CCC administrator proctor training

American Institute of Constructors Constructor Certification Commission

Training for New Examination Site Administrators and/ Proctors

Purpose of Training

• Provides a brief history and overview of Constructor certification.

• Provides foundational information about the Constructor Certification Commission.

• Provides responsibilities associated with your specific role in the Commission.

Training Instructions

• Carefully view the Power Point slides and make notes of any questions you may have.

• Complete two short assessments – one relating to your mastery of the material presented and the second of the session itself.

• Complete any required Commission documents.• Contact the Commission Certification Manager at

[email protected] or 703-683-4999 to obtain answers to your questions.

mailto:[email protected]

History & Overview of Constructor Certification

• Please go to http://goo.gl/LgwUV to view the short Power Point presentation on the history and overview of constructor certification.

• When complete continue with this presentation on the next slide.

http://goo.gl/LgwUV

Constructor Certification CommissionMission and Goals

Mission - To certify Professional Constructors thorough established standards based upon education, experience and examination process. Goals are to:•Provide a valid Constrictor verification process,•Improve the image of the Constructor and the construction profession,•Improve the standards of the practice of construction,•Promote the continual professional development of the Constructor.•Promote membership into an organization of professional constructors, the American Institute of Constructors, and•Promote the AIC Constructor Code of Ethics.

Constructor Certification Commission Objectives

The objectives of the Commission are to develop, implement and coordinate policies and procedures for: •The certification process,•A framework for the development of the professional Constructor,•A feedback process to higher education construction programs and the industry, and•Continual professional development for practicing professionals.

Constructor Certification Commission Organization

• The Commission is a semi-autonomous body that operates under the auspices of the American Institute of Constructors.

• The Commission is the governing body and consists of a Board of Governors and Board of Advisors.

Constructor Certification Commission Board of Governors

• Four elected for four year terms – all must be CPCs

• Four appointed by AIC for four year terms – all must be CPCs and AIC members

• One Public Member elected by eight Board of Governors

• Votes on all matters coming before the Commission.

Constructor Certification Commission Board of Advisors

• Maximum of 12 representing construction associations and other qualified individuals

• Elected by Board of Governors with no designated terms of office

• Votes on all issues that come before the Commission except those concerning the Operating Procedures, Expenditures of Commission Funds, Employment of contractors and specific certification issues as noted in the respective Commission Policy.

Constructor Certification Commission Committees and Subcommittees

Examination Committee - Responsible for developing, assessing, validating, up-dating, and formatting questions on examinations.Examination Subcommittees:

Item Writing Item ReviewingWriting Skills Scoring for Level I (AC)

Examination


Skills and Knowledge Committee Responsibilities:•Works with the AIC Professional Standards Committee to maintain and revalidate the body of knowledge and provide the Examination Committee with any changes for incorporation into future examinations.•Prepares and maintains the criteria for evaluating continuing professional development programs. •Reviews the applications for certification for compliance with certification criteria and such other duties as the Commission may assign.

Skills and Knowledge Subcommittees:Application VettingContinuing Professional Development

AuditFinance Committee - Responsible for preparing the annual budget, monitoring the spending of commission funds and revenues and developing in conjunction with the Certification Manager, marketing plans.


Constructor Certification Commission Contractors

• Management Contractor – is responsible for administering the day to day activities and events of the Commission.Talley Management Group Certification Manager – Mr. Joe Sapp

• Examination Contractor – is responsible for all certification examination-related activities. Professional Testing CorporationPresident – Ms. Sallyann Henry

Constructor Certification Commission Major Processes

Certification Examination Development - Entails developing and reviewing of questions and selecting them for both the Level I (AC) and Level II (CPC) examinations. The development process includes working with the Examination Contractor to insure all examinations are valid, reliable and fair through the utilization of nationally recognized effective test psychometric measures.


Certification Examination Application and Notification - Includes the application process, determining eligibility to take the examinations, scoring of the both certification examinations, rescheduling of examinations, informing qualificants (examinees) of their performance on examinations and conducting appeals (when needed).


Certification Examination Site Selection and Administration - Includes the identification, selection and maintenance of the sites, examination site activities and the administration of examinations.


