When creating a certification process, particularly at scale, you need a platform that can help you assess, certify, and upskill learners without the headaches. Research has identified five major challenges in online certification programs we're going to explore.
Privacy Vs. SecurityPrivacy concerns creep up any time online solutions are part of the equation. Test takers are concerned about privacy, and certification providers are under intense pressure to ensure online exams meet compliance standards.
Effective remote proctoring supports both the proctor and the test taker. When it comes to privacy, test takers may express concerns about how data is stored (especially ID scans) and how software can have malicious after effects. So, clear data privacy standards should be made available to put test takers at ease.
The format in which information is collected should be fair and unbiased. Automation helps increase integrity without increasing work for the certification proctors. Using automated intelligence (AI), a platform can perform ID checks, review event red flags, and deploy object detection technologies to ensure equal footing for all learners.
Customer service is a priority, even for your internal customers. So, give extra thought to improving the test taker’s experience. Remote exams are designed with high-quality, visually engaging interface design.
Customer service should be prompt and available any time exams are being proctored. And your company’s brand should remain prominent and visible to add a level of comfort for test takers.
Preparing for a smooth experience:
You’re preparing staff for a future in the industry. Does your remote exam reflect that forward-thinking vision? Assessments and performance-based technical certifications need to be tailored to the future.
Since the pandemic, more and more companies are adopting remote work styles. This means we know that online testing is here to stay. And therefore, offering remote certification exams is now necessary.
Proctors should be highly trained and certified. The support staff should be available to address timely questions. AI technology can be used to enhance intuitiveness. And the partnership with client companies should be focused on continuous improvement.
Third, Be Adaptable
It’s inevitable, a crisis hits every business at some point. Be adaptable and apply what you learn along the way to help your staff grow. When real-world problems emerge, consider how to add the lessons to your assessments to improve how the problem is addressed in the future.
Select a partner that delivers the advantage of offering an exam/assessment and proctoring solution that is secure, equitable, and carefully crafted to prepare your staff to succeed in the ever-changing industry landscape.
Begin by delivering the assessment format that is most likely to demonstrate your staff’s knowledge. Four online assessment solutions are commonly available: online assessment test, online typing test, online code test, and advanced STEM tests.
Each assessment should allow certification technicians to configure workflows and customize the assessment. You should be able to modify the format to include multiple choice questions, essay tests, technical requirements, and typing. Additionally, proctors should be able to modify some content to be more relevant to the staff’s industry and business.
Certification providers should strongly consider deploying AI - some combination of machine learning and natural language processing technologies to ensure test integrity, security, and compliance requirements can be easily managed.
Test takers will appreciate having 24/7 access to real-time customer service support if there is a challenge along the way. And exams should be capable of being taken on virtually any device or browser: laptops, iPads, and phones.
With Talview Exam Solutions, you can automate, assess, and authenticate the proctoring process from anywhere.
You’re trusted with preparing today’s talent to become tomorrow’s leaders. So, you have armed employees with information and hands-on experiences to grow their skillset. Now, it’s time to assess their understanding and certify qualified staff. Consider how these top five challenges are an opportunity to create a better process for online certifications.
You’ve witnessed the sticker shock that comes with scaling certification programs. When assessments are differentiated for all staff levels, proctoring costs can increase exponentially. However, wouldn't the cost be a little more justifiable if you were guaranteed more reliable results? Even better, consider the financial benefits of motivating a significant percentage of staff to complete assessments that prepare them to work with emerging technologies.
Upskill an entire team. When you put a small group of staff together that are all engaged in similar work functions, you can include some standard learning content and also incorporate customized content relevant to your business and industry. Collaborative efforts can improve learning, increase success rates, and reduce expenses.
There’s no need to commit any expense for in-person training when virtual training can offer unique interactivity and secure proctoring. You can expand the reach of your remote certification opportunities and maintain the test’s integrity with the right partner.
Consider how you can support staff that has earned new certifications. One idea is to offer digital badges that employees can display on email signatures or employee profiles. Digital badges help employees earn recognition for their accomplishments. And, as more team members display these badges, it will create accountability to make others jump on the bandwagon.
In turn, you’ll have more people participating in certifications and a built-in recognition program, which is a win-win for company morale. Furthermore, you can include a digital footprint with badges to track your ROI.
Improve Hiring ROI
And if you’re hiring new staff, you can even consider using a tool such as the Hiring ROI Calculator by Talview. Bringing new team members in who are already skilled and future-focused can put you further ahead in your goals to train and upskill. So, knowing the ROI associated with your hiring process is essential.
Lack of accessibility and poor multilingual support can be significant barriers to having team members participate in remote certifications. Now, on the heels of the pandemic, businesses need to be more flexible than ever. Partner with a platform that is set up to allow certification providers to scale their programs securely and equitably.
Talview Exam Solutions for Certification Providers are designed with technical certifications and test takers in mind. Orchestrate everything you need to test and proctor certifications online, while providing a smooth, accessible experience and 24/7 real-time support to test takers.
With Talview’s AI-powered remote exam and proctoring solutions, you can simplify how you test, proctor, and certify candidates, while ensuring the integrity, security, and compliance of your entire process. Talview’s approach to exam delivery enables affordable pricing and improved security at a higher scale (even when human proctors are involved).
Talview complies with international laws and best practices, including General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), COPPA California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), Service Organization Control II (SOC II), and more.
Talview helps you easily and effectively automate, assess, and authenticate the certification process from virtually any device, browser, or OS. Orchestrate everything you need to test and proctor certifications online, while providing a smooth, accessible experience and 24/7 real-time support to test takers.