Get started as a test center :: Educator resources

Step 0. Who can become a CATC?

The short answer — just about everyone! From schools and colleges, workforce and government, to new entrepreneurs, and businesses seeking to certify employees, we strive to help everyone grow their skills and never stop learning. Read on to discover what becoming a CATC entails.

Step 1. Learn the Certiport basics

Exam delivery 101

Everything you need to know in between signing up to be a CATC, all the way to delivering your first exam, can be a bit overwhelming. So before you dive in to the details, take a moment to understand the basics of what we do at Certiport, and what you'll need to perform to get up and running:

Step 2. Verify

Ensure your organization meets the following policies and requirements:

Exam administration policies - How to create the proper testing environment.
All Certiport exam policies - Policies for the Test Candidates, scoring, and ADA compliance.
Technical requirements - The requirements that each of the machines used to deliver our exams using our software must meet or exceed.

Step 3.Create a user account & register a new testing center

New user account (required to register a CATC)

Important: Each person at your organization will only ever need one user account with Certiport, even if you have various roles. You must also never share an account with another member of your organization (e.g., having a single account used by all Proctors). If you are unsure whether you have previously registered a user account with Certiport, contact support.

A user account is the basis for all functions here at Certiport. Whether you will be the one just signing up your organization to be a CATC, or be the person managing it, or proctoring exams, or doing it all, a new user account is where everything begins.

The account is created right here through certiport.com and you will be automatically assigned the role of "Test Candidate" to begin. All other roles will be built upon this role and you can easily switch in between those roles after you sign in. And yes! If you want to take an exam yourself you will also use this account.

The account will be used for more than just our website:

At www.certiport.com you will use it for:
- Managing associations: who else can perform actions on behalf of your CATC.
- Purchasing: buying licenses or vouchers that can be redeemed for certification exams.
- Reporting: various reporting functions are available for administrators, proctors, and even teachers.
- Taking an exam: If you decide to take an exam, this is where you can view your scores, transcripts, and certificates as a Test Candidate.
- When you are logged in at www.certiport.com under any given role, we call that authenticated area "Portal".
In the Compass software you will use it for:
- Software setup & management: Associating your CATC to Compass, configuring settings, and downloading exam content.
- Proctoring exams: The act of administering a live exam to a Test Candidate.
- Taking exams: If you are a Proctor but wish to take an exam you will use the same username and password. (Note: You cannot proctor yourself, see the agreement when becoming a Proctor.)

Ready? Follow the instructions on the Registering as a new user page.

For a detailed look at new account creation, please see our user guide.

Registering a new CATC

Note: Avoid creating a duplicate testing center account! If you are unsure if you have registered previously, please contact support.

If you have reviewed the information on this page and are ready to register your organization as a Certiport Authorized Testing Center, please see our page. You will:

Log in with the user account you created in the previous section.
Select your country and your center type. If you are creating a multi-location center and need assistance, please contact support.
Select your business sector and verify accuracy by reading the definition on the right side of the screen.
Enter the organization name and other pertinent account information.
Accept the Certiport Center Agreement by typing your name at the bottom.
Click Accept.

A representative will contact you with information regarding the status of your registration. After becoming an active CATC, you will be assigned the additional role of Organization Administrator (a.k.a, Org Admin), at which point you can continue with the remaining steps outlined on this page.

Remember: After your CATC is approved you will now have two roles: Test Candidate and Organization Administrator. After you log in, you can change the selection in the dropdown at the top of the page to switch between your different roles.

Step 4. Purchase exams

Purchase inventory from a Certiport sales consultant

Contact your Sales Consultant to learn about products and pricing, and to place your initial order. Sales Consultants will also activate your testing center.

Purchase inventory through the web interface

Log in as an Organization Administrator to buy inventory at the testing center rate.

Change the role on the drop-down menu at the top to Organization Administrator.
Click Purchase and follow the instructions to buy exams.

Step 5. Account management, training, and more

Learn how to manage your test center.

Certiport website

CATC management occurs in the authenticated/logged in areas of our website (a.ka. "Portal"). To access these tools, click Login/Register at the top of the website. Our website provides a variety of account management functionality, determined by your role (e.g., "Organization Administrator" role):

Manage exam vouchers, inventory, and site licenses - Your purchases that can be redeemed by Test Candidates to take exams.
Manage associations: Add and distribute rights (e.g., proctoring, reporting, purchasing) to others within your organization.
Run reports - View reports for a variety of topics including exam results, your inventory (vouchers & licenses), orders, user info, exam groups, and more.
Print certificates and score reports - Print exam results (pass/fail), or print certificates for passed exams.
Becoming a Proctor - Follow the steps to become a Proctor and obtain the addtiional role needed to administer exams to Test Candidates.

Important: Obtaining the Proctor role and signing the Proctor Agreement are only the first steps. An Organization Administrator from your CATC must still associate you to the center and checkmark you as a Proctor before you can administer any exams.

Exam Groups - Set up exam groups to apply a unique identifier to a particular group of Test Candidates in order to facilitate specialized tracking and reporting.

Training sessions & user guides

Live training sessions are held through an online webinar and a conference call. You will be able to see the trainer's desktop online as they demonstrate administrative account management and test delivery functions. Several prerecorded webinars are also available. More information about upcoming training.

We have a full range of quick reference guides (QRGs) that cover our exam delivery systems, websites, and other operational procedures. See our QRG page for a full list of user guides including an FAQ for CATCs. Also see the FAQ at the end of this page.

