AN OVERVIEW OF ON-SITE TEST ADMINISTRATION
FOR ON-SITE EXAMINATIONS

IEEA (Internet Electronic Exam Administration) allows you to administer Institute exams from a single PC that is connected to the Institutes’ website. No local servers are required. A constant connection to the Internet is also not required. IEEA downloads exam information from the Institutes at the start of an exam and uploads the results when the exam is complete. No Internet connection is required in between.

At the time of the exam, you will log onto the Institutes’ website and enter a secure center code provided by the Institutes. Upon verification of both your identity and a valid registration for the examinee, the entire examination will be downloaded to your test site and then you will automatically disconnect from the Institutes’ website. When the exam is completed, the IEEA software will automatically reconnect your location to the Institutes’ website and transfer the exam results back to the Institutes.

A typical download of an exam with a 56K modem should take less than a minute. All the software you need is contained within a six-megabyte program you download from our website.

If you have any questions regarding the system requirements or installation of IEEA, please ask your network manager to contact the AICPCU Information Systems help desk at (610) 644-2100, ext. 7250, or helpdesk@cpcuiia.org.

On-site Requirements

An employer must satisfy requirements regarding the Exam Supervisor, Test Administrators and the Computer Support Person. All Technical requirements on the following pages must also be met in order to offer on-site testing at your location.

Exam Supervisor
The Exam Supervisor is responsible for the overall organization of the on-site testing program. We prefer the Examination Supervisor to have a CPCU, but Human Resource personnel, Educational Coordinators or Managers not sitting for exams are acceptable candidates. Communication between the Institutes and the employer is coordinated through the Exam Supervisor or his or her assignee. The Exam Supervisor selects a Test Administrator to oversee daily test administration activities. It is recommended that two Test Administrators be assigned to every location. The Exam Supervisor may serve as one of the test administrators.

Test Administrators
Test administrators have direct contact with examinees and perform the logistics and exam-proctoring activities associated with on-site exam administration. Test administrator should be staff members who are knowledgeable in the operation of a PC. They should not be course instructors or examinees who are registered to take an exam during a current testing window.

Logistic responsibilities of Test Administrators include:


• Scheduling examination appointments for Institute examinees
• Coordinating with the employer’s Computer Support Person to load the Institutes’ test administration software onto each PC used to administer exams
• Receiving the exam related material
• Ensuring that periodic backup of the computer hardware is implemented
• Booting the PC before exam administration
• Confirming the default printer to the PC is connected

Exam administration responsibilities include the following:


• Confirming the identity of each examinee
• Maintaining an appropriate testing environment
• Monitoring the security of the testing process
• Troubleshooting the PC using instructions provided by the Institutes
• Obtaining assistance from the employer’s Computer Support Person in the event of a computer emergency, such as the loss of electric power
• Promptly returning testing materials to the Institutes

Computer Support Person
The Computer Support Person assists the Test Administrator in loading the Institutes’ software onto a PC. Some knowledge of computers and a willingness to follow directions are necessary when installing the software and when troubleshooting an emergency. Normal administration of exams does not require a high level of computer expertise. Knowledge of the Windows® operating system environment is beneficial. The Computer Support Person serves as the Institutes’ point of contact in the event a computer problem cannot be resolved on-site.

Important Information Regarding Exam Administration Guidelines
To protect the security and integrity of Institute exams, on-site administrators may not sit for an exam within the same window they administer exams. If the Exam Supervisor, Test Administrators or Computer Support Person plans on registering for an exam, the Institutes must be notified prior to the start of the testing window, so that proctoring responsibilities may be re-assigned. Exam administrators may be re-instated after the completion of any and all exams have been taken for the current testing window. Failure to comply with these guidelines will result in the closure of the on-site testing center.

Technical Requirements

IEEA-based minimum requirements for a PC are as follows:


• IBM compatible
• 64 MB of RAM (recommend 256 MB)
• 50 MB disc space (recommend 100 MB)
• 233 MHz processor (recommend 500 MHz)
• Network card for LAN connectivity to the Internet or 56K modem (recommend high speed connection)
• 800 x 600 VGA monitor

Tests should be administered in quiet testing rooms that have the following:


• Separate work stations or corrals
• Good lighting
• Little chance for interruption
• Good visibility of the examinees by the proctor


Please note: Examinees are not permitted to take examinations in their private office/cubicle or on their PC/take-home laptop.

Installation and Configuration Test
Locations that satisfy the criteria cited above will qualify to install the IEEA software. The software must be installed on each PC used to administer computer exams. After the installation is complete a configuration test must be performed. There are two purposes for running a configuration test: to determine whether your employer will be able to administer Institute exams; to become familiarized with the administration process. A configuration test simulates the exam process by administering an abbreviated version of an Institute exam. Results of this test must be verified with the Institutes before approval for testing is granted.

Registering for an On-Site Exam
Your location must be approved as an on-site testing center before examinees may register for an exam at your location. An examinee intending to sit for an on-site exam will need to provide a center code as part of the registration process. Codes for approved on-site locations are listed on the Institutes’ Web site, www.aicpcu.org, Examinations > Exam Locations. Only approved locations can administer the Institutes’ computer exams. Employees must register with the Institutes for all CPCU & IIA exams. Walk-in examinees are not permitted.

Post-Registration Procedures
After registrations are processed, examinees will receive a confirmation notice that instructs them to contact their employer’s on-site test administrator to schedule an appointment for their computer-based exam. The Institutes will send the Test Administrator a list of examinees for the current testing window. A current list of registrants will also be available on the Institutes’ website.

Testing Windows
On-site computer exams are administered during two-month long testing periods called testing windows. Four two-month testing windows are scheduled during each calendar year:

January 15 – March 15
April 15 – June 15
July 15 – September 15
October 15 – December 15

On-site testing centers are not required to be open every day during the testing window, although the Institutes encourage organizations to maintain some flexibility in the scheduling process.

Official Grade Reports
An unofficial grade for all objective exams will be available immediately after the exam. All results will be validated by the Institutes before an official grade report is mailed (within a week after the exam). Essay responses for CPCU exams, which are not graded on-site, will be returned to the Institutes for review. Grades will be e-mailed to the examinee as soon as the results are available. An official grade report will also be mailed.

Application Form
If your organization is interested in administering on-site computer exams, please complete and return the application form to the Institutes. Please allow up to two (2) weeks processing time. If you plan to offer computer-based exams at multiple locations, each location must be approved by the Institutes and will receive a unique center code.

Questions
Please contact Corinne Angelilli, Assessments Supervisor with on-site testing questions at Angelilli@cpcuiia.org or 610-644-2100 ext. 7313.