Alabama State University has gained another important designation. The Testing and Psychological Services Center (TPSC) has earned “Test Center Certification” by its accrediting organization, the National College Testing Association (NCTA). The certification is in recognition of the centers outstanding testing practices.
Alabama State University is the only Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the state of Alabama to become a Certified Testing Center and only the fourth HBCU in the nation to reach this professional milestone.
“Alabama State University’s Testing and Psychological Services Center is one among a growing number of test centers in the United States and around the world to have completed this intensive certification process, which will be in place for five years and can be renewed by demonstrating continued compliance to national standards,” said Cynthia Swain, Ph.D., testing coordinator in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.
Swain explained that the certification was obtained for demonstrating numerous above-average standards that included maintaining high test administration standards and for providing excellent service to a wide variety of students and community members in the performance of the center’s duties.
The criteria for achieving certification are based on the NCTA professional standards and guidelines, which are in place to guide post-secondary test centers in the delivery of quality testing programs.
“Our ASU Testing Center is a student support unit within the Division of Institutional Effectiveness under the leadership of Christine C. Thomas, Ed.D., whose leadership style is an important asset to the success of our center,” Swain said, a Wilcox County native. “I greatly appreciate her leadership role at the university and thank her for always encouraging me because this was a challenging certification to complete, which spanned over a year.”