allow the certification program to confirm compliance with requirements of NCCA (e.g., video-records)
A procedure and/or policy document specific to the arrangements that have been agreed to with your identified provider can be submitted to supply this information. Service agreements may also be submitted, if they include the identified information, however, confidential information such as fees, should be redacted.
- When can my accredited program begin implementing live remote proctoring?
You must submit your Exception application and receive approval from NCCA before implementing live remote proctoring.
- How soon after I submit my application will the NCCA review it?
NCCA anticipates sending notifications to programs within 1 week of submission receipt. If the information is incomplete or there are any questions about the information you submitted, the NCCA will contact you and this may extend the 1 week timeline.
- Does record-and-review fall under the category of live remote proctoring?
Live Remote Proctoring is defined by the Commission as remote proctoring that occurs with a person actively watching and monitoring a candidate during the time of the test administration and that provides safeguards for exam integrity and validity similar to in-person proctoring. This precludes record-and-review.
- Is the Exception program the same as the NCCA's live remote proctoring pilot assessment?
They are not the same. The pilot assessment has some additional controls in order to collect data for NCCA analysis in determining whether live remote proctoring is consistent with the Standards. The Exception program is a time-limited option for certification programs to consider to meet the needs of their certificants during the global pandemic. The pilot assessment is continuing through this time, and the NCCA is coordinating with the participants of the pilot assessment to potentially speed up the data collection phase.
Questions?
If you have any additional questions, please contact ICE Accreditation Services staff at info@credentialingexcellence.org.