-- Photo on Score Report and Web -- On completion of a certification exam
at the test center, candidates will receive preliminary score reports
imprinted with their photos and unique authentication codes. The
authentication code can be used to access a candidate's official score
online at Pearson VUE's website www.pearsonvue.com/authenticate usually
within 72 hours of the examination. The online score report will also
display the candidate's photo. Candidates may share access to their online
records with employers or other third parties.
-- Forensic Analysis -- Exam results and other testing data will be
continuously analyzed by forensic software to detect aberrant testing
behavior and to flag suspect exams for further investigation. When problems
are identified with the validity of a test result, the candidate's score
will be invalidated. Depending on the exact issue with the flagged exam,
further consequences may range from having to retake the exam to the
imposition of a one-year or lifetime testing ban.
-- Preliminary Score Report -- All paper score reports will be
preliminary, pending the results of forensic analysis, until official exam
scores are posted to the Web within 72 hours of exam completion. Once the
exam scores are official, candidates may use the authentication codes on
their score reports to access the Pearson VUE website for score and photo
verification.
"We looked at alternatives for addressing the issue of proxy testing, the
two primary victims of which are employers and those members of the
certification community who chose training, hard work and experience as
their path to certification," explained Randall Trask, vice president of
market development for Pearson VUE. "We determined that adding photos to
score reports and providing employers with the ability to authenticate both
the exam score and the person achieving it will provide a direct benefit to
all."
These new exam security measures are part of Cisco's overall strategy to
protect the value and integrity of its certifications. Other measures
include simulation-based testing, dynamically generated questions and
emulations to help ensure that Cisco certified networking professionals
continue to have the knowledge, skills and credentials to perform well on
the job.
About Pearson VUE
Pearson VUE (www.pearsonvue.com) is the global leader in electronic testing
for regulatory and certification boards, providing a full suite of services
from test development to test delivery to data management. Pearson VUE
offers exams through the world's largest network of test centers in 162
countries, providing testing services for information technology, academic,
government and professional clients. Pearson VUE acquired the former
Promissor in 2006, thereby extending its leadership in the certification
market. The company's innovative technology offers the highest levels of
security and program control, while its commitment to service provides
clients and individual test takers with an unmatched testing experience.
Pearson VUE is a business of Pearson (Contact Information: Press & Analyst Relations: Cara Sloman Cisco 831-440-2411 csloman@cisco.com Mary Beth Mohn Pearson VUE 952-681-3000 MaryBeth.Mohn@Pearson.com