Chapter 4 - Managing Your Test Center...2015/01/01 · Test centers must provide a distraction-free, secure testing environment with continuous candidate surveillance. If your test

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Pearson VUE Confidential | 04 - Managing Your Test Center | Version 4.3 | Page 1

Chapter 4 - Managing Your Test Center This chapter provides a variety of information you need in order to manage your Pearson VUE Authorized Test Center, from providing a suitable testing environment for candidates to updating your test center's information in Site Manager.

This chapter contains the following sections:

Test administrator requirements

Office layout and environment

Using Site Manager

Site termination

Pearson VUE Confidential | 04 - Managing Your Test Center | Version 4.3 |Page 2

Test administrator requirements

For every 15 approved delivery workstations, your test center must have one Pearson VUE Certified Test Administrator on staff. Your test center might also be required to have additional certified test administrators depending on the facility layout. For example, another test administrator is required on staff if your layout has a separate testing room. If approved, separate testing rooms can be used for accommodations or additional workstations. Separate testing rooms that are approved for accommodations can have only one delivery workstation.

There must always be one Pearson VUE Certified Test Administrator on site for every 15 candidates testing. If 15 or fewer candidates are taking exams at the same time, only one proctor is needed. However, multiple proctors are required to monitor the testing room if more than 15 candidates are taking exams at the same time. Multiple proctors are also required if a candidate is taking an exam in a separate testing room.

Office layout and environment

PVTC Government Center personnel at U.S. correctional facilities should refer to the Test Center Layout and Environment at Correctional Facilities document on the Pearson VUE website for more information about proper test center layout.

The following sections provide information about facility and environment requirements that your test center must follow in order to deliver exams through Pearson VUE. If your test center layout needs to change, notify Channel Quality.

There are additional requirements that PVTC Selects must follow. For more information, see Additional requirements for PVTC Selects.

Facility requirements

Test centers must provide a distraction-free, secure testing environment with continuous candidate surveillance. If your test center is already administering exams, the layout of your office may be sufficient as long as it meets the following requirements. If you are setting up a new test center, the exact layout will vary depending on the physical space available and on the number of candidates that will be accommodated. For more

http://home.pearsonvue.com/Documents/Test-center/pearsonvue_corrections_facilities.aspx


information, or for assistance in planning a new testing area, contact your local Pearson VUE office.

Testing can be a stressful experience for many candidates. Even minor noises near the testing room can distract candidates. This section contains tips to help you minimize noise distractions.

If there is obvious noise, such as building construction, when a candidate is ready to take an exam, ask the candidate before the exam starts whether he or she will be affected by the noise. If the candidate chooses to take the exam, create a case for documentation purposes.

The next few sub-sections are the minimum requirements that must be met when setting up a test center.

Test center building and surrounding area

● Provide adequate parking and access to public transportation.

● Provide access to people with disabilities according to your country-specific requirements (for example, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 in the United States).

Candidate check-in and waiting area

● Provide an area separate from the testing room for checking in candidates. There should be a workspace for the test administrator where the computer that serves as your administration workstation is located. There should also be seating for candidates who are waiting.

● Provide lockers or other suitable storage for personal belongings, such as a lockable file cabinet, closet, or backpacks with locks. The candidate cannot take items such as cell phones, pagers, papers, books, and briefcases into the testing room. For more information, see Storing personal belongings.

Pearson VUE Authorized Test Center Selects (PVTC Selects) are required to have one locker per delivery workstation for candidates to store their personal belongings. Each locker must have its own key, which test administrators provide to the candidate. Lockers do not need to be in the check-in area. They must be outside of the testing room.

PVTC Government Centers that are correctional facilities are not required to provide locked storage in the check-in area or testing room. Instruct candidates to store any personal items away from the testing area.


Testing room area

● Provide an enclosed, professional environment that is clean, comfortable, smoke-free, and conducive to testing.

● Place the exam delivery workstations in a permanently enclosed area that is separate from the rest of the office space. The testing room should be in a low-traffic area away from any training rooms in use to prevent the sounds of people talking and moving between rooms from distracting candidates. Also, avoid placing the testing room near an area where people gather, such as a cafeteria or busy corridor.

Insulate the testing room to minimize noise. In addition to insulated walls, an insulated ceiling helps to minimize noise.

Commercially available acoustic privacy systems (or white noise generators) use sound-masking technology to effectively mute external noise. These may be helpful in areas where traffic or street noise is sometimes a problem.

● Provide adequate lighting and ventilation, along with comfortable seating and work surfaces. The room lighting should provide sufficient light for candidates to use keyboards and noteboards while avoiding screen glare.

● Place each delivery workstation on a clean surface that has no obstructions overhead or underneath. The desk space for each workstation should measure approximately 4 feet (1.2 meters) wide. Place only one workstation for every 4 feet (1.2 meters) of space.

● Separate candidates in the testing room. Separate delivery workstations by using permanent walls or privacy partitions, or at least 4 feet (1.2 meters) of empty space on all sides.

● Pearson VUE Authorized Test Center Selects (PVTC Selects) are required to have permanent partitions or walls that are at least 5 feet (1.5 meters) in height and extend outward from the wall at least 4 feet (1.2 meters). Desktop partitions are acceptable as long as the height measured from the floor is at least 5 feet (1.5 meters), and the width measured outward from the wall is 4 feet (1.2 meters).

Though not required at Pearson VUE Authorized Test Centers (PVTCs), Pearson VUE recommends PVTCs to use permanent walls or partitions, which creates privacy and also absorbs sound between workstations. If your site decides to use walls or partitions, see the guidelines earlier in this section.

● Monitor positions should be adjustable in order to allow each candidate to establish a comfortable testing position.


● In order to proctor candidates, provide a clear glass viewing window or wall, live feed video surveillance system, or seating for a test administrator within the testing room. Whichever surveillance method you use must provide an unobstructed view of each candidate (including candidates' hands) within the testing room. For more information, see Proctoring an exam.

Pearson VUE Authorized Test Center Selects are required to have a video surveillance system for proctoring.

● Remove equipment such as printers, fax machines, copiers, or telephones from the testing room while testing is in progress.

● Minimize noise and distractions during testing.

While testing is in progress, place a sign alerting people in your office to be especially quiet near the testing room. For example, you might post a sign that says: “Quiet! Testing in progress.”

Headphones that cover the entire ear successfully block most sounds. They should not be connected to any device. Some candidates may prefer to use earplugs instead of headphones.

Additional requirements for PVTC Selects

This section applies only to PVTC Selects. For more information about the differences between a PVTC and PVTC Select, see About the test center network.

The following are additional facility requirements that Pearson VUE Authorized Test Center Selects (PVTC Selects) must adhere to:

● The building where the PVTC Select test center is located must be suitable by local standards for professional testing and approved as such by Pearson VUE.

● The Pearson VUE file server must be secured in a separate locked room or data closet at all times.

● The building signage must clearly indicate the location of the test center within its building or the surrounding area.


● The area where candidates wait to be admitted must have adequate seating. The area where candidates are admitted should be separate from but near to the testing room.

● The check-in area must have a clock that is visible to the candidates.

● There must be enough space at the administrator workstation for all admissions, audio, and video equipment. It is recommended that the monitor sit on the DVR to save desk space.

● There must be convenient access to a washroom or toilet facility, either within the test center or the same facility as the test center. Preferably, the washroom or toilet facility should be on the same floor or as close as possible to the testing room.

● A comfortable, height-adjustable, office-style chair must be provided for each delivery workstation.

PVTC Selects must also meet site availability requirements. See the following guidelines:

● Be open a certain minimum number of days per month, as agreed between your test center and Pearson VUE. The requirement varies by test center based on the volume of testing at the test center. Pearson VUE informs each test center of the minimum requirements. However, provided that the test center is open for testing at least two days a week, the test center likely already meets the minimum requirements.

● To ensure that the PVTC Select test center does not fall below requirements, PVTC Selects must inform their Pearson VUE point of contact immediately whenever the test center:

o Closes on a day when it is normally open; this may be due to unexpected circumstances that result in the test center's closing.

o Reduces test center open hours.