Certification Maintenance - Includes assigning of certification numbers, maintaining one’s certification, allowable use of the AC and CPC credential, validation of certification examination body of knowledge, review of acceptability of required continuing professional development documentation, reinstating certification and responding to communications.


Governance of Constructor Certification Activities - Includes the responsibilities, qualifications and selection of Commission, Committee, Panel and Task Force members and contractors, contractor employee job descriptions, joint construction association chapter activities, documentation and document control.


Governance of Constructor Certification Activities – Also includes conflict of interest, confidentiality, ethical conduct of Commission members, volunteers, conractor staff and certificants, whistleblowing, and selection, training and assessing of Commission members, volunteers and contractor staff.


All of these processes have specific policies and procedures with associated documents. Some of these will be reviewed in the next portion of the training. All Commission Policies and Procedures along with their associated documents can be found at www.professionalconstructor.org.

http://www.professionalconstructor.org/

Process to Apply for and Become an Approved Commission Examination Site

Complete an Examination Site Application Form (Commission Document No. 26) answering to the following criteria and sign and submit it to the Commission at least 60 days prior to administering an examination:A. An examination administrator and one or more proctors will be available to conduct all of the responsibilities associated with the administration of the certification examinations in accordance with Commission Policies 3.2 and 3.3.


B. Commitment that there will be one proctor for every 30 applicants taking the examination.C. Guarantee that there will be at least two applicants taking the examination the first time the new site will administrator the examination(s).D. In the case of educational institutions serving as approved examination sites, agreement that even if there are no students from the respective institution taking the test that it still will be administered if there are qualificants to sit for it


E. Acknowledgment the there is no remuneration from the Commission for services rendered.F. Agree to inform the Commission within 45 days of the scheduled examination of the inability to host the examination in any given test period.


The application letter and signed form requesting to become an examination site is presented to the Commission for approval. If approved, the administrator at the examination site will be notified and the new site will be added to the Commission’s list of approved examination sites.If not approved, the person submitting the request to become a site will be so notified as to the reason(s) and provided the opportunity to take corrective actions. New certification examination sites must be approved at least 45 days before the next examination date.


Once approved the site will retain its status on a year-to-year basis unless said approval is removed from the Commission. On an annual basis, the Certification Manager, with input from the Examination Contractor Staff, will prepare a report to the Commission on the performance of the administrator and/or proctors at the various sites relative to fulfilling their responsibilities in a timely and quality manner. The report also will include the productivities of each site in terms of number of examinations administered by certification level for each examination site and any recommendations for improvement.


In the event that negative feedback is received concerning the performance of any examination site it shall be submitted to the Commission for review and action. The decision could be to remove the site from the list of approved ones, to continue recognizing the site as approved with the condition of making needed improvements in a noted time frame or continue to recognize the site as approved without needed conditions of improvement.


The security and integrity of the certification examination booklets and information is of the highest concern to the Commission. Failure to properly safeguard the confidentiality of the examination materials and process will be grounds for the removal of the site as an approved one.

Examination Site Administrator/Proctor Qualifications

The individuals must have educational and/or experiential qualifications in the proctoring of examinations and be approved by the Commission. The individuals are not to have regular contact with the qualificants which include educators/trainers, administrators of academic units in which qualificants are enrolled, co-workers, and others not approved by the Commission. Exceptions to this requirement will be considered by the Commission in extenuating circumstances.

Responsibilities of Administrators and/or Proctors

1. Have read and understand the following Commission Policies: 3.1 – Identification, Selection and Maintenance of Certification Examination Sites 3.2 – Examination Site Activities 3.3 – Administration of Certification Examinations and Document 11 – Commission Test Administration Policies and Procedures 5.6 – Ethical Conduct of Commission Members, Volunteers and Contractor Staff2. Complete all responsibilities in a timely and quality manner.3. Sign a Certification Examination Administrator and/or Proctor Statement (Commission Document No. 31).

