NEWS CENTER

March 19, 2020—NCCCO is monitoring the COVID-19 situation hourly. We want you to know that our organization is continuously evaluating the information coming from state and national health agencies.

At this time, NCCCO staff and operations remain functioning and plan to continue to do so unless a required shutdown is mandated by local or federal government or the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Many of our employees will be telecommuting, and all NCCCO offices are taking additional recommended precautions as outlined by the interim guidance for employers issued by the CDC.

Paper/Pencil Test Administrations

NCCCO has been and will continue to schedule and hold paper/pencil test administrations. However, at this time, NCCCO is limiting paper/pencil test administrations to 40 candidates per testing room.

NCCCO is also requiring fewer candidates per table and encouraging Test Site Coordinators to supply hand sanitizer to attendees and to regularly clean all frequently touched surfaces at the test site, such as doorknobs and countertops, with appropriate cleaning agents.

Candidates who are ill should be actively encouraged to test at another time. Candidates displaying flu- like symptoms of the virus will not be permitted to test, but should utilize the emergency cancellation policy found in the candidate handbook.

Candidate Rescheduling

Candidates participating in a paper/pencil test administration that is rescheduled to a later date due to COVID-19 concerns will not be charged a fee.

However, candidates who wish to cancel (rather than reschedule) their application will be subject, per standard policy, to a fee of $25.

Computer-Based Test Administrations

NCCCO continues to receive and process computer-based testing (CBT) applications and will continue to do so.

However, for the health and safety of all candidates, as well as employees and the overall community, our CBT vendor, PSI, is suspending testing at all PSI owned and operated sites effective March 20, 2020, until April 13, 2020. Some exams are administered at third-party, independently owned and operated sites. PSI continues to monitor those site closures and to update the online list daily here.

• Rescheduling - PSI is reaching out to candidates scheduled between March 20, 2020 and April 12, 2020, beginning with those whose exam appointments are soonest, to reschedule pending examinations. Candidates who have not yet been contacted may go online to reschedule their appointment for April 13, 2020, or later. You may also call to reschedule. However, please note that PSI is experiencing a much higher than normal call volume.
• New CBT Applications – Candidates are encouraged to continue to submit applications for CBT testing. NCCCO will continue to process those applications as they are submitted, and PSI is permitting candidates to schedule exams for April 13, 2020, and later. Candidates who wait to submit applications and schedule exams may have to consider dates further out than April 2020.

Practical Exam Administrations

NCCCO has been and will continue to receive and score practical exam scoresheets. Any scheduling changes in practical exam administration would be done by the Test Site Coordinator and candidates with concerns should reach out to their contact at the test site.

Candidate Testing Deadlines

In light of the federal Declaration of a State of Emergency, NCCCO realizes that candidate and certificant ability to test in a timely fashion is restricted. As such, NCCCO is taking the following actions:

• Candidates in the process of obtaining certification – Typically, candidates have 12 months to complete certification after passing their first exam (Except Lift Director candidates, who have 24 months). Effective immediately, candidates will be granted an additional 60 days from the last day of the month in which the Declaration of Emergency was declared. This means that candidates whose deadline to complete certification was in March 2020 or April 2020 will now be extended to May 31, 2020.
• Computer-Based Testing Candidates – Typically, those applying for CBT exams must take their exams within 12 months of the application being approved. Effective immediately, candidates will be granted additional time in which to take their exams, that is, an additional 60 days from the last day of the month in which the Declaration of Emergency was declared. This means that CBT candidates whose applications were approved in March 2019 or April 2019 and have not tested will now have until May 31, 2020, in which to take their CBT exam.
• Recertification Candidates – Typically, certificants must complete all recertification requirements in the 12-months prior to their expiration date.

Effective immediately, certificants will be granted additional time in which to complete recertification requirements, that is, an additional 60 days from the last day of the month in which the Declaration of Emergency was declared to take recertification exams. This means that certificants whose certification expires in March 2020 or April 2020 may now test for recertification no later than May 31, 2020 and thereby meet recertification requirements.

Please note the original certification expiration date is not extended. If successful, a certificant’s recertification will be deemed effective as of the original expiration date.

NCCCO and PSI will continue to monitor the situation and make any adjustments as needed.

Of course, NCCCO staff remains available to all stakeholders to answer any questions or address any concerns. Please feel free to contact us at any time.