Pearson VUE will work with you to help keep your test center open or will work with the exam sponsors to reschedule candidates, if necessary.

● It is important that a PVTC Select's availability rules are accurate and updated if the test center hours change. Enter all availability rules as soon as you know the date that your test center will be open. It is important that candidates are not scheduled on days that the test center is closed. Exam sponsors have strict reschedule policies, and it may be difficult for candidates to reschedule without penalty.


PVTC Selects are required to have at least two certified test administrators on staff. This helps test centers to cover days when a test administrator is unexpectedly sick or otherwise unavailable. One test administrator must be present at all times during exam delivery.

New Site Manager and User Management

Pearson VUE has taken steps to improve test center management by updating its Site Manager application. The new Site Manager still allows you to configure and manage aspects of your test center. Additionally, you will now manage your site's users in the new User Management application that has been separated from Site Manager.

You will have access to both the old and new applications simultaneously until the old Site Manager is removed at the end of 2020. You will know that your test center has access to the updated applications when you see the following options available in the Connect portal:

● Site Manager – new

● User Management

Instructions for using the new applications are available directly within them. Follow these steps to access the directions within the applications themselves:

1. Open the Connect portal.

For more information, see Opening and closing the Connect portal.

2. Select the application you want to use.

For example, select Site Manager - new.

3. Select Help in the upper-right of the toolbar.

Using Site Manager

After you install your Pearson VUE Testing System, you use Site Manager to enter information about your test center, create user accounts for your test center's employees, and set up assets for each exam delivery workstation. This section describes how to create, delete, and edit the Site Manager information.


To run Site Manager, your Pearson VUE user account must be authorized to use the application as described in Setting up test center personnel.

For security reasons, never leave Site Manager open unattended. When you take a break, go to lunch, end your work day, or leave the test center for any period of time, log out of all applications you have logged in to. The test administrator who is currently registering, proctoring, or administering exams must log into the applications with his or her personal username and password.

Opening and closing Site Manager in Connect

You can open Site Manager through the Connect portal. For more information, see Opening and closing the Connect portal.

If this is your first time signing in to the Connect portal, you need to complete your account setup. Thus, the sign-in process is different initially. For more information, see Opening Connect for the first time.

To close Site Manager, click Sign Out in the upper-right corner of the screen. A message indicates that the application has been closed.

Site Manager logs out if you are inactive for 15 minutes while signed in to the application. A message indicates that your session timed out and any unsaved changes were not saved. Click OK to return to the sign-in page.

Basic user functions in Site Manager

Site Manager has some basic rules and functions to make it easier for you to use the application and enter information. These functions let you customize the way that information is presented on a screen and define acceptable ways to enter dates and time. The next several sections explain the rules and user functions you need to know in order to use Site Manager.

Entering and selecting dates

When you create or update rules in Site Manager, there are a few ways to enter the days for when a rule is in effect. The current date appears in the Start Date and End Date boxes by default. You can enter dates into the boxes in one of the following formats:


1/1/15

January 1, 2015

Jan 1, 2015

You can also click the Calendar icons next to the Start Date and End Date boxes to select a date from a monthly calendar view.

Entering times

When you create or edit rules in Site Manager, there are a few ways you can enter the time frame that specifies when a rule is in effect. You can select the All Day box for rules that apply all day, select the times from the Start Time and End Time drop-down lists, or enter the times into the Start Time and End Time boxes. You can enter or select only quarter-hour intervals. You can enter times in one of the following formats:


8:30 a.m.

4:30 p.m.

16:00

You must specify a.m. or p.m. If you do not, then military time is assumed, and the time automatically changes to a.m. or p.m. accordingly.

Entering phone and fax numbers

When you create certain entries in Site Manager, you may need to enter either a phone or fax number. Phone and fax numbers must be entered into Site Manager in one of the following formats:

● U.S. and Canada:

o 999-999-9999

o (999)999-9999

o 9999999999

● All other countries:

o 99-9-999-999999

o 999999999999

o 99999999999

o 999-9999999999

Customizing table content

Several screens within Site Manager contain tables that list information regarding your site, such as personnel, rules, and scheduled candidates. You can sort the content within the tables in ascending or descending order by any of the columns. To do this, click the column name once or twice and an arrow pointing up (ascending) or down (descending) appears next to the column name. You can also expand the columns by clicking and dragging the right or left edge of the column name.


Accessing the detailed view pane

Some screens within Site Manager allow you to expand the information on the screen into two panes. The second pane that appears is called the detailed view pane.

The detailed view pane can only be accessed from certain screens in Site Manager.

You can expand the detailed view pane in the following ways:

● Select an item from the table on the screen to automatically open the detailed view pane. To hide the pane, select the list view icon (left icon) above the table. To open the pane again, click the detailed view icon (right icon) above the table.

● Balance the mouse pointer on the right side of the pane until the image of the mouse pointer changes. Next, click and drag the mouse to the left until the detailed view pane expands (refer to the following images).


Entering address information and directions in the Location tab

The Location tab under the Settings category contains the site name, address, phone number, fax number, and directions to your test center. This information is used frequently by Pearson VUE and by candidates, so be sure this information is current.

Test centers must enter the address and directions in the default language (English). You can also enter and edit the address and directions to your test center in another language. You must know the language in order to use this feature. For more information, see Entering address and directions in another language.

If you are moving your test center, you must contact Pearson VUE before making any changes to the address information in Site Manager. For more information, see Moving your test center to a new location.

Follow these steps to make changes to your site address information:

1. In Site Manager, click the Settings category, and then click the Location tab.

The Location tab displays the address and directions information for your test center. Select the language in the menu on the left. The default language is English.

2. Click the Address tab, and then click Edit.

The Edit Address screen opens.

3. Type in your test center's complete address and city in the appropriate boxes.


The Site Name and Country of Residence boxes cannot be edited. If the name of your test center changes, see Changing your test center name in this chapter. If the location of your test center changes, see Entering directions to your test center.

4. Select your state or province in the drop-down list (if applicable).

5. In the ZIP Code box, type the ZIP or postal code.

If your test center is located in the United States or Canada, you must enter the code in one of the following formats:

99999

99999-9999

999999999

A9A 9A9

6. Type your phone and fax numbers in the appropriate boxes.

For more information about entering phone and fax numbers into Site Manager, see Entering phone and fax numbers.

7. Click Save to confirm your changes, or click Cancel to discard the changes.

The Update Directions Notification screen appears notifying that you may need to change the directions to your test center also. For more information on how to change the direction information, see Entering directions to the test center.

8. Click OK to close the Update Directions Notification screen.

The information in the Address tab is now updated.

Moving your test center to a new location

If you are moving your test center, you must contact Pearson VUE before you change the address information in Site Manager.

Follow these steps if your test center is moving:


1. Contact Channel Quality to notify them about the move.

See the Pearson VUE Contacts section for region-specific phone numbers.

2. Submit photographs of the new site to Channel Quality.

All new locations are subject to Pearson VUE approval.

3. Complete the Commercial Legal Address Change Amendment form, and return it to Pearson VUE.

Your Pearson VUE Channel Sales representative can provide the form. The form explains the return process.

4. Check your test center’s schedule for any candidates with exam appointments during the move.

Candidates scheduled to take an exam during the move must be rescheduled. Use one of the following processes to reschedule a candidate:

● If the candidate's exam sponsor permits test centers to reschedule exams, contact the candidate and work with him or her to set up a new appointment.

● If one of the following situations applies, contact the Pearson VUE Call Center and ask them to contact the candidate and set up the new appointment:

o The candidate's exam sponsor does not permit test centers to reschedule appointments.

o Registration Manager does not allow you to reschedule the appointment.

o You are unable to find a new appointment time that is satisfactory to the candidate.

Be sure to create closed rules for your test center in Site Manager that cover the duration of the move.

Entering directions to the test center

The Location tab under the Settings category in Site Manager allows you to provide directions to your test center. You are required to enter directions to the test center.


