Testing and Assessment

NCTA Recertified

Miami Dade College Test Centers Earn National Recertification Through May 2031

With millions of educational, certification, and licensure tests administered around the world every year, the need for secure testing environments and trained testing and assessment staff has never been greater.  Nine Miami Dade College Test Centers have set the bar high for other post-secondary test centers and achieved national status as a leader in excellent testing practices. 

The Testing and Assessment Departments at Miami Dade College were recently awarded Test Center Recertification by the National College Testing Association (NCTA). Criteria for certification are rigorous and are based on the NCTA Professional Standards and Guidelines, which were developed to guide test centers in the delivery of quality testing programs.  Achieving certification demonstrates that a facility adheres to exemplary industry practices and maintains the highest standards of academic integrity, security, and service.

The nine test centers associated with the Miami Dade College Testing and Assessment Departments are among a growing number in the U.S. and around the world to have completed this intensive recertification process. This recertification will be in place for five years and can be renewed by demonstrating continued compliance to national standards. 

Congratulations are extended to the Institutional Test Administrator (ITA), Directors of Testing and Assessment, and their entire staff for maintaining high test administration standards and for providing excellent service to a wide variety of students and community members in the performance of their duties. This achievement reflects the dedication of all testing and assessment administrators, coordinators, examiners, proctors, and support staff across the College.

The National College Testing Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of professionalism and high-quality service in the administration of testing programs, offers certification to college and university test centers that demonstrate exemplary practices. NCTA membership numbers more than 2,200 testing professionals from 650 colleges and universities as well as 50 test companies and organizations offering test-related products and services.

The National College Testing Association (NCTA) offers a rigorous test center certification program designed to evaluate, improve, and formally recognize post-secondary test centers. The recertification ensures students, employees, and community members continue to receive testing and assessment services that meet nationally recognized standards for security, accessibility, and customer service.

Key Benefits of Certification

• National Recognition:
  Validates the test center’s mastery of best practices to distant learning students, institutional leaders, and testing vendors.
• Operational Improvement:
  Encourages a thorough self-evaluation of current practices, identifying operational gaps and updating training methodologies.
• Credentials:
  Certified centers receive a physical plaque for display and the right to use the NCTA-Certified Center logo.

Core Standards Evaluated

To achieve certification, centers must provide extensive evidence (via documentation and appendices) proving compliance with the NCTA Professional Standards and Guidelines across several domains:

• Test Integrity & Security:
  Proper handling, storage, and distribution of exam materials alongside vigilant proctoring strategies to prevent misconduct.
• Physical Environment:
  Maintaining adequate, secure facilities (for both paper- and computer-based testing) that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Confidentiality:
  Protecting student, candidate, and staff privacy rights in accordance with regulations like FERPA.
• Staff Training:
  Maintaining comprehensive operations manuals, emergency protocols (e.g., power outages, natural disasters), and robust training checklists for full- and part-time staff.
• Program Evaluation:
  Continual tracking of test center metrics through annual reports and candidate satisfaction surveys.

Miami Dade College remains committed to providing secure, accessible, and student-centered testing services that support academic achievement, workforce readiness, and lifelong learning. The NCTA recertification affirms the College's continued dedication to excellence in testing and assessment practices and reinforces MDC's position as a national leader in higher education in testing and assessment services.

You can contact the Miami Dade College Testing and Assessment Department of your choice for information about the numerous testing and assessment services provided.  In addition, there is also the Assessment, Evaluation, and Testing office for college-wide support.