As a private Pearson VUE testing center, we have been on the front lines of dealing with IT certification testing changes as the United States deals with COVID-19 social distancing, sheltering in place and test center closures. While some of our vendors have already provided online certification testing for some time, such as EC-Council and PeopleCert, others that only offered in person proctored testing are quickly responding to the crisis.

The good news is that we are continuing to train and educate with a robust Online Live Class Schedule, due to vendors’ quick responses to make computer based testing available to our training students. Here is a quick overview on some key vendors’ temporary testing solutions:

CompTIA

COVID-19 Response: Voucher Extensions, New Remote Testing Options

As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to cause disruption and uncertainty, we want to alleviate one of your possible concerns: sitting for your certification exam.  CompTIA understands the investment and effort you make in studying and training for your certification.  Candidate success is of utmost importance to CompTIA and we are working to ensure you have all the necessary resources and test taking options available to you.

Extensions on Voucher Expiration

Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) pandemic, all CompTIA exam vouchers with expiration dates from March 17 through April 30, 2020 have been extended to June 30, 2020. In addition, all CompTIA exam vouchers with expiration dates from May 1 through May 31, 2020 have been extended through July 31, 2020. CompTIA will continue to monitor timelines, and any additional updates will be posted as available.

Availability of Remote/Home Testing

CompTIA will very shortly be offering candidates remote certification testing. Remote testing is ideal because candidates can:

• Test anywhere – especially from the security and privacy of their own home.
• Test anytime – remote testing can be conducted 24/7, so candidates can schedule their exam whenever time permits, avoiding competing priorities or conflicts.
• In a highly secure environment – online proctoring ensures all candidates take their tests under the same secure monitoring conditions as a test center.

We expect to have this option available in April.

Candidates Already Registered

If you are already registered for an exam at a Pearson VUE testing center, but would like to instead take a remote proctored exam, CompTIA will be offering the option to reschedule your exam. Please visit the Pearson VUE website for current testing availability in a test center.

PMI

PMI Certification Candidates 

For all certification exam candidates who are able to proceed with taking your scheduled exam, please consult test center information to your specific location at  PearsonVUE’s Coronavirus Update Page as it is updated regularly.

For candidates who already scheduled the exam but are unable to take it due to health restrictions or delays with training, PMI will offer you to reschedule your exam and will automatically extend your exam eligibility until 18 January 2021. All paid fees will be eligible for a refund and you will be able to reschedule without accruing penalty fees. We are also actively exploring and expediting solutions to offer alternative PMP^® exam delivery options, and will share more information as it becomes available.

For all PMP candidates, we are extending access to the current PMP exam until 31 December 2020 and postponing the launch of the new PMP exam until 2 January 2021.

Microsoft

Microsoft Worldwide Learning

As the response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve rapidly around the world, the health, safety and well-being of our employees, customers and partners remain our top priorities. Authorities around the globe are responding to the situation with stricter measures that are disrupting normal routines, which changes the landscape in which we operate. With this in mind, we have several updates to share with you today on how Microsoft, together with our partner ecosystem, is adapting to the current environment to ensure that all of you can continue to learn and get certified on Microsoft technologies, while staying safe.

Testing centers closing and online proctoring capacity increasing

Pearson VUE, our exam delivery partner, has temporarily closed many of its testing centers worldwide in response to global government regulations to battle the spread of COVID-19. As an alternative to taking your exam at a testing center, online proctoring is available, which allows you to take your certification exam in the comfort of your own home or office. We’re working as fast as we can with Pearson VUE to expand online testing capacity. Stay up to date with current testing availability information from Pearson VUE.

Reschedule and cancellation fees waived

In partnership with Pearson VUE, we are also temporarily waiving exam reschedule and cancellation fees. There will be no charge if you reschedule or cancel at least 24 hours prior to your appointment, rather than the six-day window required under our current policy. More information on this adjusted policy is available here.

Retirement of MCSA, MCSD, MCSE certifications and related exams extended

We know many of you are working toward completing your Microsoft Certified Solutions Architect (MCSA), Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD), or Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) certification(s). We realize that the current environment could potentially hamper your ability to finish your certification before the original retirement date of June 30, 2020. To address this issue, we are extending the retirement date for these specific certifications to January 31, 2021 to give you more time to complete the exams and earn your certification.

Expiring role-based certifications extended

If you have a role-based certification that is expiring between now and December 31, 2020, we are extending your certification by six months. So, for example, if your certification is set to expire September 30, 2020, it will now expire on March 30, 2021. Your certification expiration date will be automatically updated, and no action is required on your part. You will be able to view your updated expiration date in your certification dashboard within the next 30 days.

Exam voucher and discount offer expiration dates extended

If you have a Pearson VUE delivered certification exam voucher or discount offer that is expiring between March 26 and August 31, 2020, it will be extended until January 31, 2021.

Cisco

Extending expiration date for all active certifications

We’re extending the expiration date for all active certifications by six months (180 days) as of March 16, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. This covers all Cisco and DevNet Specialist, Associate, Professional, and Expert certifications as well as CCT and CCAr.

Cisco Exam Vouchers

The expiration dates for all active, unused, unexpired exam vouchers, as of March 16, 2020 , are also extended for six months (180 days).  For the next three months, all new voucher orders will have an expiration date of 18-months from the date of purchase.

Pearson VUE test centers

• Pearson VUE’s coronavirus website has up-to-the minute updates about global test center closures.

Please Note: Applied Technology Academy has multiple private test centers, only providing testing for our specific students and clients. We do not accept public test center enrollments. We will have proctored in person testing available for our students once the risk is mitigated.