Directions to your test center are included in the confirmation letters that are sent to candidates after they schedule exam appointments at your test center. Direction information is also available on the candidate website for candidates who are looking for a test center. These directions are also visible in Registration Manager whenever anyone (such as the call center) schedules an exam appointment for a candidate at your test center.

It is a good idea to include several sets of directions based on how candidates typically travel to your test center. For example, you may want to include directions from the airport and from the major highways to your test center. In addition, you may want to include parking information. If you are familiar with manipulating graphics, you can also link to a picture in JPEG format. You may need to contact a graphics or web design professional for help with this.

Follow these steps to enter directions to the test center:

1. In Site Manager, click the Settings category and then click the Location tab. Select the language from the menu on the left.

2. Click the Directions tab on the right, and click Edit.

The Edit Directions screen appears. The Edit Directions screen contains the Visual tab and HTML tab. For more information about the tabs, see Working with the Visual and HTML tabs.

3. Select either the Visual tab or the HTML tab and type the directions to your test center into the text entry field.

Pearson VUE recommends that you use the Visual tab unless you are familiar with using HTML. Enter clear and accurate directions for all of the routes that a candidate would typically use to travel to reach your test center.

4. Click Save.

A message notes that you may also need to change the address of your test center. Click OK. For more information on how to change the address information, see Entering address information and directions in the Location tab. The information in the Directions tab is now updated.


Working with the Visual and HTML tabs

The Edit Directions screen contains two tabs. The Visual tab and the HTML tab. You can use either tab to enter directions to your test center.

Pearson VUE recommends entering directions in the Visual tab instead of the HTML tab unless you have experience working with HTML.

If HTML is not used correctly in Site Manager, the directions to your test center will appear improperly formatted on the candidate website and candidate confirmation letter and may be difficult for candidates to read.

Visual tab:

The Visual tab contains a rich text editor. Click the buttons in the lower-left corner of the screen to apply different types of formatting to the selected text in this field.

The following table describes the features on the Visual tab:

Feature Description

Text entry field Type the directions to your test center in this field.


Bold

Applies bold formatting to selected text in the text entry field.

Italic

Applies italic formatting to selected text in the text entry field.

Underline

Applies underline formatting to selected text in the text entry field.

Bullets

Applies bullet point formatting to the selected text in the text entry field.

Hyperlink field Type a URL into the field to turn the selected text in the text entry field in to a hyperlink to the URL.

Cancel Discards any changes made to the text.

Save Saves any changes made to the text.

HTML tab:


When you first type anything in the HTML tab, a message warns you that if you continue, you will need to reset the directions before you can use the rich text editor in the Visual tab again. Click OK to continue, or click Cancel to keep your access to rich text editor.

The HTML tab contains the following features:

Feature Description

Text entry field Type the directions to your test center in this field.

Cancel Discards any changes made to the text.

Save Saves any changes made to the text.

Reset Deletes the text in the HTML tab and restores your access to the rich text editor in the Visual tab.

After you click Reset and then click OK to confirm, the Visual tab in the Edit Directions screen opens immediately to prompt you to enter new directions.

Note that the Reset button appears in the Edit Directions window only if there is already text saved in the HTML tab.

Entering address and directions in another language

The address and directions of a test center appear on pearsonvue.com. This website is available to candidates in languages other than English. You can enter and edit the address and directions to your test center in a language other than English in order to provide a consistent display for candidates in a language that they understand.

Follow these steps to enter your test center address and directions in another language:

1. In Site Manager, click the Settings category and then click the Location tab.

The Default language is English.

2. To create directions in a new language, click Create New Location in the upper-right corner of the screen.

The Create New Location screen appears.


3. Select a language from the drop-down list, and click Next.

Note that the languages that appear in the list are the only languages that are currently available.

4. Enter the information for your test center in the language that you selected.

Be sure to switch languages on your computer. Remember that you are entering in and translating the information already entered in the default language (English). As a result, the information should be the same across each created language but in a different language.

Site Manager does not translate the information for you. Though the field names are in English no matter which language is selected, you must enter the information for each field in the language that you select. For example, if you select Japanese, then in each field you must translate and enter the information in Japanese.

Mandatory fields are marked with an asterisk.

5. Click Next to enter the directions, and then click Save when you are finished.

For more information about entering directions to your test center, see Entering directions to the test center.

Deleting a language

To delete directions in a non-English language, select the language in the menu on the left side of the screen and click Delete in the upper-right corner of the screen.

Site Manager does not allow you to delete the Default language (English).

Changing your test center's name

If the name of your test center changes, you need to notify Pearson VUE to make the change because you cannot edit the name in Site Manager. Contact your Pearson VUE Channel Sales representative to request the Commercial Legal Address Change Amendment form. Then complete the form and return it to Pearson VUE. The form explains the return process.


Specifying when your center is open and closed in the Hours tab

The Hours tab under the Availability category allows you to specify the dates and times that your test center is open and closed for business. This information is used to find available exam appointments at your test center when candidates are scheduling their appointments. For example, if you create a rule specifying that your test center will be closed on a bank holiday, candidates are not able to schedule an appointment at your test center on that day regardless of whether they are scheduling at your test center, via the candidate website, or through the call center.

When you click the Hours tab under the Availability category, all open and closed rules created for your site are listed on the screen in a table format. The table includes information about the type of each rule (either open or closed), rule name, start date and end date, start time and end time, and the day(s) of the week that the rule applies.

For more information about sorting the content of the table, see Customizing table content.

About open and closed rules

It is critical that you establish your test center hours correctly by using the open and closed rules described in this section. If you do not, candidates may not be able to schedule appointments at your test center when they want to. In addition, appointments may be scheduled during closed times, and candidates will arrive to find that your test center is closed. You should create closed rules, such as rules for national and local holidays, at the beginning of each year so that you do not have to remember to create closed holiday rules the rest of the year.

Open and closed rules define the hours of operation for your test center. Open rules define days and hours that your test center is specifically open. Closed rules define days and hours that your test center is specifically closed (such as on holidays or for an emergency). When the testing system interprets the rules you create, it first uses the open rules to determine all of the days and hours that your test center is open. It then looks at your closed rules and subtracts any days and hours that your test center is closed.

Open and closed rules are removed weekly from Site Manager 365 days after the date of the rule has passed. When it is removed, it is permanently deleted from the system and cannot be recovered. However, rules with no end dates are not removed and remain in Site Manager.


Note the following tips for creating rules:

● Normally, you will have one open rule to define when your test center is generally open, such as Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

● After establishing when your test center is generally open, create one or more closed rules to define times within the available time periods at which you know your that test center will be closed. For example, you might create closed rules to specify that your test center is not open on Friday evenings or on New Year’s Day.

● You may want to create a closed rule to cover a lunch period each day, such as from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

● When you set up your general open rule, you may not want the starting time to be the same time at which test administrators normally arrive for work. It is a good idea to allow time for staff to prepare for the day and to allow time for staff who are running late due to situations such as traffic or bad weather. Also keep in mind that we recommend to candidates that they arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled appointment time. Consider, for example, that your test administrators normally arrive at 8:00 a.m. If you allow 45 minutes for staff preparation and late arrivals and assume that some candidates will arrive 15 minutes before the first appointment of the day, you could have your general open hours start at 9:00 a.m.

● Be extremely careful not to create a closed rule if there are already appointments scheduled during the period that you want to close the test center. Before creating a closed rule, follow the procedure in Checking the schedule on the VSS website to check for scheduled appointments.

The following are examples of how to set up rules.

Normal business hours

In this example, an open rule is created called "Normal Business Hours." This rule specifies that the test center is available for testing Monday through Saturday, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. For this example, keep in mind that if exam appointments are scheduled at 7:00 a.m., candidates may start arriving at 6:45 a.m.

The Start Date is entered for when the open rule begins, and the No End Date check box is selected because this rule applies all year. Selecting No End Date does not allow you to enter an end date below the Start Date box.


Closed for a whole day

In this example, a closed rule is created called "New Year's Day." This rule specifies that the test center is closed and unavailable on January 1, 2016.

The All Day check box is selected because the rule applies for the entire day. The No End Date check box must not be selected. Selecting No End Date will close the center every day.

