Stamp of Approval

It is with great pleasure that the Center for Testing and Career Certification (CTCC) at the Biscayne Bay Campus announces its recertification with the National College Testing Association (NCTA)! On the heels of the recent accomplishment of our Modesto Maidique Campus center, staff members at BBC rallied together to review the recertification process in its entirety and embark on the journey of submission. 

In the past 5 years, following the campus’ initial certification, various aspects have advanced and evolved. One of the major areas requested in the new submission, which was not relevant in 2017, is remote proctoring.  With the height of Covid in 2020 leading way to novel opportunities to offer and proctor exams virtually, our testing centers found it fitting to establish our virtual Remote Testing Center (vRTC). The recertification committee reviewers focused on this by inquiring about details regarding our procedures, training methods and the relative materials for such. Additionally, included in the evaluation upon their request was our emergency plan, specifically what measures were instituted throughout the pandemic and what information was disseminated to test-takers. Although seemingly tedious, the team was confident in knowing that all of the information being requested was either at their fingertips or only an ask to our leadership away.  

With plenty of time to spare prior to the deadline, the application and necessary 20 appendices were successfully submitted. Sealing the deal, the next phase consisted of a site visit by two colleagues combing through all the documentation turned in, while inspecting the physical space and viewing all of the policies and practices in action. The breaking news of triumph followed via email on June 21st, 2022 from NCTA’s president congratulating our CTCC team of professionals at the Biscayne Bay Campus for a job well done. We are honored to present to you our nationally certified Center for Testing and Career Certification at BBC and will continue to provide the highest quality of service and integrity now and for years to come! 

Professional Certification: A Value-Added Learning Experience.

The Center for Testing and Career Certification, Innovative Education & Student Success, and the College of Engineering & Computing for the third consecutive year have collaborated to offer Electrical and Computer Engineering/Sciences students an opportunity to earn professional IT certifications. The spring/summer partnership, an innovation of Dr. Upadhyay, Dr. Nimblett, and Dr. Cram, introduces Certiport’s Learn, Practice, Certify model for Microsoft’s Cloud computing and Artificial Intelligence. The professional certifications, a considerable value, are offered free of charge to the students. The tab which is picked up by CTCC and Innovative Education & Student Success (IESS) signals their continued commitment to adding value to the students’ FIU experience.

Dr. Upadhyay, Principal Scientist at FIU’s Applied Research Center, and Professor in the College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, sums it up this way:
“CTCC has provided an excellent opportunity to the Electrical and Computer Engineering / Science students to achieve professional certification from Microsoft in the area of Cloud and Artificial Intelligence. This will lead to better job opportunities for the students who have achieved these certifications. A number of students have benefited from this program in the Spring and Summer semesters” This fall is no different, CTCC continues its commitment to this collaboration... “it is what innovation in education is all about, said Dr, Nimblett, Program Director, Center for Testing and Career Certification.

CTCC’s Testing Center Ranked in the Top 20 Nationally

Of the thousands of Testing Centers spread across the US, our FIU’s CTCC is ranked by College Board among the top 20 nationwide for its College Level Examination Program (CLEP). “We are thrilled that our efforts to serve have been recognized. Though it is not the first time that CTCC has received this national recognition, we are particularly proud of the timing as it underscores the commitment of the testing team to provide quality service to FIU and community even during the more disruptive years of the pandemic,” said Dr. Dwight Nimblett, program director of CTCC. Zakina Ogbourne, one of CTCC’s team members, received the FIU award at the National College Testing Association’s annual conference recently held in Chicago. CLEP examinations allow students to demonstrate prior knowledge of a given subject-area and to accelerate their path toward graduation at a fraction of the cost when compared to pursuing a course.

