MSU Testing Service offers new professional exams

As jobs become more specialized and more professions require licenses, people who thought their test-taking years were far behind them are facing examinations once again.

Today, mechanics, firefighters, financial planners, computer specialists, medical assistants and even those in clerical positions often require special certification before employers will hire them, says Carla McLaughlin, testing service manager at Montana State University. To give professionals access to these exams, MSU recently contracted with two new testing companies to offer nearly any professional or academic exam in the nation.

"These new tests give us the chance to reach out to more people. The university is about community, so being able to offer this service to everyone is just great," Mclaughlin says.

As an authorized Pearson Vue center, MSU offers certification exams for computer software such as Microsoft and Adobe. Another partnership, with Schroeder Measurement Technologies, allows the center to provide exams in fields such as medicine and law.

When test-takers arrive at MSU, one of the first things they will notice is that the exam experience has changed from the pencil and paper days.

By Jennifer Shoemaker For MSU News Service

Full Story: http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/nwview.php?article=2822