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Cisco and Pearson VUE Combat Exam Fraud With Global Test Delivery Enhancements
(Marketwire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) SAN JOSE, CA and BLOOMINGTON, MN, July 22 / MARKET WIRE/ --
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) and
its global testing provider, Pearson VUE, a business of Pearson, today
announced a series of security enhancements that will reinforce the
integrity and value of the Cisco certification portfolio.
"Cisco certifications are one of the most highly valued credentials
available to information technology (IT) professionals, and protecting that
reputation is paramount," said Erik Ullanderson, manager of global
certifications for Learning@Cisco. "Proxy testing and other forms of
cheating can diminish the value of certifications for individuals and the
organizations that employ them. Pearson VUE and Cisco are leading the way
in aggressively combating this industry wide issue through the latest
advancements in exam development and delivery."
The advanced security enhancements include the use of digital photographs
for candidate-identity verification and forensic analysis of testing data.
The new measures, to be implemented beginning on Aug. 1, will include:
-- Photo on Score Report and Web -- On completion of a certification exam
at the test center, candidates will receive preliminary score reports
imprinted with their photos and unique authentication codes. The
authentication code can be used to access a candidate's official score
online at Pearson VUE's website www.pearsonvue.com/authenticate usually
within 72 hours of the examination. The online score report will also
display the candidate's photo. Candidates may share access to their online
records with employers or other third parties.
-- Forensic Analysis -- Exam results and other testing data will be
continuously analyzed by forensic software to detect aberrant testing
behavior and to flag suspect exams for further investigation. When problems
are identified with the validity of a test result, the candidate's score
will be invalidated. Depending on the exact issue with the flagged exam,
further consequences may range from having to retake the exam to the
imposition of a one-year or lifetime testing ban.
-- Preliminary Score Report -- All paper score reports will be
preliminary, pending the results of forensic analysis, until official exam
scores are posted to the Web within 72 hours of exam completion. Once the
exam scores are official, candidates may use the authentication codes on
their score reports to access the Pearson VUE website for score and photo
verification.
"We looked at alternatives for addressing the issue of proxy testing, the
two primary victims of which are employers and those members of the
certification community who chose training, hard work and experience as
their path to certification," explained Randall Trask, vice president of
market development for Pearson VUE. "We determined that adding photos to
score reports and providing employers with the ability to authenticate both
the exam score and the person achieving it will provide a direct benefit to
all."
These new exam security measures are part of Cisco's overall strategy to
protect the value and integrity of its certifications. Other measures
include simulation-based testing, dynamically generated questions and
emulations to help ensure that Cisco certified networking professionals
continue to have the knowledge, skills and credentials to perform well on
the job.
About Pearson VUE
Pearson VUE (www.pearsonvue.com) is the global leader in electronic testing
for regulatory and certification boards, providing a full suite of services
from test development to test delivery to data management. Pearson VUE
offers exams through the world's largest network of test centers in 162
countries, providing testing services for information technology, academic,
government and professional clients. Pearson VUE acquired the former
Promissor in 2006, thereby extending its leadership in the certification
market. The company's innovative technology offers the highest levels of
security and program control, while its commitment to service provides
clients and individual test takers with an unmatched testing experience.
Pearson VUE is a business of Pearson (NYSE: PSO) (LSE: PSON), the
international media company, whose businesses include the Financial Times
Group, Pearson Education and the Penguin Group.
About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms
how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco
can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to
http://newsroom.cisco.com
Cisco, the Cisco logo, and Cisco Systems are registered trademarks of Cisco
Systems, Inc. in the United States and certain other countries. All other
trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective
owners. The use of the word partnership does not imply a partnership
relationship between Cisco and any other company. This document is Cisco
Public Information.
For direct RSS Feeds of all Cisco news, please visit "News@Cisco" at the
following link:
http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/rss.html
Press & Analyst Relations:
Cara Sloman
Cisco
831-440-2411csloman@cisco.com
Mary Beth Mohn
Pearson VUE
952-681-3000MaryBeth.Mohn@Pearson.com
Copyright ? 2008 Marketwire
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