Thanks, S2000, for posting this on LinkedIn.
this is fairly old news by now. there is nothing wrong with computer based testing (unless your pc crashes - it’s rare but it can happen, particularly if you are working on very large data sets).
there are plenty of advantages in going digital:
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convenience - candidates can take the test by scheduling with Prometric online and choosing a day that works for them. They could even choose - if they are so lucky to find a seat - to take the test in the nearest Prometric testing center.
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recording - the testing center is recorded, so if there is any suspicion of someone cheating, all they have to do is look at the recording (instead of relying on a proctor’s memory). no more “he said she said”. rather, it’s “let’s see the video recording to see if you cheated”. if you bring an unauthorized calculator, a fitbit, or wathever that’s not on the list of allowed items, you are required to store it in a locker before you can take the test. there is significantly less room for proctor error.
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safety precautions against COVID-19, which would be difficult, if not impossible, in the traditional examination setting. everyone at Prometric are required to wear a mask and keep it on.
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for anyone worried about the written exam portion, Prometric has scanners available - whether the exam allows the candidate to use the scanner or not is completely up to the exam writers (in this case, CFAI)
For some reason, when I first looked at this, I thought it was “testing online, but from home, on a self-proctored exam”. That’s what the exalted CFP exam is doing.
Does this mean they’re going to the Prometric system? Or is CFAI going to purchase 100,000 laptops and provide them to the individual test centers?
CFAI chose to partner with Prometric. all Prometric testing centers have all the necessary testing equipment (computers, scanner, etc).