Remote Proctoring for Certification Exams—Third Quarter 2020
NACVA Obtains Approval to Offer Remote Proctoring for Certification Exams
Jonathan Jackson
Jonathan Jackson
Executive Director, NACVA
ANSI and NCCA approved remote proctoring allows valuation professionals to sit for the CVA exam from the comfort of their own home
Last March, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, we had several individuals who just completed a week-long, 40-hour, intensive Business Valuation Certification and Training Center course that prepares candidates to pass a 400 question, multiple-choice exam to qualify to become a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA).
As a result of widespread quarantine measures, thousands of testing centers closed, and left our newly trained valuation analysts without any options to complete the CVA exam and obtain certification. The only choice we had was to offer these candidates a chance to complete the exam via remote proctoring from the comfort and safety of their own home; anytime, anywhere, and at no increased cost.
Remote proctoring has been available for some time but this option was not considered viable for high-stakes credentialing exams, such as the CVA exam. Why? Because the CVA designation is the only valuation credential that has achieved accreditation, specifically with the National Commission of Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This means that the CVA designation has satisfied rigorous standards of professionalism, quality, expertise, and integrity. This is a big deal because no other business valuation credential can boast this level of credibility and transparency—a key distinction between the CVA against the ABV, the ASA, and now the CEIV.
Because the CVA designation is accredited through both NCCA and ANSI,we were faced with only one option—to seek approval with our accrediting bodies to offer live remote proctoring to our CVA candidates. To obtain approval, we were required to meet several conditions to maintain the security and quality of the CVA examination. Many of these conditions were outside of our control and required us to work with our test administrator to comprehensively update our exam administration processes and procedures, and theirs as well.
Part of the approval process also requires an independent assessor to conduct a simulation or “witness assessment” of the exam. This is where they review the exam, the customer experience, onboarding procedures (including communications, ID verification, and security protocols), the actual exam experience, and any follow-on reporting. While these witness assessments were being conducted, we observed improvements with our exam administrator, and we worked diligently with them to revise their entire onboarding and ID verification procedures. The customer experience noticeably improved as well. Additionally, our exam administrator conducted extensive training with their proctors to meet our strict accreditation guidelines. We invested a lot of time collaborating with our exam administration partner and were happy to see a healthy reciprocating business relationship.
As a result of this thorough assessment, we are pleased to announce that we have obtained “provisional approval” to offer this option to all candidates pursuing both the CVA and the Master Analyst in Financial Forensics (MAFF) designations. These candidates now have the choice to complete their exam from the convenience of their home or office—anywhere there is a solid internet connection. With varied social distancing guidelines in place, this better positions NACVA in making these designations more attainable globally during these uncertain times.
This provisional approval is in place for the next six months, until the beginning of February 2021. Then we will seek to obtain permanent approval with our accrediting bodies to offer live remote proctoring indefinitely.
ANSI and NCCA approved remote proctoring allows valuation professionals to sit for the CVA exam from the comfort of their own home
Last March, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, we had several individuals who just completed a week-long, 40-hour, intensive Business Valuation Certification and Training Center course that prepares candidates to pass a 400 question, multiple-choice exam to qualify to become a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA).
As a result of widespread quarantine measures, thousands of testing centers closed, and left our newly trained valuation analysts without any options to complete the CVA exam and obtain certification. The only choice we had was to offer these candidates a chance to complete the exam via remote proctoring from the comfort and safety of their own home; anytime, anywhere, and at no increased cost.
Remote proctoring has been available for some time but this option was not considered viable for high-stakes credentialing exams, such as the CVA exam. Why? Because the CVA designation is the only valuation credential that has achieved accreditation, specifically with the National Commission of Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This means that the CVA designation has satisfied rigorous standards of professionalism, quality, expertise, and integrity. This is a big deal because no other business valuation credential can boast this level of credibility and transparency—a key distinction between the CVA against the ABV, the ASA, and now the CEIV.
Because the CVA designation is accredited through both NCCA and ANSI,we were faced with only one option—to seek approval with our accrediting bodies to offer live remote proctoring to our CVA candidates. To obtain approval, we were required to meet several conditions to maintain the security and quality of the CVA examination. Many of these conditions were outside of our control and required us to work with our test administrator to comprehensively update our exam administration processes and procedures, and theirs as well.
Part of the approval process also requires an independent assessor to conduct a simulation or “witness assessment” of the exam. This is where they review the exam, the customer experience, onboarding procedures (including communications, ID verification, and security protocols), the actual exam experience, and any follow-on reporting. While these witness assessments were being conducted, we observed improvements with our exam administrator, and we worked diligently with them to revise their entire onboarding and ID verification procedures. The customer experience noticeably improved as well. Additionally, our exam administrator conducted extensive training with their proctors to meet our strict accreditation guidelines. We invested a lot of time collaborating with our exam administration partner and were happy to see a healthy reciprocating business relationship.
As a result of this thorough assessment, we are pleased to announce that we have obtained “provisional approval” to offer this option to all candidates pursuing both the CVA and the Master Analyst in Financial Forensics (MAFF) designations. These candidates now have the choice to complete their exam from the convenience of their home or office—anywhere there is a solid internet connection. With varied social distancing guidelines in place, this better positions NACVA in making these designations more attainable globally during these uncertain times.
This provisional approval is in place for the next six months, until the beginning of February 2021. Then we will seek to obtain permanent approval with our accrediting bodies to offer live remote proctoring indefinitely.
Learn more about NACVA certifications at https://www.NACVA.com/certifications. For more information regarding our remotely proctored certification exams, please review our certification Candidate Handbook.