Subscribe to our newsletter/notices

Quite possibly the most important item you'll read on this page is remembering to sign up for the CATC newsletter and our notices. Our newsletter is where we will communicate all the critical information you will need to run a successful testing center and to keep up on any changes to our programs and technology. The newsletter contains, but is not limited to, information regarding:

New programs or changes to existing programs
Learning products and practice tests
Changes to our delivery systems and modalities
Beta program participation
Student competitions / worldwide championships
Academic resources and success stories
Educator events, communities, and conferences
Podcasts, webinars, academies, and other trainings
Maintenance, technology, office closures, or urgent issues
Retirements of programs, exams, and/or systems
Testing and teaching tips, advice, best practices, and support
Marketing resources, incentives, and initiatives

Keep all the members of your organization in mind when deciding who should receive the newsletter, not just you - the creator of your testing center - but your Organization Administrators, Teachers, Proctors, and IT personnel as well. Then remember to keep new members of your center up-to-date when you have staffing changes.

To sign up for the newsletter, please use this form.

To see previous newsletters from the last year, see our archive.

If you are a Certiport Authorized Partner (CAP), please contact our Marketing team to receive the newsletter for our Solution Providers. If you are a CATC located outside the U.S., the CAP in your area will distribute news & info to the CATCs in their territories.

Important notices

We also have a page dedicated to important notices - typically centered around our technology and items that may affect exam delivery. This page also has an RSS feed you can subscribe to so the notices feed right into your inbox without having to keep checking the page. The notices on this page do not always mirror the newsletter.

Step 6. Selecting your exam delivery system

Important: Not sure what delivery system is right for your CATC? See our choosing a delivery system page.

Download and install exam software

Ready to install? Click each system for more information about how to obtain, install, and set up our delivery systems along with additional support info based on the programs you plan to administer.

Compass for Windows

Compass for Mac

Compass Cloud

Exams from Home

Step 7. Administer exams

Proctor & Test Candidate prep

Reminder: After becoming a Proctor, the person administering the exam must also be associated to your CATC as a Proctor in order to deliver exams on the CATC's behalf. Check here for more information about associations and roles.

Check your credentials: The same username and password that Test Candidates use to log in to our website are the same credentials they will use to log in to the Compass software to take an exam. Ensure everyone remembers their username and password by having them try to log in to our website prior to sitting down for the exam. That will give them time to use our or to contact support just in case they have forgotten or have an additional issue or question.

Know your payment method: Proctors can check with their CATC's Org Admin to verify there are enough licenses, vouchers, or inventory available for exam day by logging in to the Certiport website and checking under the "MyCertiport" tab. Org Admins can also log in to Compass and click the "Inventory" tab. Test Candidates using a voucher should either pre-assign the voucher to themselves, or come prepared with the code written or printed so it can be entered into Compass.

Note: Having the Test Candidates log in and verify their credentials can also allow them to check their transcript and ensure that the account is the correct one they would like their exam results associated towards.

Check for updates and test for readiness

Administering exams

The following is only an outline. All exams must be delivered adhering to the items detailed in our exam administration policies and with the software set up and configured according to the detailed information found in our quick reference guides.

The Proctor validates the candidate's identity by checking a government-issued picture identification card, and removes all prohibited items before administering any exam.
Each Test Candidate double-clicks the applicable desktop icon on the testing computer to begin the exam. The Test Candidate:
- enters their username and password and logs in
- indicates whether they belong to an exam group
- indicates whether they will be using a voucher
- chooses the program, suite and individual exam to be taken
The Proctor then verifies all the information is correct and enters their username to unlock and launch the exam.
The proctor watches the Test Candidate(s) throughout the duration of the exam using the appropriate observation methods.

If you have technical problems while delivering exams, contact support.

View all Certiport exam policies.

Step 8. Support & general resources

FAQs

Q: What is the difference between all of Certiport's exam delivery systems?
A: We have a page dedicated to finding the best solution for your CATC. See our Choosing a delivery system page.

Q: How do we employ the use of Certiport's different payment types (voucher, license, inventory, etc.)?
A: See our our Managing payment methods page. For voucher use specific to Compass Cloud, see our Exam Administrator (Proctor) online guide.

Q: How do we run the various CATC reports available to us?
A: See our Running reports page.

Q: Do we need to download anything to our exam delivery workstations in order to administer exams using Compass Cloud?
A: Yes. There is a desktop app for Windows and Mac, and a Google Play Store app for Chromebooks. See the Compass Cloud Exam Administrator (Proctor) guide.

Q: We are using Compass Local (Compass for Windows or Compass for Mac), do we have to schedule calendar sessions to administer exams in those systems?
A: No. Exam administration in Compass for Windows or Compass for Mac are not cloud-based and do not require the scheduling of sessions.

Q: How do we schedule a Compass Cloud exam session?
A: For the most detailed walkthrough, see the Compass Cloud Exam Administrator (Proctor) guide.

Q: What happens if our scheduled Compass Cloud exam session is auto-cancelled?
A: If your session gets cancelled for any reason, then you would need to reschedule another session using the Compass Cloud calendar.

Q: Is there a page where we can find the best practices for exam delivery and administration?
A: Yes. Please see our Top 10 checklist page .

Q: What is a "public" testing center and how do we become one?
A: A public testing center is a CATC that can also allow walk-in Test Candidates and provide them with the proper technology and environment in which to take a Certiport certification exam. Public testing centers may charge a fee for their services. If you are an active CATC and wish to be listed as a public testing center, please fill out the form at the bottom of our Locator page.

Get started as a Certiport Authorized Testing Center (CATC)

Becoming a CATC