Testing Center Opens New Facility

The University of Pittsburgh Testing Center has opened a new state-of-the-art facility on the Cathedral of Learning’s ground floor. The academic and professional testing center is located in room G-33. 

Thousands of tests are administered by the University of Pittsburgh Testing Center each year, and the number is growing. More than 5,100 tests have been administered so far in 2014 alone. The center, previously located in Alumni Hall, serves Pitt students and residents of the Greater Pittsburgh area. The new space will be able to better serve both populations.

“This new facility for the University of Pittsburgh Testing Center is two years in the making,” said Cynthia Golden, director of Pitt’s Center for Instructional Development and Distance Education, which operates the testing center. “To create the best environment possible, staff visited comparable university testing centers and solicited feedback from Pitt students. We are extremely proud and excited to welcome Pitt students and test takers from the community at large into our new center.”

Information about the center and its new facility follows.

Who takes tests at the center?

• Students registered with the Office of Disability Resources and Services

• Students taking online courses through the College of General Studies

• Students taking entrance tests for graduate school (i.e. GRE, MCAT)

• Students who need to make up tests from Pitt courses

• Community members who need to take licensure exams, such as Pennsylvania Educator Certification Tests, or foreign language proficiency tests

• Community members taking online courses through other universities who need a testing center where they can take their exams

What makes the center state of the art?

• 52 testing stations

• 2 private testing rooms

• Privacy filters on computer monitors that only allow a person sitting approximately 12” directly in front of the screen to view the content

• Ceiling cameras known as “digital proctors” for test security

• Furniture that was tested and voted on by Pitt students—one of the ways in which student input was incorporated into the facility’s design 

• Features such as adjustable tables for persons using wheelchairs, making the facility compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) design standards

• Sustainable practices were used during renovations: all existing doors, window shades, metal fixtures, piping, and hallway signs were carefully dismantled and stowed away and are now being reused in the renovated facility

What services does the center provide for Pitt faculty?

• Make-up exams for students who miss an in-class test

• Scanning and scoring of classroom exams 

• Separate area for faculty to drop off classroom exams

• Proctored exam coordination for online courses

The University of Pittsburgh Testing Center is part of the University’s Center for Instructional Development and Distance Education (CIDDE). It is a Pearson VUE Authorized Testing Center, a Prometric Testing Center, and a licensed partner with Educational Testing Services and a member of the National College Testing Association.

With support from the Office of the Provost, the renovation effort was a collaboration between Pitt’s CIDDE, Office of Facilities Management, Computing Services and Systems Development, University Telecommunications, Office of Disability Resources and Services, and Integrated Securities, RSH Architects, Franklin Interiors, and MBM Contracting, Inc.

Visit www.cidde.pitt.edu/administration/testing-centers for more information.