Closed for part of a day

In this example, a closed rule is created called "Christmas Eve Day." This rule specifies that the test center is closed and unavailable starting at 1:00 p.m. on December 24, 2015 until


10:00 p.m. on that date. The No End Date check box must not be selected. Selecting No End Date will close the center between 1:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. every day.

Closed one day during specified time period

In this example, a new closed rule is created called "Summer Schedule - Closed Saturdays." This rule specifies that the test center is closed and unavailable on Saturdays from May 22, 2015 through September 4, 2015. Saturday is only selected in the Day(s) check boxes to indicate that the closing applies only on that day. The All Day check box is also selected because the test center is closed the entire Saturday.


Creating or editing an open or closed rule

Open and closed rules are removed weekly from Site Manager 365 days after the date of the rule has passed. When it is removed, it is permanently deleted from the system and cannot be recovered. However, rules with no end dates are not removed and will remain in Site Manager.

Follow these steps to create or edit an open or closed rule:

1. In Site Manager, click the Availability category, and then click the Hours tab.

The Hours tab displays all of the open and closed rules that you have previously created.

2. To create a rule, click Create New Rule. To edit an existing rule, select the rule in the list, and then click Edit.

The Create Rule screen or Edit Rule screen appears.

3. Select either the Open or Closed option to indicate whether the rule specifies times and days when your test center is open or when it is closed.

You cannot save the rule unless you select one of these options.

4. Type an open or closed rule name in the Name box.

You must enter a name before you can save the rule. Use a name that clearly indicates the purpose of the rule such as Normal Business Hours, Christmas Holiday, or Center Closed for Repairs.

5. In the Start Date and End Date boxes, type or select a date for when the rule begins and ends. For more information about date selection, see Entering and selecting dates.

When setting up rules for when your center is generally open, enter only the start date and times, and select the No End Date check box. If you enter an end date, the rules will be in effect only until the end date that you specified, and you will need to remember to set up a new rule each time the rule is set to expire.


6. In the Start Time and End Time boxes, type or select a time for when the rule applies during the day. For more information about time selection, see Entering times.

If the closed rule applies for the entire day, make sure to select the All Day check box. You can only select All Day for a closed rule and not for an open rule.

7. In the Day(s) check boxes, select the days during the week for when the rule applies.

By default, all the days of the week are selected. A check mark in a box indicates that the rule is in effect on that day. For example, if you want the test center to be closed every Monday during the specified date range, then clear all other days but Monday. If the rule applies on all days of the week, then leave all the days selected.

The days of the week must fall within the specified date range. If you entered a start and end date that covers a date range of less than one week, you must select at least one day of the week that occurs in the date range you specified.

If you create a rule stating that your center is closed all day for one day, such as on January 1, 2018, you may want to leave all the days selected so that the rule is applied no matter which day of the week January 1, 2018 happens to fall on. Site Manager does not allow you to save the rule if at least one day of the week that occurs in the specified date range is not selected.

8. Click Save to confirm your changes or click Cancel to discard the change(s) you made.

Various messages may appear depending on the type of rule you created and if you do not provide all the required information after clicking Save.

After you respond to any messages that appear, the open or closed rule is updated in the Hours tab.

If you set up a rule that makes the test center closed for the next 45 days or longer, a message appears and asks you to confirm that you still want to create the rule.

If you set up a rule making the test center closed during a date range when the center is already closed, a message appears and asks you to confirm that you still want to create the rule.


Deleting an open or closed rule

When you delete an open or closed rule, it is removed immediately. Though open and closed rules are deleted from the system 365 days after the date of the rule has passed (except rules with no end dates), it is a good idea to delete rules when they are no longer in effect to prevent confusion.

Follow these steps to delete a rule:

1. In Site Manager, click on the Availability category, and then click the Hours tab.

The Hours tab displays all of the open and closed rules that you have previously created.

2. Select a rule in the list, and then click Delete.

A message appears and asks you to confirm that you want to delete the rule.

3. Click Yes to delete the rule.

The rule is removed from the system and no longer appears in the list.

Exams tab

The Exams tab under the Settings category lists all exam sponsors and exams that your center is authorized to deliver. This information is entered in the testing system by Pearson VUE and cannot be edited on this tab, but it provides you with a current list of the sponsors whose exams your center may be delivering. When you click the arrow next to the exam sponsor's name an expanding list shows the specific exams your test center is authorized to deliver.

If you notice any discrepancies in your list of exam sponsors, contact VSS or send an email to [email protected].

Setting up test center personnel in Site Manager

The Users tab under the Personnel category in Site Manager allows you to set up user accounts for the Pearson VUE applications. For more information, see User accounts. To create or edit user accounts in this tab, you must have the May create and edit (other) users permission assigned to your account. If you do not have this permission, you can view existing account information but cannot add, edit, or delete information.


Those who have the May create and edit (other) users permission can enter a user's contact information, reset passwords, edit user permissions (except their own), and so on. Only one person at each test center can have this permission. For more information, see About permissions.

When you view the Users tab, a list of user accounts already defined at your test center is displayed.

Your user account is bold in the list because you are the user who is logged in to the application. By default, the list is sorted by last name. The list includes the following information for each user account:

Category Description

Name This is the full name of the user for the account.

Username This is the name the user will use to sign in to all Pearson VUE Testing System applications to which he or she is given access.

Account This is the status of the account. Active, Expired Password, or Locked appears.

Create/Edit This column indicates which user has the May create and edit (other) users permission.

You can view more information about a user account by opening the detailed view pane. For more information about how to open the detailed view pane, see Accessing the detailed view pane.

There are three tabs that you can view in the detailed view pane:

Tab Description

Profile Provides general information about the user, such as the user's name, phone number, and email.

Account Provides login information, such as the user's username, password, and security questions. You can also lock or unlock a user's account in this tab.


Permissions Provides information about what permissions are enabled for the user's account in each application. For more information, see About permissions.

You can edit the information in each tab by following the steps in Editing a user account.

To edit user account information, you must have the May create and edit (other) users permission assigned to your account as described in this section. Only one user is able to have the May create and edit (other) users permission. If your account does not have this permission, you can view existing account information but cannot create, edit, or delete user accounts. However, you can edit passwords or unlock accounts in the Account tab if you have the May reset passwords and lock/unlock user accounts permission.

Clicking the My Account link in the upper-right corner of the screen is a quick way to access your user account information in the Users tab.

The next several sub-sections provide more information about permissions and creating, editing, or deleting user accounts.

About permissions

The Permissions tab in Site Manager's detailed view pane shows which permissions are enabled for a specific user account. The permissions are sorted by application and are self-explanatory. If a check box is selected, the user has permission to use that application or perform that function in the application.

If you have the May create and edit (other) users permission, note the information in the following table when you create a user account or edit the permissions for a user.


Permission Description

May create and edit (other) users

Allows you to create new users and edit the permissions for each user.

Only one user at a site is allowed to have this permission. You cannot change your own permissions or other users' permissions unless your account has this permission. You also cannot assign this permission to another user even if you have the May create and edit (other) users permission assigned to your account.

To change the user for this permission, call the support line to contact Channel Quality. If Channel Quality is not available, contact VSS.

May use the Site Manager application

Allows you to use the Site Manager application.

If you do not have this permission, Site Manager does not appear as an option in the Applications menu of the Connect portal. For more information, see Setting up test center personnel in Site Manager.

May edit software update retrieval schedule

Allows you to establish rules to modify the default retrieval schedule or to disable background retrieval.

This should only be done with direction from VSS. For more information, see Setting up software retrieval in the Updates tab.

May administer affiliated sites

If your test center is part of a site group, this permission might also be listed in Site Manager. For more information, see Working with other centers in your site group.

May admit candidates and deliver exams

Allows you to use the Delivery Manager and Admissions Manager applications.

It also allows you to reprint score reports as described in Reprinting score reports through the Reprint Utility.

May use the VSS web application

Allows you to control which of your test center's users have access to the VSS website.

If you select the permission for a user, he or she can use the same username and password to log in to both the Pearson VUE Testing System applications and the VSS website.