CERTIFIED 2022

With joy and excitement, the attendees greeted each other at the CERTIFIED 2022 conference in Dallas, Texas, at the Gaylord Texan Resort. After attending the CERTIFIED conference virtually in 2020 and 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, attendees were thrilled to reconnect in person at the 2022 conference. It was a common theme among the attendees that the virtual conferences, as great as they were, cannot compare with an in-person conference. Nothing can replace the experience of being at a table with six other professionals sharing experiences and lessons learned over the past two years while enjoying a full American breakfast. As always, Certiport delivered remarkable keynote speakers and informative presentations in the breakout sessions.

New Product Updates at Certiport: 

Throughout the conference, different sessions focused on Certiport’s latest news and updates that could increase students’ interest in certification success. Below are a few takeaways that I believe to be most relevant to our clients and our department:

• English for IT, a new certification exam, has been added to the Communication Skills for Business (CSB) program. The new exam validates a candidate’s ability to work in an IT-related setting or an entry-level IT job using English.
• Certiport retired the EC-Council Associate program on June 30, 2022. Moving forward, customers who wish to certify in cybersecurity can now pursue the IT Specialist Cybersecurity certification that covers most of the materials from the Cyber Forensics Associate exam.
• Microsoft Access is to be retired and replaced by Microsoft Power BI (interactive data visualization software developed by Microsoft with a primary focus on business intelligence).
• The Information Technology Specialist program currently has 15 exams that include several new additions such as Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, Computational Thinking, and Data Analytics. 
• The Compass Delivery System will change to a Compass Browser Based soon; Beta testing will occur early in 2023. This new delivery model will be fully online and, without a doubt, should enhance the candidate and proctor’s experience. 

Last but not least, I cannot overlook the closing keynote address given by Noelle Pikus-Pace, a two-time Olympian skeleton racer who won the silver medal in the 2014 Sochi winter Olympics. I sat captivated as she shared her life’s journey to becoming an Olympian while facing many obstacles and challenges. She offered three takeaways. 1) Start where you are. 2) know the power of your mind and, 3) know that you always have a choice. Her presentation left attendees feeling recharged, reset and inspired for their next step in life.

Forging Pathways of Opportunities

Our FIU consists of a multitude of initiatives and programs which seek to assist with opening up doorways of possibilities for both students and the surrounding public alike. While the Center for Testing and Career Certifcation’s focus is on supporting our students’ cost-to-degree, time-to-degree, and time-to-employment, we are delighted to partner with entities at FIU that help to make a massive difference in the lives of individuals in our south Florida community.

The inspirational Urban Potential Laboratories is one such entity at our fine institution, that prepares individuals with necessary skills for high-demand fields in which higher educational degrees are not required. Program Director, Umer Rahman stated the following regarding the recent and on-going collaboration.

“FIU’s Center for Testing and Career Certification (CTCC) is an instrumental partner of FIU’s Urban Potential Laboratories (UP Labs) in bridging workforce development with career pathways. Enacted in early 2022, UP Labs learners are now becoming Certified Medical Assistants after completing a 14-week intensive training program. CTCC leadership suggested a partnership with NOCTI directly results in a career-ready workforce within South Florida that is filling gaps in Healthcare. Although the modality of workforce-ready certification is nothing new, the embedded concept of career readiness and continuing education makes this project unique.

With 177 graduates since 2019, 56 signed up for a crash course to take on the challenging NOCTI’s Medical Assistant Certification. So far, the results are truly remarkable, as 12 have achieved the highest certifiable target (70% and higher), achieving certificates and badges in addition to college credits. UP Labs is only getting started as more learners signup for the test offered throughout the year by CTCC.”

CTCC is elated to offer these learners NOCTI’s Medical Assisting certification and ecstatic to be part of the process that aids in the enrichment of their lives. We can’t wait to see what the future has entailed for this wondrous collaboration with UP Labs, NOCTI, and all the learners to come.

Bookmark This!

CTCC is humbled to be a recipient of the 2022 CLEP Honors National Achievement award! Our dedication is fueled by the many students and those within our surrounding community that elect to test at our facilities. Thank you for choosing us! 

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