Tag: Pearson Vue

Scheduling Delays Due to COVID-19

August 11, 2020

COVID-19 is impacting all of us in different ways. Right now, Pearson VUE is working hard to facilitate candidate scheduling for BACB examinations as quickly as possible. This is not easily accomplished in a time when test centers are experiencing significantly reduced capacity or being shut down with little, if any, advance notice. Pearson VUE testing centers must comply with orders to reduce capacity, along with all other COVID-19 social distancing requirements. Please keep in mind that, in most states, examination administrations at Pearson VUE centers were completely shut down for several weeks, and many are now operating at a significantly reduced capacity.

Unfortunately, this means that some of you may be experiencing longer than usual wait times when calling Pearson VUE. You may also encounter scheduling difficulties in states where test center capacities have been significantly reduced. Rest assured, as systems are being adapted to help facilitate your examination scheduling. As such measures are taken, you may see adjustments to your exam appointment (location, date, and/or time) in response to a facility reduction requirement or another change that impacts your previously scheduled examination. Check out the Pearson VUE FAQ for more information about adaptations to address COVID-19. Please pay special attention to whether your exam times are AM or PM. One of the adaptations made by Pearson VUE has been to extend exam center hours, with some operating nearly 24 hours a day.

We thank you for your patience and understanding.

Online Proctored Testing Now Available for RBT Candidates

April 14, 2020

Effective April 15, 2020, live, online proctored testing is available for all RBT candidates via Pearson VUE’s online delivery system, OnVUE. This option, which the BACB is offering to RBTs on a trial basis following approval from the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), is available while Pearson VUE’s in-person testing facilities are closed due to the COVID–19 pandemic.

With advanced features that include ID verification, session monitoring, browser lockdown, and recordings, the OnVUE platform includes security features that are necessary for a trial of remote testing for RBT candidates during this challenging and unusual time. RBT candidates should note the following important information:

  • Once a candidate’s application for certification is approved, they will receive a link to schedule their remote, proctored certification examination with Pearson VUE per the usual examination scheduling process.
  • The BACB and PearsonVUE will temporarily accept expired, government–issued IDs‚ candidates must have government–issued identification in order to sit for the RBT certification examination‚ through May 31, 2020. Both the BACB and PearsonVUE recognize the current inability to renew government–issued IDs due to the COVID–19 pandemic, and anticipate requiring non–expired government–issued IDs once again beginning June 1, 2020.
  • Candidates who request accommodations for the RBT certification examination will need to wait until Pearson VUE reopens its physical testing centers; the OnVUE platform is unable to provide candidates with testing accommodations other than adjustable font and color contrast.
  • Pearson VUE strongly recommends using a high–speed internet connection for online testing, and encourages candidates to test during less popular wireless access times. Bandwidth issues greatly affect the delivery of online testing, and such issues are beyond Pearson VUE’s‚ and the BACB’s‚ control.

BACB to Temporarily Offer Online Proctored Testing for RBT Candidates

The BACB will temporarily offer live, online proctored testing for its RBT candidates through Pearson VUE's online delivery system, OnVUE. This option will be available for RBT candidates while Pearson VUE's in–person testing facilities are closed due to the COVID–19 pandemic.

The BACB is currently working with Pearson VUE to implement online proctored testing and will announce the date it is available in the near future. Visit our COVID–19 Updates page and listen to our latest episode of the Inside the BACB podcast for more information.

BACB to Offer Online Proctored Testing for RBT Candidates

April 14, 2020 Update: Effective April 15, 2020, live, online proctored testing will be available for all RBT candidates via Pearson VUE’s online delivery system, OnVUE. For further information, please see the Online Proctored Testing Now Available for RBT Candidates post above.

April 2, 2020 (Modified July 14, 2020)

The BACB will temporarily offer live, online, proctored testing for its RBT candidates through Pearson VUE's online delivery system, OnVUE. This option will be available for RBT candidates while Pearson VUE's in–person testing facilities are closed due to the COVID–19 pandemic. The BACB is currently working with Pearson VUE to implement this delivery model and will announce the date it is available in the near future.

The BACB's decision to offer remote proctored testing for RBT candidates follows the National Commission for Certifying Agencies' (NCCA) announcement on March 20, 2020 that it will allow the use of remote–proctor testing delivery on a limited basis for organizations with accredited programs such as the BACB. The NCCA's announcement is in response to an urgent need for credentialing programs to make testing available following the closure of many testing centers worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NCCA recently approved the BACB's application to offer remote testing for its RBT certification — each certification requires a separate application — on a trial basis. The BACB's decision to pursue remote testing for the RBT certification while Pearson VUE's in–person testing centers are closed is because the maximum length of the RBT certification examination — 90 minutes — allows the BACB and Pearson VUE to help ensure a fair testing experience for all candidates. Unfortunately, the BACB cannot guarantee such an experience for candidates taking the BCBA and BCaBA examinations, which, at four hours in length, require heightened security and accessibility at a time when wireless Internet traffic has reached unprecedented levels.

With advanced features that include ID verification, session monitoring, browser lockdown, and recordings, the OnVUE platform includes security features that are necessary for a trial of remote testing for RBT candidates during this challenging and unusual time. Once an RBT candidate's application for certification is approved, they will receive a link to schedule their remote, proctored certification examination with Pearson VUE per the usual examination scheduling process. As part of this pilot program, BACB psychometricians will closely monitor all data associated with remote testing, which will then be used by the NCCA to determine whether to allow the BACB to continue to offer remote delivery of RBT certification examinations in the future.

