The NBCE, which made the announcement at its May 2018 board meeting in Dallas, discontinued computerized testing in mid-2016 after the second of two major technology malfunctions occurred during administration of the written board exam. The malfunctions involved multiple server crashes and forced some students taking the March and June 2016 examinations to restart the exams several times and ultimately retake all or parts of the exams.
The NBCE has been administering the written exam in pencil-and-paper format in lieu of the computerized version for nearly two years, during which time it has been working to ensure resumption of computer-based testing would not lead to similar issues.
"This is a significant decision ensuring that NBCE will continue as a leader in professional testing," said NBCE President Dr. Salvatore LaRusso in announcing Prometric as the board's computerized examination partner. "Examinees and internal support services alike will directly benefit from Prometric's vast experience in high stakes testing [and] significant investment in testing technology.
According to the NBCE, the partnership with Prometric provides a "delivery model [that] minimizes interruptions due to Internet connectivity and lag time while utilizing progressive security technology and protocols to keep NBCE's exam content safe." Other stated benefits of the partnership include more testing dates due to more efficient exam delivery processes; improved scheduling and registration procedures; a comprehensive, consistent training for exam proctors.
Editor’s Note: For further details on the new computerized testing partnership and process, read the NBCE’s submission, “Transforming Exam Delivery,” in this issue.
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