If the user is not a Pearson VUE Certified Administrator, this is the only permission the user can have.

Note that the default name and password (admin, admin) cannot be used to log in to the VSS website.


May use the Updater application

Allows you to use the Start Manual Update (Updater) application to schedule or manually start a software update. For more information about this application, see Updating the software.

May reset passwords and lock/unlock user accounts

Allows you to reset user account passwords and lock/unlock accounts. For more information, see Resetting passwords, Locking a user account, or Unlocking a user account.

Creating a user account

Your test center must create unique user accounts for each user of the Pearson VUE applications. Never create generic accounts that are shared among users. For example, you cannot create a user account that has a generic username like "administrator" for sharing. You also cannot use a generic, fake, personal, or shared email address for any user accounts. For more information, see User accounts.

To create a user account, you must have the May create and edit (other) users permission assigned to your account.

Follow these steps to create a new user account:

1. In Site Manager, click the Personnel category, and then click the Users tab.

The Users tab displays a list of user accounts already defined at your test center.

2. Click Create New User.

The Create User: Step 1 of 3 screen appears. Provide the required information in each step to create the user account.

3. Enter the appropriate information in each box.

You are required to provide the user's first name, last name, primary phone, and email. A red asterisk indicates each required field.

Never use a generic, fake, personal, or shared email address for any user accounts. For more information, see User accounts. For more information about entering phone and fax numbers into Site Manager, see Entering phone and fax numbers.


4. Click Next to continue.

The Create User: Step 2 of 3 screen appears.

5. In the Username box, type the username.

This is the name that the user will use to sign in to all Pearson VUE Testing System applications to which he or she is given access. The username must be unique for the test center. It should resemble the user's actual name by giving the user's first initial and full last name. For example, the username for John Doe would be the following:

jdoe

6. Click Next to continue.

The Create User: Step 3 of 3 screen appears.

You can also click Back to return to the first or second steps in order to modify any information that you provided in those screens.

7. Select the permissions that the user is allowed to have for each application.

The permissions are self-explanatory. See About permissions for more information. If a box is selected, the user has permission to use that application or perform that function in the application.

8. Click Next to continue or click Back to modify the previous steps.

You can also click Cancel at any time in the Create User screens to discard the changes you make.

After you click Next, the user account is created, and a message appears containing the user's username and password.

Write down the provided username and password (or copy and paste them into an email or Word document). If you lose this information, you can reset the password for the new user. For more information, see Resetting passwords.

9. Click OK.


The new user account is now on the list in the Users tab. In the Account column, Expired Password appears because the user needs to sign in to the Connect portal to create a new password and set security questions. The account status changes to Active after the user has updated this information by signing in to the Connect portal. For more information, see Opening Connect for the first time.

Test administrators must have the May use the Site Manager application permission assigned to their account in order to use Site Manager. If they do not have this permission, Site Manager is not an option in the Applications menu of the Connect portal. For more information, see Setting up test center personnel in Site Manager.

Editing a user account

To edit a user account, you must have the May create and edit (other) users permission assigned to your account.

Follow these steps to edit a user account:

1. In Site Manager, click the Personnel category, and then click the Users tab.


2. Select the user from the list.

When you select the user, the detailed view pane appears and opens to the Profile tab by default.

3. Select the tab in the detailed view pane with the information that you want to edit, and then click Edit in the lower-right corner of the pane.

An Edit User screen appears.

4. Edit the necessary information.

A red asterisk is located next to each box that requires information. You cannot save any changes if any of these boxes are left blank.

For more information about permissions, see About permissions.

5. Click Save.

The changes are saved, and the information is updated in the tab.


Locking a user account

You can prevent a user from signing in to any application by locking the user's account. To lock a user account, you must have the May create and edit (other) users or the May reset passwords and lock/unlock user accounts permission assigned to your account. Two people at the test center have the ability to reset passwords or unlock accounts. You cannot lock or unlock your own account from within Site Manager.

Follow these steps to lock a user account:

1. In Site Manager, click on the Personnel category, and then click the Users tab.



When the user is selected, the detailed view pane appears.

3. Click the Account tab on the detailed view pane, and then click Lock Account located at the bottom of the detailed view pane.

A message appears that asks you to confirm that you want to lock the user account.

4. Click Yes.

The user account is now locked.

On the list in the Users tab, the Account column shows Locked for the user.

On the Account tab in the detailed view pane for the user, you will now see the following information:

● The date when the account was locked.

● The Unlock Account button located at the bottom of the pane. (Before locking, it was the Lock button).

Your account is locked after you try to log in three times and are unsuccessful. Contact one of the users with the permission to reset passwords and unlock accounts, or use the Account Recovery Tool to manually reset your password and unlock your account. See Resetting your password and unlocking your account for more information.


Unlocking a user account

To unlock a user account, you must have the May create and edit (other) users or the May reset passwords and lock/unlock user accounts permission assigned to your account. Two people at the test center have the ability to reset passwords or unlock accounts. You cannot lock or unlock your own account from within Site Manager.

You can manually unlock your account and reset your password by using the Account Recovery Tool. For more information, see Resetting your password and unlocking your account.

Follow these steps to unlock a user account:




The detailed view pane opens when you select the user.

3. Click the Account tab on the detailed view pane, and then click Unlock Account located at the bottom of the pane.

The Unlock Account screen appears.

4. Ask the user the security questions on the screen.

5. After the user gives the correct answers, click the User has validated the security questions option, and click Unlock Account.

The user's account is now unlocked.

Resetting passwords

Passwords can be reset from within Site Manager. To reset passwords, you must have the May create and edit (other) users or May reset passwords and lock/unlock user accounts permission assigned to your account. Two people at the test center have the ability to reset passwords or unlock accounts.

If you forget your password, contact one your site's test administrators with the May reset passwords and lock/unlock user accounts permission to reset your password. You can


also use the Account Recovery Tool to manually reset your password and unlock your account. For more information, see Resetting your password and unlocking your account.

To reset a user's password, follow these steps:




The detailed view pane opens when you select the user.

3. Click the Account tab in the detailed view pane, and then click Reset Password.

The Reset Password screen appears.

4. Ask the user the security questions on the screen.

5. After the user gives the correct answers, click the User has validated the security questions option, and click Reset Password.

A message appears containing the user's temporary username and password.

Write down the provided username and password (or copy and paste into an email or Word document). If you lose this information, you can reset the password for the new user again by following the previous steps.

6. Click OK.

7. Have the user sign in to the Connect portal with the temporary password.

When the user signs in to the Connect portal, the Password expired page appears. The user needs to create a new password before entering the Connect portal.

Deleting a user account

You can delete user accounts from within Site Manager. After you delete an account, that user will no longer be able to use any of the Pearson VUE Testing System applications. To delete a user account, you must have the May create and edit (other) users permission assigned to your account.


If a user leaves your test center or will no longer be using the testing system applications, delete his or her account as described in this section.

You cannot delete a user's account if the user is assigned as a contact in the Contacts tab under the Personnel category. You must assign a different user for the contact before you can delete the account. For more information, see Setting up contacts.

To delete a user account, follow these steps:




3. Click Delete.

A message appears and asks you to confirm the deletion.

Another message may appear instead explaining that the account cannot be deleted because the user is configured as a contact. If this occurs, you must assign a different user for the contact before you can delete the account. For more information, see Setting up contacts.

4. Click Yes.

The user account is deleted from the database, and his or her name is removed from the list in the Users tab.

Setting up contacts

The Contacts tab under the Personnel category in Site Manager provides general information about your test center and indicates who should be contacted for specific information, such as contract issues. Your site is required to keep the list of contacts in Site Manager up to date.


The contacts to choose from for each job responsibility are predefined. Before you can assign test center staff as contacts for each job responsibility, they must have an active account set up in Site Manager. For more information, see Setting up test center personnel in Site Manager.

You cannot delete a user's account if the user is assigned as a contact. You must assign a different user for the contact before you can delete the account.