PLEASE NOTE: RBT candidates who request accommodations for the RBT certification examination will need to wait until Pearson VUE reopens its physical testing centers; the OnVUE platform is unable to provide candidates with testing accommodations other than adjustable font and color contrast. Additionally, Pearson VUE strongly recommends using a high–speed internet connection for online testing, and encourages candidates to test during less popular wireless access times. Bandwidth issues greatly affect the delivery of online testing, and such issues are beyond Pearson VUE's and the BACB's control.

For further information, listen to our podcast.

BACB Examinations at Pearson VUE

August 12, 2020 Update:

Pearson VUE testing center availability has been changing on a daily basis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, many testing centers that have opened are operating at a reduced capacity to implement social distancing measures (including the required use of masks). For the latest information regarding Pearson VUE testing centers and availability, please visit the Pearson VUE website.

Individuals who held an examination authorization in May 2020: We extended the expiration date of your examination authorization due to Pearson VUE testing center closures during the entire month of May 2020. If you did not receive an extension and held an examination authorization during that time, please review the Administrative Appeals Policy and file an appeal.

We continue to monitor this situation closely. To reach a customer service representative, please use our online Contact Us form.

 

April 27, 2020 Update: On May 1, 2020, Pearson VUE will begin reopening testing centers in areas that permit operation. Testing centers will open at a reduced capacity in facilities that can be equipped with appropriate social distancing measures (including the required use of masks). Please visit the Pearson VUE website for further details and scheduling.

March 18, 2020 (Modified August 12, 2020)

On March 16, 2020, Pearson VUE made the difficult decision to close all Pearson VUE–owned testing centers in the U.S. and Canada for a minimum of 30 days in response to the COVID–19 pandemic. Many other countries have closed their testing centers as well. For the latest information regarding Pearson VUE testing centers, please visit the Pearson VUE website.

Pearson VUE's decision was primarily based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which now recommends that no more than 10 people congregate in the same physical space in an effort to help contain the COVID–19 pandemic. We understand the closure of Pearson VUE testing centers presents a hardship for our certificants and consumers of ABA services. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide guidance to all those unable to test in the weeks ahead.

Individuals who hold a current examination authorization: We will extend the expiration date of your examination authorization by the number of days Pearson VUE testing centers are closed and you are unable to test. If you receive an automated email from the BACB that includes the date of your authorization expiration (e.g., reminders, expiration notices), please be aware that date will be adjusted once we know when Pearson VUE testing centers will reopen. Should your examination authorization expire during this period, we will reinstate it based on the number of days testing centers are closed and you are unable to test. This applies to all BACB testing candidates regardless of location.

Individuals who have submitted or will soon submit a BACB certification application: We will continue to process applications. If your application is approved, please disregard the examination authorization expiration date you receive in your approval email from the BACB. We will adjust the date your examination authorization expires once we have more information regarding the availability of testing.

We continue to receive inquiries about potential modifications to our standard testing practices, including whether candidates may test at other venues or in a remote environment. Because the BACB contracts solely with Pearson VUE, testing at other venues is not permitted. It is also likely impossible given that many other testing vendors are closing in response to the COVID–19 pandemic. Finally, due to our stringent examination security requirements and standards, we are unable to offer remote examination delivery at this time.

Again, we will continue to monitor this situation closely. While we have implemented remote operations to ensure the health and safety of all BACB employees, we remain operational and continue to process applications and respond to emails. To reach a customer service representative, please use our online Contact Us form.

COVID-19 Update from the BACB

March 18, 2020 Update: In response to the COVID–19 pandemic, Pearson VUE has closed all its testing centers in the US and Canada. Please visit the Pearson VUE website for the latest updates and to reschedule your BACB examination for a later date. You can cancel up to 24 hours before your scheduled examination without being charged a cancellation fee.

March 17, 2020 (Modified August 12, 2020)

The COVID–19 pandemic has implications for every aspect of society. Given this unprecedented situation and the impact it will continue to have on our certificants, clients, families, and trainees, we are offering the following information for BACB certificants and trainees in a number of areas related to our requirements.

Experience, Fieldwork, and Supervision for Trainees, RBTs, and BCaBAs

Our certification requirements were developed to provide flexibility in how they are met across a variety of conditions. In special circumstances, however, we have a compassionate–exception appeals process in which reasonable deviations that still meet the intent of our requirements may be accepted. This process may include greater leniency around specific requirements that involve interactions with clients (e.g., number of trainee- or RBT–client observations, minimum number of experience hours in a month). It is particularly important that you keep detailed documentation in the event you are subject to a BACB–requirements audit. That documentation should include information about how the pandemic impacted your services, supervision, etc., and the steps you took to try to meet the requirements. Finally, we encourage every BACB certificant and trainee to seek guidance from their supervisors about how supervision and service delivery might be impacted in the weeks ahead. Please see the “Temporary Allowances for Experience/Fieldwork and Competency Assessments” COVID–19 update for more information.

Examinations

Pearson VUE has implemented additional safety procedures and is providing regular updates to ensure the safety of our candidates. Remember that all BACB examinations are available on demand and you can schedule your examination for a later date. Additionally, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your scheduled examination without being charged a cancellation fee.

Continuing Education

The number of recent conference cancellations and the use of social distancing measures might impact how some of you with upcoming recertification dates were planning to obtain continuing education. Although we can't recommend specific continuing education providers, please note that there are many options available online. In addition, the new CEU requirements implemented in January 2020 no longer restrict types of CE activities, so some of you might be able to earn CEUs from other sources.

Application Submissions

Because mail service and processing may be impacted by changes to delivery timelines, the more information you submit electronically, the better.

Finally, we have implemented measures to ensure the health and safety of our employees, including remote work for employees beginning on March 17th. Although we have discontinued phone–based customer service during this period, we will continue to process applications and respond to emails. To reach a customer service representative, please use our online Contact Us form.