WWU Testing Center is first in Washington with NCTA certification

After a year of dedicated preparation, Western’s Testing Center received certification from the National College Testing Association on Jan. 9.

The NCTA awards this official certification only to members that show exemplary practices, facilities and proctors. After the Testing Center’s membership turned a decade old, Office Manager Kathy Murray decided to strive for the highest achievement to be earned by a testing facility.

The Testing Center administers test retakes and program entrance/exit exams for Western, but it also offers governmental entrance tests for the FBI, TSA and the Postal Service; medical, nursing or veterinary tests; and college entrance exams like the SAT or ACT.

According to Maggie Barklind, director of Student and Course Services in Extended Education (which oversees the Testing Center), less than 10 percent of testing centers in U.S. post-secondary schools have earned this national certification.

To earn the NCTA Certification, Murray and her team had to document the entirety of the Testing Center. That process included writing a training manual from scratch and formulating a mission statement, in addition to rigorous documentation of every minute detail of the physical space. The size of each test room and each desk was included. The room temperature, lighting and quality of video monitoring were all recorded. Security for paper tests was heightened and confidentiality agreements with proctors were signed and upheld. Every facet of the Testing Center was held up to the light and thoroughly inspected, but ultimately, the thoroughness resulted in a very prestigious accreditation.

“[The NCTA Certification] gives us notoriety,” Murray said. “I think more people will come now that we’re certified.”

Even prior to its certification with the NCTA, the Testing Center saw test-takers come from as far as New Jersey and Vancouver, Canada to test here in Bellingham, Barklind said.

The Testing Center’s certification is valid for the next five years, after which another review will be done in order for the plaque to remain on their wall. For now, the plaque and the NCTA logo emblazoned on the Testing Center website are reminders of its high-quality practices and staff.