Follow these steps to make changes to the Contacts tab:

1. In Site Manager, click the Personnel category, and then click the Contacts tab.

The Contacts tab displays the job responsibilities and people responsible for these tasks at your test center.

2. Click Edit located on the left side of the screen.

The Edit Contacts screen appears.

3. Select the person to contact for each job responsibility using the drop-down lists.

You are required to select a contact for Billing.

The billing contact email address is used to distribute the monthly test center statement/invoice. It is the test center's responsibility to make sure that this information is always current.

The contacts in the drop-down lists are predefined and cannot be changed in the Edit Contacts screen. Before you can assign test center staff for each job responsibility, you must enter their information in the Users tab under the Personnel category. For more information, see Setting up test center personnel in Site Manager.

4. Click Save to confirm your changes or click Cancel to discard the changes you made.

The list is updated in the Contacts tab.


Setting up software retrieval in the Updates tab

Sites located on government facilities and military installations do not need to change the default settings in this tab. Please leave the settings at default.

The Updates tab under the Settings category in Site Manager allows RMA to retrieve available software update files from the hub while the test center is closed. Only users with the May edit software update retrieval schedule permission may change or update the software retrieval schedule. For more information about this permission, see About permissions.

By default, retrieving updated software is a low-priority task for RMA that is only performed when the test center is closed. The default schedule can be modified by adding rules to the software retrieval schedule. The software retrieval can only be performed when RMA is not performing other tasks, such as running a maintenance cycle, preparing events, or uploading results.

Rules can be added to modify the default retrieval schedule, but they do not completely replace the default schedule. For instance, a rule may be added that allows retrieval to occur when the test center is open but during specified time periods when RMA is not performing other tasks. Rules can also be added to disallow background retrieval which prevents retrieval at specified times, even if the center is closed at those times.

Test administrators also have the ability to disable background retrieval. Running RMA and auto update can be done manually if background retrieval is disabled.

To access the Updates tab, click the Settings category in Site Manager, and then click the Updates tab. The Updates tab displays whether Background Updates or Customized Schedule are enabled or disabled and lists any rules that are set up for the update retrieval.


There are three options you may choose to apply for background updates:

● Option 1: Disable background updates retrieval completely

● Option 2: Leave the background updates retrieval schedule set to the default schedule

● Option 3: Modify the default schedule

The next few sub-sections provide more details on how to apply the options.

Disabling the background updates

Test administrators have the ability to disable background retrieval. Running RMA and auto update can be done manually if the background retrieval is disabled.

Follow these steps to disable the background updates:

1. In Site Manager, click the Settings category, and then click the Updates tab.

2. Click Edit.


The Updates screen appears.

3. Select Disable for the Background Updates option.

4. Click Save.

Background update retrievals are now disabled.

Leaving the background updates retrieval schedule at default

You can leave the background updates retrieval at the default setting. By default, the background updates are enabled and the customized schedule is disabled. This setting allows RMA to retrieve updated software when the test center is closed.

The default schedule downloads the update when the following two conditions are met: the site is closed and RMA is not performing any other tasks (for example, preparing exams or uploading results).

Modifying the default background updates schedule with rules

You can modify the default schedule by either subtracting or adding windows when RMA can download the update, regardless of whether the test center is open or closed. This is done by creating and defining rules.

Modifying the default schedule should only be done under the direction of VSS.

Follow these steps to create or edit a rule in order to modify the default schedule:

1. In Site Manager, click the Settings category, and then click the Updates tab.

The Updates tab opens.

2. Enable the customized schedule if it is disabled.

By default, the background updates are enabled and the customized schedule is disabled.


You can create rules to modify the schedule even though the customized schedule is disabled. However, the rules do not activate at your test center unless the customized schedule is enabled.

To enable the customized schedule:

a. In the Updates tab, click Edit.

The Updates screen appears.

b. Select Enable in the Customized Schedule option.

c. Click Save.

The customized schedule is now enabled.

3. To create a new rule, click Create New Rule located at the bottom of the screen. To edit an existing rule, select the rule, and click Edit.

The Create Rule screen or Edit Rule screen appears.

4. Type in the rule name in the Name text box.

5. Select Enable in the Download option if the rule will allow RMA to download updates, or select Disable if the rule will not allow RMA to download updates.

By default, Enable is selected.

6. In the Start Date box and the End Date box, type or select the date for when the rule begins and ends.

For more information about date selection, see Entering and selecting dates in this chapter.

7. In the Start Time box and the End Time box, type or select a time for when the rule applies during the day.

For more information about time selection, see Entering times in this chapter.

You cannot select All Day if Enable was selected in step 5. This option is only available for rules that do not allow RMA to download updates.



By default, all the days of the week are selected. A check mark in a box indicates that the rule is in effect on that day. If the rule applies on all days of the week, then leave all the days selected.

The days of the week must fall within the specified date range. If you entered a start and end date that covers a date range of less than one week, you must select at least one day of the week that occurs in the date range you specified.


Various messages may appear if you do not provide all the required information after clicking Save.

A message may appear that asks you to confirm the rule creation if you set up the rule in the following situations:

● The rule disables the background update retrieval for the next 45 days or longer.

● The rule coincides with another existing rule.

After you respond to any messages that appear, the rule appears in the Updates tab.

It may take several minutes for RMA to notice that background retrieval has been enabled or disabled.

Changes to the background retrieval schedule take effect when the user navigates away from the Updates tab or closes Site Manager.

VSS can remotely disable updates temporarily, if necessary, to address service issues.

Specifying test center assets

Assets are resources that are needed to deliver an exam to a candidate. These include the applications used as part of the testing process and supporting materials, such as exhibits. Use the procedures in this section if you need to set up or make changes to the assets at your test center.


Remember that the assets you set up are tracked by the Pearson VUE Testing System and are used to determine whether an exam can be scheduled at your test center. It is therefore important to keep your list of assets current.

When you open the Assets tab, all assets for your test center are listed. The list includes information about the asset name; the number of workstations the asset applies to is listed in the Count column.


You can view more details about an asset by clicking the arrow next to the asset name.

The workstations that are used to deliver exams are managed separately from the assets. For more information, see Specifying test center workstations.

Creating and editing asset information

Follow these steps to create a new asset or to edit the information for an existing asset:

1. In Site Manager, click the Settings category, and then click the Assets tab.

The Assets tab displays a list of assets defined at your test center.

2. To create a new asset, click Create New Asset. To edit an existing asset, select the asset first, and then click Edit.

The Create Asset screen or the Edit Asset screen appears.

3. Choose the asset from the Name drop-down list if you are adding a new asset.

After choosing the asset, a description about the asset appears below the asset name.

If you are editing an asset, you cannot choose an asset in the drop-down list. The drop-down list appears dimmed.


4. Type in how many workstations this asset applies to in the Count box under the description. If the asset applies to all of the workstations, select the All check box.

You must enter a number in the count box. If you do not, the number is set to zero by default.

5. Click Save to confirm your changes, or click Cancel to discard the changes you made.

The asset appears in the list on the Assets tab after you click Save.

Deleting an asset

Follow these steps to delete an asset:

1. In the Assets tab under the Settings category, select the asset to remove from the system.

2. Click Delete.

A message appears and asks you to confirm that you want to delete the asset. It also warns you that deleting the asset will impact the availability of appointments at your site or make it impossible to schedule appointments.

Site Manager will not allow you to delete an asset that is required for an active exam (one that has been registered for but not yet taken). You will see a message if you try to delete an asset required for a scheduled exam.

3. Click Yes.

The asset is removed from the system and no longer appears in the list.

Specifying test center workstations

Workstations are the physical computers that are needed to deliver an exam. Use the procedures in this section if you need to set up or make changes to the delivery workstations at your test center. If you need to add new workstations to your test center, notify Channel Quality.

Remember that the workstations you set up are tracked by the Pearson VUE Testing System and are used to determine whether an exam can be scheduled at your test center. Because a workstation can only be used by one candidate at a time, workstations must be tracked when scheduling exams to prevent overbooking issues. For example, if you have


set up 10 delivery workstations in Site Manager, Registration Manager will not allow more than 10 exams to be scheduled at your test center simultaneously.

