Articles
Insights, trends, and lessons learned through 30 years of experience as an online exam software and certification management solution for organizations with advanced testing needs.
Test Blueprint: What It Is, How to Create One, and Why It Matters
A test blueprint is a structured plan that defines what an examination will measure, how much emphasis each topic receives, and how questions should be distributed across the assessment. Also called an exam blueprint or table of specifications, it provides the foundation for building consistent, defensible examinations. For certification organizations, professional associations, and training providers, … Read Article
Continuing Education for Contractors: Requirements, Tracking, and Program Management
What Is Continuing Education for Contractors? Continuing education for contractors is ongoing professional training that helps licensed construction professionals maintain current knowledge of building codes, safety standards, business practices, and regulatory requirements. Depending on the state and license classification, completing approved continuing education (CE) courses may be mandatory for license renewal. For contractors, the immediate … Read Article
Credly Pricing: Are You Paying Too Much for Just One Part of Certification Management?
How Much Does Credly Cost in 2026? Credly pricing is based on custom quotes rather than a publicly available standard rate card. Organizations interested in using Credly by Pearson to issue digital badges must contact its sales team to determine the cost of their credentialing program. But for professional certification bodies, associations, and corporate training … Read Article
Certification Verification: How to Confirm Credentials and Current Status
What is certification verification? Certification verification is the process of confirming with the issuing organization that a person holds a specific credential and determining its current status. A useful verification checks the credential holder, certification name or level, issuing body, and applicable expiration date. It helps an employer, client, or program administrator distinguish an active … Read Article
NCCA Accreditation: What Certification Programs Need and How It Compares to ISO/IEC 17024
What NCCA Accreditation Actually Means NCCA accreditation is an independent review of a professional certification program against recognized standards for how that program is governed, developed, administered, assessed, and maintained. It is intended to demonstrate that certification decisions are supported by a consistent and defensible process, not simply that an organization delivers an exam. For … Read Article
Certification Platform RFP Checklist: Requirements, Scoring, and Demo Questions
What a Certification Platform RFP Should Accomplish A certification platform RFP should do more than produce a spreadsheet of feature responses. It should help your organization determine whether a platform can support the actual operating model behind your certification program, from registration and eligibility through testing, credential issuance, reporting, renewal, and exceptions. For associations, that … Read Article
AI Proctoring Software: What It Can Detect, Where It Fails, and How to Use It Responsibly
What AI proctoring software actually does AI proctoring software uses automated analysis to monitor remote exams and flag activity that may require human review. It can help your team focus on higher-risk moments, but it should not decide whether a candidate cheated. For professional certification programs, that distinction matters because a false accusation can damage … Read Article
Online Testing Software for Certification Programs: A Practical Buyer’s Guide
What Online Testing Software for Certification Programs Must Do Online testing software, sometimes called exam delivery software, helps certification programs build, secure, administer, score, and report on professional exams. Online testing software for certification programs must do more than present questions and calculate a score. It has to confirm that the right candidate takes the … Read Article
Continuing Education Management Software: What Certification Programs Actually Need
What Continuing Education Management Software Should Actually Manage Continuing education management software helps you administer the ongoing education, testing, credit tracking, and renewal activity required to keep professional credentials current. For certification programs, that means more than delivering courses or recording that someone attended a webinar. The real challenge begins when continuing education affects certification … Read Article
Remote Proctoring Software: How to Choose the Right Solution for Certification Exams
What Remote Proctoring Software Does for Certification Programs Remote proctoring software helps you verify candidate identity, supervise online exams, and protect the integrity of exam results. It can also document suspicious behavior. For certification programs, the right system combines appropriate security controls with a clear candidate experience and a defensible review process. That balance matters … Read Article