Welcome to the National College Testing Association

What is the NCTA?

The National College Testing Association (NCTA) is a non-profit organization of testing professionals working in post-secondary institutions, in companies with test-related products and services, and in other professional testing venues. NCTA was organized in 2000 through the merging of several regional associations.

NCTA is dedicated to the promotion of professionalism and quality in the administration of testing services and programs, including issues relating to test administration, test accessibility, test development, test scoring, and assessment. NCTA currently has more than 2,000 members, representing over 650 post-secondary institutions and more than 50 corporations and certification agencies in the United States and Canada. The organization maintains a comprehensive set of standards for testing centers administering paper and pencil and computer-based examinations, as well as a compilation of useful operational guidelines.

Communication and professional development are promoted through an active mailing list, the NCTA eJournal, and projects advancing the mission of the organization. NCTA hosts an annual conference which draws more than a third of the membership and provides opportunities for professional networking, valuable information on technical and operational developments related to testing, and chances to interface with representatives from all of the major testing companies.

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The NCTA's Mission

  • Enhance professional testing practices
  • Offer opportunities for professional development
  • Encourage professional support activities
  • Advance collaborative efforts among testing professionals, testing companies, and other policy-making agencies

NCTA Services

NCTA has established standards and guidelines for testing centers and testing personnel. A list of test administrators who have endorsed these standards may be found on this website.

Test Center Certification is the process whereby a testing center undergoes a significant self-assessment to show that it meets the criteria to be identified by NCTA as a certified test center.

NCTA supports distance learning by providing this free web-based referral service. The CCTC web page contains a listing of testing centers across the country and abroad that are willing to provide proctoring services to students away from their campuses.