It's been nearly a year since the COVID-19 crisis began. A return to normalcy is on the horizon, but how business is done has been forever changed. The pandemic created the need for rapid workplace innovation. For the SHRM certification program, the introduction of remote proctoring for the SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP exams was one innovation—a solution that came just in time.
Since May 2020, SHRM has offered both in-person and remote testing options to candidates for its certification exams. Now, even as many test centers are beginning to resume in-person operations, SHRM continues to offer 24/7 testing via the remote platform and will do so for the foreseeable future so examinees have a choice in how and where they take the test.
Early Issues
The first few months of the remote proctoring experience saw various technical problems, including connectivity issues and a server outage, which hindered smooth delivery or prevented some candidates from completing their exams. SHRM did not take these unfortunate incidents lightly. In the ensuing months, we worked with Prometric, our certification testing partner, to make improvements to the remote proctoring program. Our commitment to examinees remains constant.
Later Improvements
At the end of 2020, Prometric transitioned the SHRM remote proctoring program to a cloud-based platform, which provides more flexibility. The new platform better supports examinees' bandwidth fluctuations and has significantly decreased the frequency and duration of connection drops.
Another recent change is a new technical feature called Scratchpad, which opens a floating window in which candidates can capture digital notes during the exam. Physical scratch paper is no longer necessary when testing from home.
Continued Success
Of the 10,000-plus SHRM examinees who have used the remote testing option to date, more than 95 percent have experienced smooth delivery of their exams. Less than 3 percent have faced technical setbacks.
Recent data shows that candidates who test remotely pass their exams at rates nearly identical to the rates of those testing in person. Completion rates are virtually indistinguishable, as well.
Recommendations for Best Performance with Remote Testing:
For more information:
Aaron Wiseman, M.S., is SHRM's senior specialist, certification security.