Examination Site ActivitiesWithin 8 weeks of the administration of the certification examination, the Examination Contractor Staff will communicate with each examination site administrator informing them of the upcoming examination and requesting that they verify the exact location where the examination will be held, the name or names of the proctors and specific contact information. In addition, a deadline will be provided by which the requested information is to be submitted to the Examination Contractor Staff. The deadline is usually six weeks prior to the date of the administration of the certification examination (s).In the event the requested information is not received in a timely manner, the Examination Contractor Staff will follow up with the respective examination site administrator(s).

Examination Site ActivitiesApproximately ten (10) business days prior to the administration of the examination(s), the certification examinations and other documents will be sent to the various examination sites by the Examination Contractor Staff. A separate notice will also be sent to the examination site administrators informing them of the shipment and requesting that upon receipt they conduct an inventory of the materials to be sure they are complete in quantity and in good condition. In addition, the examination site administrators will be asked to notify the Examination Contractor Staff of the receipt of the materials, that they completed the inventory and if any items are missing or in bad condition. This notification is asked for within five (5) business days prior to the date of the examination(s).

Examination Site ActivitiesIncluded with the materials sent to each examination site will be a copy of the Commission’s Test Administration Policies and Procedures (Commission Document No. 11) for the site administrator and proctor(s) to use for all activities associated with preparing for, administering and following up after the examination. These individuals must read the material prior to the day of the administration of the examination(s) and refer any questions to the Examination Contractor Staff.All examination site administrators and proctors are also provided the name of a designated Examination Contractor Staff person and a 800 telephone number they can call in case they have any questions or encounter any problems on examination day.

Examination Site ActivitiesFollowing the administration of the examination(s), a member of the Examination Contractor will contact the examination site administrators to remind them to return the materials as per the instructions provided to them. In the event the Examination Contractor does not receive the completed examinations and other materials in a timely manner the Examination Contractor Staff will follow up with the respective examination site administrators to determine the reason(s) and work to rectify the situation. This information is also provided to the Certification Manager who may need to assist the Examination Contractor staff. In addition, this information serves as feedback when assessing the performance of examination site personnel as required by Commission Policy 3.1.

Activities Prior to the Administration of the Examinations – Admission of Qualificants

1. All candidates should present an Admission Notice from the Professional Testing Corporation and a photo I.D. The Admission Notices are to be checked by the Proctor for the correct examination level and testing center. Collect the Admission Notices at the afternoon session and return with the other materials.2. If a candidate does not have an Admission Notice, check the name against the Examination Roster. If the candidate’s name is on the roster and presents a valid photo I.D., proceed with the admission process.3. Each candidate is required to sign in on the line indicated on the Examination Roster.4. A candidate who arrives after the official start time will be allowed entrance after full verification of identification and the completion of a Late Candidate waiver. By signing the waiver, the candidate understands he will not be given extra time. Any candidate who refuses to sign the waiver should not be permitted to sit for the exam and should be instructed to contact the AIC Constructor Certification Commission to reschedule.

Activities Prior to the Administration of the Examinations – Admission of Qualificants

5. Any candidate admitted late will NOT be given extra time to complete the exam.6. NO visitors are permitted in the testing room.7. Any irregularities should be noted on the Incident Report.8. The booklet numbers should be recorded on the Examination Roster. Also, candidates should initial when they receive the exam materials and when they return the exam materials in the appropriate spaces on the Examination Roster.

Activities Prior to the Administration of the Examinations – Test Security

Security of test materials is the single most important factor for any professional testing program. It is the chief responsibility of the Examiner to safeguard all test materials from the time of receipt until they are returned. Tests must be kept in a locked, secure area.

Check shipments of test materials within 24 hours of receipt to verify that the full shipment has arrived and is free from tampering or damage. Report receipt of test materials and any irregularities to Professional Testing Corporation by e-mail to Richard Healy ([email protected]) or telephone (212-356-0668 ).

mailto:[email protected]

Activities Prior to the Administration of the Examinations – Test Security

The examination material is confidential. No one is permitted to review the examination contents except the candidates at the time of the testing session. Copying, transcribing, or removal of test materials is strictly prohibited. Any breach of security must be reported at once to Professional Testing Corporation.All test booklets must be returned in accordance with procedures outlined in the manual, never later than two days after the test administration.

