by Paul Hiller, June 11, 2020 | We’ve been telling you about it since March! Now–after a focused effort to make online exam delivery a reality for our candidates and independent training providers as quickly as possible–ICML is launching all of its certification exams in a proctored, computer-based platform this month.

We have revamped the application process and it will open for business on Monday, June 15! Based on our traditional application process for paper exams, everything remains easy to follow. All certification prerequisites, scoring procedures, and exam fees remain unchanged. However, there are a few key differences in the application process that I will describe here so you are not taken by surprise.

The application page is still on ICML’s exam site, but the online exams themselves reside on a third-party platform managed by Examity, a secure, live-video proctoring service that helps ensure the integrity of our exams. This means the application process for online exams consists of two parts: (1) you will register and pay on our site, and then (2) you will receive a link to the Examity site where you will schedule and eventually sit your private, online exam.

So, let’s look at the new application process. The first thing you will see is the new option for online exams.

Choose Online Exam v. Paper Exam

When you click the button, a description of minimum computer specifications will appear, so you can determine whether you will be able to sit an online exam before you proceed with the application:

  • Desktop computer or laptop (not a tablet or cell phone) connected to a power source (not using battery power)
  • A working webcam, microphone, and speakers (all built-in or external)​ that remain active during the exam
  • Internet speed must be at least 2 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload; hot spots are not recommended 

Please note that if your computer (i.e., the computer you plan to use for your exam) does not meet these minimum specs, STOP NOW and select “paper exam” instead, as it will be pointless for you to continue applying for an online exam–unless you plan to upgrade your computer before your scheduled exam date.

By the way, you can apply for any of our exams, not just MLA I or MLT I as we originally anticipated. Most languages are already available, too!

Select any exam from the dropdown list

Just as in the past, you must check off a statement confirming that you meet all training and work experience prerequisites for your selected exam type. Now, in addition, you must also confirm the name of your training provider and the date that you completed (or will complete) your training course. There is a dropdown list for this, and if you don’t see the relevant company listed, you just select “other” and then manually provide us some details so we can verify it:

The new app form requests info about your training provider

You also have the option of uploading a certificate of completion, if you received one from your trainer.

Sitting for an online exam is very different from sitting for a paper exam, so you will find a completely revamped “Terms & Conditions” document embedded in the application. You will be tempted not to read it, but I assure you there is a great deal of helpful information in there regarding expectations and requirements, so do not skip it.

Updated Terms & Conditions doc is very different for online exams v. paper exams

Unlike when you apply for a paper exam, here you must provide payment in advance (check, wire transfer, or credit card). No purchase orders for online exams. A note will appear when you select your payment method to remind you that your application will remain in a pending status until payment is received.

Online exams must be paid in advance before you gain access to the Examity test platformPayment options for online exams

You will get to review a final summary page, and once you have confirmed everything is correct and submitted your application, you will immediately receive an email confirming that your application is pending. After ICML receives and/or processes your payment—usually within a few days, depending on your payment type—we will send you a separate follow-up email that contains a link to the Examity testing platform. That link will be unique to your specific exam selection, so when you click on it you will be taken to an Examity dashboard set up in your name. That is where you must proceed to schedule your private, online exam session, and you will have access to a “Live Proctoring Test-Taker Guide” with instructions about what to do next, including specifics about Examity’s test procedures.

Then, on your selected exam day, you will log back into Examity and take your test under the watchful eyes and ears of a remote proctor using your computer’s camera and microphone. Again, instructions about computer specs and room requirements will be reviewed with you at that time to ensure exam integrity. When you finish the exam, we will conduct scoring back at ICML the same way it has always been done, and within several days ICML will notify you of your results.

I hope this quick overview is helpful as you apply for our exams next week and beyond. We are very excited to be able to offer this online format alongside our traditional paper format. This is a solution whose time has come!