Your monthly update on all things assessment

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FEBRUARY 2023

Important Dates

Deadline to Submit Testing Roster Changes via Help Desk

Feb. 17

Spring 2023 Testing

National certification reports released by mid-summer, contingent on the release of results by certification companies.

March 20 to May 12 (National certification testing)

May 26 – Last day to submit embedded work-based learning (WBL) hours in AET (agriculture and health science)

To view the full calendar, visit the MS-CPAS resources page and log in to the RCU website.

If your CTE center has a new director or

test coordinator for the 2022-2023 school year, please

let us know by submitting a Help Desk ticket with the

name and contact information of this new hire.

General Assessment Updates

Feb. 17 is the final date to submit testing roster changes. Any students added to a roster after this date are not guaranteed to receive a national certification voucher due to purchasing processes.

As a reminder, the national certification window opens on March 20 and closes on May 12. Between February and June, the Assessment Minute will contain many testing reminders and instructions. Please be sure to check for updates each month and contact us with questions.

Test Coordinator To-Do List

Remember to complete the following steps as you prepare for the 2022-2023 testing season:

Submit any roster changes to the RCU via the Help Desk by Feb. 17.
Read the Survival Guide that has been created for each national certification exam you will have and complete any steps that are possible at this point.
Create your testing calendar. Be sure to consider any retesting waiting periods specific to the national certifications you will have. These can be found in the National Certifications Manual.

PULSE Updates

Regional trainings are now complete, and we are busy scoring Quality Program Rubric (QPR) indicators. As a reminder, indicators that are due May 31 can be submitted early if they are complete. Once an indicator has been submitted, it will be eligible for scoring, so please be sure that the indicator is complete before submitting.

National Certification Updates

The national certification window is quickly approaching. It is important to create your testing calendar and begin completing the steps in each survival guide. You should also note retest policies for each test. Some of the tests have a waiting period before a retest can be taken. If applicable, retest waiting periods are noted below.

AutoCAD:

Practice test codes will go out to test coordinators by Feb. 28. Practice test codes are only for Year 2/Credit 4 students in Architecture and Drafting. If you do not receive your practice test codes by Feb. 28, contact us via the Help Desk.

Test vouchers will be sent out on March 10. Each voucher comes with a free retest that must be taken within 30 days of the first exam. After 30 days, the retest option will expire.

Automotive Service Excellence (ASE):

Test coordinators will receive instructions for adding vouchers to your account by the end of February. Students must wait 30 days to retest a failed exam.

Certified Logistics Associate (CLA) and Certified Logistics Technician (CLT):

Test coordinators have received instructions on how to order CLA/CLT tests. Please verify that your order numbers match the rosters that were uploaded to the RCU portal. If you have not received these instructions, reach out to us via the Help Desk.

Two retakes are possible per student if purchased by the district. The first retake has a waiting period of 15 days from the first exam. The second retake has a 45-day waiting period.

Entrepreneurship and Small Business (ESB):

Practice test codes will go out to test coordinators by Feb. 28. Practice test codes are only for Year 2/Credit 4 students in Business, Marketing and Finance. If you do not receive your practice test vouchers by Feb. 28, reach out to us via Help Desk.

Test vouchers will be sent out on March 10. Each voucher comes with a free retest that must be taken within 30 days of the first exam. After 30 days, the retest option will expire.

NCCER:

For the 2022-2023 school year, the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) requires that one of the following options be followed regarding proctoring NCCER module tests:

Option 1

Any NCCER-certified proctor that is not an NCCER teacher can give a module test alone. There is no need for a second person if the proctor is not an NCCER teacher.

Option 2

If an NCCER teacher proctors the module test, a second person must be in the room. This person does not have to be NCCER certified, but a document that will be provided to the district would need to be signed and filed explaining the rules of the testing environment. (The second person could be another NCCER teacher.)

NIMS:

NIMS is no longer accepting number-only usernames. Moving forward, all student usernames will need to start with MS followed by the student’s MSIS number (e.g., MS001234567). One retake is permitted at the instructor’s discretion during the MDE testing window.

PrePAC in Early Childhood by AAFCS:

Tests have been purchased and allotted to each testing center. You should move forward with registering students (Step 2 of the survival guide). The Pre-PAC upload template has changed. The survival guide has been updated to reflect this change, and instructions for the new template can also be accessed here.

Notice the new timeline given by AAFCS:

For students to test in April, they must be uploaded to AAFCS no later than March 15.

For students to test in May, they must be uploaded to AAFCS no later than April 15.

Pre-PAC does not offer a free retest. Any retest must be purchased by the district.

ServSafe:

ServSafe vouchers will be sent out on March 10. Only one retest is allowed within 30 days and must be purchased by the district.

SolidWorks:

If SolidWorks has not been downloaded and installed on your computers, please do that as soon as possible. Some schools have had difficulties getting this software downloaded, so it is important to complete this process before the testing window opens to ensure that your students can test within the window. If you have any issues with the download or need instructions, please email the Help Desk.

Each student is allowed one free retest. A 14-day waiting period is required to retest.

TestOut:

TestOut does not offer a free retest. Any retest must be purchased by the district.