General Directions to Proctors

1. For questions on the day of the examination, please call Richard Healy at 201- 936-2228.2. All directions in this manual must be followed exactly to ensure that candidates in all testing centers are tested under the same conditions.3. NO books or other reference materials may be taken into the examination room.4. CALCULATORS: Calculators must have trigonometry functions without alpha programmable capabilities. Hand-held battery or solar operated calculators are permitted. Calculators with printing or programming capabilities, alpha keyboards, or part of cell phones or Blackberry type devices are not allowed. Candidates can bring small bags containing items for personal use such as tissues, medications, wallets, and bottled water.

General Directions to Proctors5. A wall clock should be available for candidates to view. The time remaining on the examination should be posted or announced at regular

intervals.6. NOISE: The testing room must be a quiet, comfortable environment without distractions. Any disturbance that may affect performance of

candidates should be noted on the Examiner's Report.7. EXHIBIT BOOKLETS: The exhibit booklets are printed in a double-sided

format. Candidates may have to unfold the pages to view certain exhibits.

8. DEFECTIVE BOOKLETS: If a candidate has a defective booklet, the Examiner should replace it. The number of the defective booklet and the replacement booklet should be noted on the Examiner's Report.

General Directions to Proctors9. RESTROOM BREAKS: Candidates must obtain permission to leave the examination room for a restroom break during the actual testing time by raising their hand. They must turn in their test booklet, exhibit, answer sheet, and cell phone before leaving the room. Only one candidate will be permitted to leave the room at a time. Note should be made on the Examiner’s Report if any candidate is out of the testing room for any unusual length of time.10. SMOKING is prohibited in the testing room.If a candidate completes the exam early and leaves the testing room, the candidate will not be allowed to re-enter the room.11. CELL PHONES: Examiners/proctors (and candidates) should not use cell phones or laptops while in the testing room.

General Directions to Proctors12. COMMENT FORMS: Examiners/proctors should not, at any time, attempt to answer any candidate’s questions regarding exam content. Candidates should be advised to answer the exam question to the best of their ability and then note their concern on the Question Comment Form. Comment Forms should be distributed at the start of the morning session, secured during the lunch break, and collected at the end of the afternoon session. Comment forms are double-sided; candidates can use one side for morning and the reverse for afternoon.13. Under no circumstances is the examination room to be left unattendedby a member of the testing staff.

General Directions to Proctors14. ID NUMBERS: Candidate ID Numbers are listed on the Examination Roster for candidates who do not bring their Admission Notices. They should be allowed to test as long as they included on the candidate roster.15. CHEATING: Do not directly accuse any candidate of cheating. If cheating is suspected, have another staff person verify your suspicion. If verification is made, move the candidate to another seat. Note the candidate’s name and ID. Number on the Incident Report along with the names and ID. Numbers of all other involved candidates.16. ILLNESS: If a candidate becomes ill and has to leave the exam, note the candidate’s name on the Incident Report provided. Make sure you tell the candidate that the answer sheet will be scored and the score reported to both the candidate and entered into the AIC Constructor Certification Commission’s records.

General Directions to Proctors17. EXAMINEE SURVEYS: Examinee Satisfaction Surveys should be distributed and collected before the start of the Afternoon Session. Candidates are asked to complete the survey while remaining in the examination room. They should not be allowed to leave without turning in the survey. The surveys should be returned with the answer sheets in the Express Mail envelope provided.18. PROCTOR SURVEYS: Examination Site Surveys should be completed by the test examiner or proctor. Please return the Examination Site Survey with the answer sheets and Examinee Satisfaction Surveys in the Express Mail envelope provided.19. ANSWER SHEETS: Every candidate should use two (2) answer sheets: 1 for the morning session and 1for the afternoon session.

General Directions to Proctors20. The Examiner or proctor should walk around the room frequently to guard against cheating, the copying of questions and answers, the removal of any pages from the test booklet, etc. Proctors should be highly visible during the examination. They should move around the room periodically to observe any irregularities that may occur. Any of the above irregularities must be noted on the Incident Report.

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CCC administrator proctor training