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Examination Changes - Effective for October 2010 testing!

All applicants and candidates for UPPCC certifications should be advised that the UPPCC will be rolling out additional changes/enhancements to the CPPB/CPPO certification examinations. All changes listed below will take affect with the October 2010 examinations. Although the changes are are not dramatic, applicants and candidates should be fully aware that they are taking place and adapt accordingly. October 2010 changes include:

Pre-testing - new forms being developed for October 2010 and beyond will consist of 190 questions. Of the 190 questions, 175 will be operational (scored) and 15 will be pre-test (unscored). Pre-test questions allow the UPPCC to collect valuable performance statistics on test questions before they become operational. Pre-test questions are not labeled on examination forms as pre-test and they do not factor into a candidates score. Pre-testing of test questions is a common practice among professional certification programs.

Per question comments feature discontinued - in order to keep the testing time allotment the same (3.5 hours) and add 15 pre-test questions, the per question comments feature will be discontinued with the October 18-30, 2010 testing window. Although the per question comments feature provided the BOE with interesting comments regarding individual test questions, the majority of the feedback needed to make scoring decisions comes from the review of individual question statistics. Candidates will still be able to provide their overall comments and feedback during the post exam survey. The post exam survey is prompted on-screen after the timed portion of the exam is complete.

Extended testing windows - the bi-annual test windows will be expanded to 2 weeks from 1 week. The UPPCC is able to expand the testing window without compromising security because there will be many exam forms in operation simultaneously during any given testing window. This enhancement gives candidates additional flexibility when scheduling a testing appointment.

Global expansion - the UPPCC will be publishing the CPPO and CPPB examinations into the Prometric global network of testing centers for October 2010 and beyond. This expansion will offer greater access to testing outside of the US and Canada. Candidates interested in taking advantage of testing outside of the US and Canada can do so beginning in October 2010 for an additional fee of $50.

For additional information regarding the above mention changes to the CPPB/CPPO examinations, please consult the 2010-2011 UPPCC Candidate Handbook or contact the UPPCC Staff directly at 1-800-367-6447, ext. 236.