Therefore, it is important to keep your list of workstations and workstation unavailability rules current.

The workstations that are used to deliver exams are managed separately from the assets. For more information about managing assets, see Specifying test center assets.

When you view the Workstations tab under the Availability category, a list of available workstations set up at your test center is displayed.


The list includes each workstation's name and a Yes or No in the Rules column to indicate whether there are any unavailability rules for the workstation.

You can view more information about a workstation by displaying the detailed view pane. For more information about how to open the detailed view pane, see Accessing the detailed view pane.

The detailed view pane displays a list of all the unavailability rules for a selected workstation. The list includes information on the rule's name, start date and end date, start time and end time, and on what day(s) during the week the rules applies.

Workstation unavailability rules are removed weekly from Site Manager 93 days after the date of the rule has passed. When it is removed, it is permanently deleted from the system and cannot be recovered. However, unavailability rules with no end dates are not removed and will remain in Site Manager.

The following sections provide more information on how to create, edit, or delete a workstation or workstation unavailability rule.


Creating or editing a workstation

You must define each exam delivery workstation in your test center as a separate workstation. For example, if you have five delivery workstations, each one must be listed separately in Site Manager.

Follow these steps to create a new workstation or to edit the information for an existing one:

1. In Site Manager, click on the Availability category, and then click the Workstations tab.

The Workstations tab displays a list of available workstations set up at your test center.

2. To create a new workstation, click Create New Workstation. To edit an existing workstation, select the workstation, and then click Edit located next to Create New Workstation.

The Create New Workstation screen or the Edit Workstation screen appears.

3. Type the workstation name into the Name text box.

You must enter a unique name for each workstation. Site Manager does not allow you to duplicate the name of another workstation. Pearson VUE recommends that you name your workstation assets consistently and logically.

For example, let us assume your test center has five delivery workstations, and you typically refer to them as workstations one through five, going from left to right in your testing room. In Site Manager, your workstations should be named to correlate with the way you refer to the workstations. In this example, you should name the assets workstation one through workstation five.

Pearson VUE recommends using “ws” followed by a three-digit workstation number. In this case, you would name the assets ws 001, ws 002, ws 003, ws 004, and ws 005. If you name your assets this way, they will be listed in numerical order in Site Manager.


The workstation information is updated in the list on the Workstations tab.


Creating or editing a workstation unavailability rule

It is assumed that workstations are available whenever your center is open. If a workstation is out of order or being used for another purpose, you can take it out of service by creating an unavailability rule. The workstation will not be scheduled for use when it is not available. For example, in the following image, a workstation is made unavailable beginning on June 9, 2015 because the workstation is out of order.

Workstation unavailability rules are removed weekly from Site Manager 93 days after the date of the rule is past. When it is removed, it is permanently deleted from the system and cannot be recovered. However, unavailability rules with no end dates are not removed and will remain in Site Manager.

Follow these steps to create or edit an unavailability rule for a workstation. You must have at least one workstation available before you can create a rule.

1. In Site Manager, click the Availability category, and then click the Workstations tab.


2. Select the desired workstation.

3. To create a new rule, click Create New Rule located at the bottom of the screen. To edit an existing rule, first select the rule to edit, and then click Edit located next to Create New Rule.

The Create Unavailability Rule for Workstation or the Edit Unavailability Rule for Workstation screen appears.


4. In the Name text box, type the name of the rule.

You must enter a name before you can save the rule. It is best to use a name that clearly indicates the purpose of the rule. For example:

Out of Order

All rules must be named uniquely within each workstation.

5. In the Start Date box and the End Date box, type or select a date for when the rule begins and ends. For more information about date selection, see Entering and selecting dates.

6. In the Start Time box and the End Time box, type or select a time for when the rule applies during the day. For more information about time selection, see Entering times.

By default, the All Day check box is selected for the time. If the workstation is available for only part of the day, you must clear the All Day check box and enter or select from the drop-down list the times during the day that the workstation will be unavailable.


By default, all the days of the week are selected. A check mark in a box indicates that the rule is in effect on that day. For example, if you want the asset to be unavailable every Monday during the specified date range, then clear all other days but Monday. If the asset is unavailable on all days of the week, then leave all the days selected.

The days of the week selected must fall within the specified date range. If you entered a start and end date that covers a date range of less than one week, you must select at least one day of the week that occurs in the date range you specified.

If you create a rule making the workstation unavailable all day for one day, such as on September 10, 2015, you may want to leave all the days selected so that the rule is applied no matter which day of the week September 10, 2015 happens to fall on.


8. Click Save to confirm your changes or click Cancel to discard the changes that you made.

Various messages may appear if you do not provide all the required information after clicking Save.

A message may appear asking you to confirm the rule creation if you set up the rule in the following situations:

● The rule makes a workstation unavailable for the next 45 days or longer.

● The rule makes an asset unavailable during a date range when the center is already closed.

● The rule coincides with another existing rule.

After you respond to any messages that appear, the rule is updated on the detailed view pane.

Deleting a workstation

Follow these steps to delete a workstation:



2. Select the workstation that needs to be removed from your site.

3. Click Delete above the detailed view pane.

A message appears that asks you to confirm that you want to delete the workstation. It also warns you that deleting the workstation will impact the availability of appointments at your site or make it impossible to schedule appointments.

Site Manager does not allow you to delete a workstation that is required for an active exam (one that has been registered for but not yet taken). You will see a message about this if you try to delete a workstation required for a scheduled exam.


4. Click Yes.

The workstation or rule is removed from the system and no longer appears on the Workstations tab.

Deleting an unavailability rule

Follow these steps to delete an unavailability rule:



2. Select the specific workstation that has the rule to delete, and then select the rule from the detailed view pane.

3. Click Delete located at the bottom of the pane.

Do not click Delete located at the top of the screen. Clicking this deletes the workstation from the system.

A message appears and asks you to confirm the deletion.

4. Click Yes.

The unavailability rule is removed from the system and no longer appears in the list.

Workstation asset binding

The Pearson VUE Testing System software incorporates a feature called workstation asset binding. This feature enables the software to keep track of which workstation at a test center is used to deliver each exam. Knowing which workstation was used can help VSS staff troubleshoot problems that are reported with an exam. For example, if an exam did not run properly because of insufficient memory on the workstation, a support person would be able to determine that very quickly since he or she would know exactly which computer was used for delivering the exam.

The asset binding feature also enables you to get workstation information through the Exam Monitor application. This application allows test administrators to monitor the exams


in progress and see where each candidate is in his or her exam process. For example, with a glance at the screen, you would be able to see that the candidate at one workstation is working on the exam tutorial while the candidate at the next workstation is working on the end-of-exam survey. You would also be able to see the total amount of time each candidate is allowed for the exam. For more information, see Using Exam Monitor.

Contact VSS to enable and setup workstation asset binding at your test center.

The workstation asset binding and Exam Monitor features are optional, although Pearson VUE encourages test centers to use them. The features are currently best for sites that have dedicated delivery workstations that do not change often.

Working with other centers in your site group

This entire section, including sub-sections, is applicable at PVTCs only and not PVTC Selects. For more information about the differences between a PVTC and PVTC Select, see About the test center network. PVTC Selects are not able to manage site groups.

Normally, a test administrators can only add or change Site Manager information, view schedules, perform same-day registrations, cancel or reschedule exams, and view canceled registrations for their own test centers. To allow test centers to perform these tasks for other test centers, some test centers can be organized into site groups within the Pearson VUE Testing System. This can allow test centers to view or change information for other test centers. These groups may consist of all of the campuses of a university, the branches of a national test center chain, or any other set of related test centers that want to share information or to centralize certain functions.

For example, a test center that has several branch locations and affiliated mobile sites may want to allow each site to perform registration tasks for each of the other sites. Each site could be permitted to view, cancel, and reschedule exams for all of the other sites. The group could also choose to centralize registration at one site by assigning the May use the Registration Manager application permission to users at only one site; then just one test center would have the ability to perform registration tasks for all other sites. Similarly, administrative tasks, such as setting up and managing assets and personnel, could be shared among sites or assigned to only one or more specific sites. These capabilities allow a group to assign specific functions to certain sites or employees and to operate efficiently as a unit.

