Certiport News
Certiport and ETS Announce the Development of iCritical Thinking Certification powered by ETS
New certification program validating critical thinking and problem solving skills in technology-enabled environments enters beta test period for slated November 2009 launch
TORONTO (Certiport PATHWAYS 2009) – July 31, 2009
Certiport today announced that in response to the growing need for digitally literate workers and students with in-demand, applied ICT skills, Educational Testing Service and Certiport—the acknowledged leaders in educational assessment and certification—have developed a new certification program: iCritical Thinking™ Certification powered by ETS.
The core of the iCritical Thinking Certification program is an outcomes-based examination that can be used to assess and validate critical thinking and problem solving skills in technology-enabled academic and workplace environments.
The iCritical Thinking Certification exam measures the range of cognitive and applied ICT literacy skills aligned with the nationally recognized Association of Colleges and Research Libraries (ACRL) standards and is endorsed by the Global Digital Literacy Council (GDLC). iCritical Thinking features real-time, simulated, scenario-based exam items; a marketable certification credential; independent credential verification; and individual and group reporting.
The exam itself takes about an hour to complete. It is designed and suitable for students in grades 10 through college, teachers, employers, the adult workforce and those seeking employment. Content areas reflect real-world academic and workplace scenarios. Test takers must demonstrate the ability to accomplish everyday tasks by effectively utilizing technology such as:
- Web Use – E-mail, Instant Messaging, Bulletin Board Postings, Browser Use and Search Engines
- Database Management – Data Searches and File Management
- Software – Word Processing, Spreadsheet, Presentations and Graphics
The iCritical Thinking Certification exam provides a clear understanding of how test takers incorporate and integrate these technologies while performing ICT literacy tasks that require them to define, access, evaluate, manage, integrate, create and communicate information.
ETS Vice President Charles Cascio said, "We recognized that the market needs an applied ICT literacy assessment that serves a diverse range of individuals and organizations. We began exploring market strategies and found in Certiport a learning and assessment philosophy, global testing channel and research-based approach to program development and delivery."
"Individuals who not only know how to obtain digital information, but can also analyze, evaluate and apply what they find to solve everyday problems are the lifeblood of the 21st century economy," said Ray Kelly, President and CEO of Certiport. "iCritical Thinking addresses a growing need for education administrators and teachers, workforce development program managers, and human resource managers—among others—to effectively evaluate critical thinking skills in today's digitally enabled academic and workplace environments. We are honored to join forces with ETS to offer iCritical Thinking as a certification program."
iCritical Thinking Certification may be taken as a stand-alone certification exam, or it may be paired with other Certiport digital literacy, desktop computing, or desktop publishing programs to create certification solutions aligned with specific market needs. When paired with other programs such as Certiport Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³®) program, iCritical Thinking may serve as a capstone experience, assessing problem solving skills in a technological environment.
The new exam will be in beta testing from August 17 through September 11 and is scheduled to launch in November 2009. Upon launch, the program will be available to Certiport testing centers in English; other language versions will become available in subsequent releases. For more information about iCritical Thinking powered by ETS, go to www.certiport.com/icriticalthinking.
About Certiport
Certiport, a Pearson VUE business, is the leading provider of certification exam development, delivery and program management services delivered through an expansive network of over 12,000 Certiport Authorized Testing Centers worldwide. Certiport manages a sophisticated portfolio of leading certification programs including: the official Microsoft Office Specialist certification program, the Microsoft Technology Associate certification program, the Microsoft Certified Educator program, the Adobe® Certified Associate certification program, the Adobe® Certified Expert program, the HP Accredited Technical Associate, the CompTIA Strata™ IT Fundamentals, the Autodesk Certified User certification program, the Intuit QuickBooks Certified User certification program, and the IC³ Digital Literacy certification. Certiport reliably delivers over three million tests each year throughout the secondary, post-secondary, workforce, and corporate technology markets in more than 148 countries and 27 languages worldwide. For more information, please visit www.certiport.com or follow Certiport on Twitter at www.twitter.com/certiport.
"Certiport" "IC³" and "MeasureUp" are registered trademarks of Certiport, Inc. in the United States and other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Press Contact:
Brenda Armstrong
1.801.602.0305
barmstrong@certiport.com