How Can You Obtain or Renew Your IPC Certification During COVID-19?

Candidates may now take online remote proctored exams right from the comfort of your own home. Dave Hernandez, vice president of education, answers questions about this new option from IPC EDGE. Why remote proctoring? In this time of shelter-in-place, IPC wanted to find a way for students to obtain or renew IPC certification remotely. We integrated a remote proctoring solution into IPC EDGE that allows candidates to complete their CIS, CIT, CID, and CSE certification exams without the need for an in-person proctor. Remote proctoring is not available for exams with a hands-on component. How were you able to create a remote proctoring process? The internal team at IPC partnered with global remote proctoring services to integrate their services into IPC EDGE. We were lucky that so many of our training centers offered to Beta test the process. Their feedback and assistance were invaluable. How does remote proctoring work? Instructors register students into a remote proctoring course. Once the student is ready to take the certification exam, their instructor would schedule the assessment through ICP EDGE. Remote proctored exams are available 24/7. What will candidates need to complete the exam? Candidates will need a computer with a broadband internet connection, as well as a webcam and microphone. Candidates must have the ability to download and install the remote proctoring application through their web browser. A comprehensive user guide provides instructions on how to set up and take the remote proctored exam is available on IPC EDGE. Students can reach out to their training center or in-house trainer for details and to schedule their exam. Is remote proctoring available for hands-on exams or modules to the certification exams for IPC-J-STD-001 and IPC-7711/21? No, it is not. These exams continue to require a workmanship assessment that must be completed face-to-face. How much will a remote proctoring exam cost? To help the industry through this transitional period, IPC will subsidize a portion of the costs until the end of June. Currently, there is a $30 charge added to the certification cost. For example, if an IPC member registering for a remote proctored CIS exam, the cost would be $95 instead of $65. Where can we find more information? We have instructions for instructors and students on the Certification Portal: https://certification.ipcedge.org/