The test centers belonging to a site group can be assigned administrative rights in three different configurations, detailed in the following information. All test centers that are part


of a group can schedule same-day registrations and cancel or reschedule exams for other test centers in the group through Registration Manager. For more information, see How site groups affect Registration Manager.

● No administrative rights: Users cannot perform any administrative tasks in Site Manager, even for their own test center. All administration takes place at another test center in the group. If your site is set up this way:

o Users at your site can view your test center's information in Site Manager but no user at your site can make changes to the identity, address, availability, personnel, and asset information. Even users at your site who are assigned the May create and edit (other) users permission in Site Manager will not be able to edit personnel information.

o You can view and print schedule information for your test center only.

o You can perform same-day registrations, cancel or reschedule exams, and view canceled registrations for other test centers within your group, but only if you have been assigned the May use the Registration Manager application permission in Site Manager.

● Site administrative rights: Users can perform administrative tasks in Site Manager for their own test center only. If your site is set up this way:

o You can change your test center's identity, address, availability, and asset information in Site Manager and can update personnel information if you have been assigned the May create and edit (other) users permission in Site Manager.

o You can view and print schedule information for your test center only.

o This option is similar to how things work if your site is not part of a group. The only difference is that your site can perform same-day registrations, cancel or reschedule exams, and view canceled registrations for other centers within your group but only if you have been assigned the May use the Registration Manager application permission in Site Manager.

● Affiliate administrative rights: Users can perform administrative tasks in Site Manager for their own test center and can also perform these tasks for the other test centers in the group. If your site is set up this way:

o You can change your test center's identity, address, availability, and asset information in Site Manager and can update personnel information if you have been assigned the May create and edit (other) users permission in Site Manager.


o If your user account is assigned the May administer affiliated sites permission, you can select another test center in your group and view and change information in Site Manager for that test center. You can update the test center’s identity, address, availability, and asset information and can update the site’s personnel information but only if you have been assigned the May create and edit (other) users permission in Site Manager. You can also view and print schedule information for that test center. For more information, see Working with other centers in your site group.

o You can perform same-day registrations, cancel or reschedule exams, and view canceled registrations for other test centers within your group.

Setting up site groups

Site groups and the individual test centers within the group must be set up and configured at Pearson VUE. If your test center is not part of a site group, you can access information in Site Manager and Registration Manager for your own site only, and all access to features is controlled by the permissions assigned to user accounts.

If you have questions about this feature or would like to take advantage of site grouping, contact your Pearson VUE Channel Sales representative. All sites in a group must be part of the same Pearson VUE contract. Please allow three to five business days for setup. After your group is created, a Pearson VUE Channel Quality representative will train administrators about how site groups affect their testing systems.

A Site Manager permission, May administer affiliated sites, affects site groups if your site is set up with affiliate administrative rights as described previously. If your site has affiliate administrative rights, you can use this permission to assign the rights to individual users at your test center. If your site does not have affiliate administrative rights, this permission does not appear in Site Manager.

Using the Affiliates tab

If your test center is part of a site group and has been assigned affiliate administrative rights for other test centers in the group, you may be permitted to make changes to Site Manager information and view and print the schedule for other test centers in the group. To do this, your site group must be set up appropriately at Pearson VUE, and your user account in Site Manager must be assigned the May administer affiliated sites permission.

If your test center and your account are set up properly, you will see the Affiliates category in addition to the other categories. If your site and your user account are not set up to administer affiliated sites, this category does not appear.


To work with another test center in your group as described previously, use the following procedure. Make sure your user account is assigned the May administer affiliated sites permission.

1. In Site Manager, click the Affiliates category.

The Affiliates tab displays a list of the other test centers in your site group that you can administer.

2. Select the test center you want to administer, and then click Manage Site.

The site name and number in the upper-right corner of the screen changes to indicate which test center you are currently working with, and the test center you are now managing is bolded in the Affiliates tab. Manage Local Site on the Affiliates tab becomes available, allowing you to return to administering your own site. (See the next step.)

You can now use the features in Site Manager to do the following tasks for a selected test center just as you would for your own test center:

● Change the address, availability, and asset information of the selected test center.

● Change the personnel information of the selected test center, but only if your user account for the Pearson VUE Testing System applications includes the May create and edit (other) users permission. For more information, see Setting up test center personnel in Site Manager.

● View and print the scheduled of the selected test center. Registration status information is based on the information from the Pearson VUE hub, so it is current as of the last time RMA ran for the test center you are viewing.

3. Switch to a different test center or switch back to your own test center at any time.

● To administer a different site in your group, repeat steps 1 through 3 and select a different site.

● To return to administering your own test center, click Manage Local Site on the Affiliates tab. Your own test center site ID appears in the upper-right corner of Site Manager, and your test center's information appears in all of Site Manager.

You cannot access your user account by clicking on the My Account link at the top of the screen if you are administering an affiliate site. You must first switch back to your site before you can access your account through the link.


Site termination

If for some reason your test center must terminate the Pearson VUE Authorized Test Center Agreement, refer to the following steps. Pearson VUE will terminate a test center if we are unable to reach a test center for 30 days and have not received prior notice that the test center was going to be closed for an extended period. In this case, the test center is assumed to be permanently closed, and we will remove its name from the testing system so that candidates can no longer schedule appointments at the test center.

1. Send Pearson VUE information about the intention to terminate the agreement, including the reason for and date of the termination. You can communicate this information by calling or emailing Channel Quality. For contact information, see Pearson VUE Contacts.

In addition to contacting Channel Quality, test centers are required to send in a letter on company headed paper to Pearson VUE. This letter can be copied and sent through email, but it must contain the signature of a person authorized to sign documentation on behalf of your test center.

2. Make sure that RMA runs before the termination date to ensure that all exam results for your test center have been transferred to Pearson VUE. Payment of delivery fees will be withheld until Pearson VUE has received all results.

3. Check the schedule of your test center one year into the future. If there are any candidates scheduled for exams at your test center within that time period, you are responsible for rescheduling them to a different location. Pearson VUE may assist you with this task.

For more information, see Checking the schedule on the VSS website.

4. After all results have been transferred and candidates have been rescheduled, delete the users from the Personnel tab in Site Manager.

For more information, see to Deleting a user account.

5. Uninstall the Pearson VUE Test Delivery Suite from each delivery workstation. From the Windows Control Panel of each delivery workstation, select Add/Remove Programs and remove the item named Pearson VUE Test Delivery Suite.

6. Disable the delivery workstations by deleting all delivery workstation assets in Site Manager.

For more information, see Deleting an asset.


7. Send all Pearson VUE-related materials to your designated Pearson VUE regional office . Include the policies and procedures guide, exam sponsor guide, and software CDs. Do not include the camera and signature pad devices since these were purchased by your test center. Use the following table to determine to which Pearson VUE regional office the materials should be sent:

Test center location

Pearson VUE regional office address

Americas region

Pearson VUE Channel Quality

5601 Green Valley Drive

Bloomington, Minnesota 55437

United States

EMEA region Pearson VUE EMEA Channel Quality

The Lighthouse, 14 the Quays

Manchester, M50 3BF

United Kingdom

APAC region

(Excluding China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan)

Pearson India Education Services Pvt. Ltd. Channel Quality

Ground floor, 1A/1, S.B. Towers, Sector 16A

Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201301

India

China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and South Korea

Pearson VUE China Channel Quality and Security

Dongcheng District, 36 North Third Ring Road East, Suite 1201, Tower D, Beijing Global Trade Center

Beijing, 100013

China

Japan National Computer Systems Japan K. K.

The Imperial Hotel Tower 18F 1-1-1, Uchisaiwaicho,

Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0011

Japan


Pearson VUE will send remaining funds to the contact and address listed for your test center in the database, unless you indicated a different address in step 1. Pearson VUE will also deactivate your test center in the database so that Pearson VUE exams can no longer be scheduled at, registered through, or delivered at your test center.