Hot Topics   ETS to Acquire Thomson Prometric   ETS, the world's largest educational assessment and research organization, is acquiring Thomson Prometric, the global leader in technology-enabled testing and assessment services.    ETS is Prometric's largest customer for technology-based delivery of tests and assessments.  Prometric delivers ETS's TOEFL test, GRE tests and the Praxis teacher licensing assessments.  Thomson Prometric delivers assessments directly to candidates via the web and through a global network of testing centers in 132 countries.   Changes to the Foreign Service Officer Test   The Foreign Service Officer Test is now administeed online at designated test centers and will take about three hours to complete.   The test will be given during an eight-day window, and there will be approximately four test windows every year.  Reservations for a seat during any given test window must be made at least 48 hours prior to the first day in that test window.   Register online at http://www.act.org/fsot/   GRE  cancels move to iBT format    ETS has been working with Thomson Prometric to transition several testing programs from continuous, year-round administrations to a format which is offered via Internet and only on fixed dates.  The first of these programs to migrate to this format was the TOEFL iBT program. The GRE General Test was scheduled to move to the iBT platform in September 2007.    However, ETS announced on April 2, 2007, that the launch of the revised GRE has been cancelled due to candidate access issues.  The current CBT version of the GRE will continue to be administered indefinitely.  For more information and to read the full press release, please visit http://www.gre.org.     SAT Errors Raise New Qualms About Testing Scoring errors on thousands of the College Board's SAT tests were made by a company that is one of the largest players in the exploding standardized testing business, handling millions of tests each year. The mistakes, which the company, Pearson Educational Measurement, acknowledged, raised fresh questions about the reliability of the kinds of high-stakes tests that increasingly dominate education at all levels. Neither Pearson, which handles state testing across the country, nor the College Board detected the scoring problems until two students came forward with complaints.  High-tech toys aid cheating The days when cheating comprised of low-tech methods like writing crib notes under the brim of a baseball cap are over. After all, it is the 21st century.   Test Centers are being warned to look out for new, "high-tech" cheating methods.  Several years ago it started with term paper Web sites and programming calculators with notes.  Now, text messages, picture phones, MP3 players and other technology are changing the rules during exam time.   The problem came to the forefront in February 2005, when a dozen students were caught receiving exam answers on their cell phones.   Another case involved a student in a CBT center who used a tiny microphone  to talk to someone outside in a car with a wireless web connection who was feeding her the answers.   The use of miniature cameras to record test questions is of particular concern.  Such cameras are easily concealed in ordinary items such as eye glass frames, clothing, pens, or jewelry.  Slightly unusual behavior as the person operates the camera may be the only indication the proctor will have, and the person may be using the cubicle (if in a CBT room) to shield the behavior from view.  High-tech methods go beyond text messaging. Ear buds or headphones hidden beneath hooded sweatshirts or long hair quietly pump out pre-recorded notes. Wireless Internet access transforms some calculators into a chance to get assistance from anyone in the world. Calculators with pre-programmed formulas are also a problem.  There are Web sites where students can download fake labels for Aquafina bottles with answers on them instead of the ingredients. It's nearly impossible to keep up with the technology to prevent cheating.  Test center supervisors should strive to provide continuous training and updating for your staff on things to watch for on test day.    Candidate Impersonator Sentenced to Four Years Jail   Earlier this year, the first of five impersonators was convicted of fraudulently completing business school entry tests — including the TOEFL test, which assesses students’ English language abilities, and the GMAT test, widely regarded as the passport to business school.   This ring of male fraudsters worked up and down the east coast of the US, impersonating both men and women and taking the test on their behalf. They ranged from 26 to 56 in age, and were often Chinese nationals with US student visas.   Issues of concern for administrators of ETS CBT Tests on college campuses   What is the future of the CBT model, both as a test delivery system and as a business model?    How will this continue to be viable on campuses with the loss of GMAT and the shift of TOEFL iBT to fixed dates?    Campus administrators have seen a steady shift away from providing a service to running a business--a shift that does not fit with our mission as educational institutions.  As a nonprofit organization, this creates a dilemma.   The Next Generation TOEFL Test (TOEFL iBT)   Internet-based Testing (iBT) The new TOEFL test is delivered via the Internet on fixed dates. The Internet-based testing (iBT) platform allows for testing of all four language competencies, including capturing speech, in an integrated format.  It also greatly expands test center access.   ETS will continue to administer the current computer-based and paper-based versions of the test in some international locations until the new Internet-based test is fully implemented worldwide.   Pearson VUE now delivers the GMAT®   Pearson VUE has been selected as the prime contractor for a seven-year contract to develop and administer the Graduate Management Admission Test® (GMAT®) worldwide.  Beginning January 3, 2006, the GMAT® became available exclusively at Pearson VUE test centers.  For more information, go to http://www.mba.com.   Thomson Prometric and AAMC Transitions to the Computerized Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)   Thomson Prometric announced its exclusive, seven-year agreement with the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) to convert the paper-and-pencil Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) to a computer-based format, and deliver the test globally through the Thomson Prometric testing center network.  The last paper-based MCAT was administered in August 2006.  The computer-based MCAT has been introduced and available at many test centers in the Rocky Mountain region.   NCTA Conference 2007   The 2007 NCTA Conference was held this July in Salt Lake City, Utah.  ETS hosted two pre-conference workshops covering CLEP and CBT-iBT.    Keynote speakers emphasized issues in test center security, "The Ten Most Wanted Cheaters" and conflict resolution.     NCTA as an organization is exploring the prospect of creating a test center certification credential.   For further information about this conference's content, and for a preview of the 2008 conference in Baltimore, MD (September 3-6), refer to the NCTA web site at www.ncta-testing.org.