Assessment Transition Timeline and Updates

We have several important updates to share regarding the upcoming transition of our new exam delivery platform, Internet Testing Systems (ITS). This transition has been carefully planned, and PAEA has built in time, support, and safeguards to ensure continuity for programs, faculty, and students.  

We recognize that programs will have questions. The information below is intended to clearly outline what to expect, what support will be available, and what actions programs may need to take. Most importantly, this transition is designed to be smooth, with minimal disruptions to your assessment schedules.   

Key Transition Dates

March 6: The final day programs and students will have access to Surpass, the current testing platform.  

March 7-15: PAEA Assessment will be temporarily unavailable during this period to allow for a full and secure transfer of data to ITS. The following information will automatically be migrated for every program: 

• Current student rosters 
• Scheduled exams   
• Exam inventory  
• Score reports  

PAEA will provide individualized support to programs with tests scheduled in Surpass during this window. Program directors and clinical directors can expect direct communication from PAEA in the coming week to help facilitate rescheduling these exams.   

March 16: Program faculty and staff will receive early access to the new Assessment Hub for a brief pre-launch review. This one-day access window is intended to allow faculty and staff to log in, confirm that student rosters and scheduled exams transferred correctly, and become familiar with the system. No testing will occur on this day, required actions will be minimal and clearly outlined. 

March 17:  First day of testing in ITS

Member Education & Orientation to the New Assessment Hub

PAEA is committed to supporting programs before, during, and after the transition. The new Assessment Hub offers the same core functionality as the current platform, with improvements designed to streamline workflows for faculty and staff.  

Processes for adding students, ordering, scheduling exams, and accessing score reports will remain familiar. Proctoring will be enhanced, with improved monitoring of in-progress exams.

Webinars

To support member education, PAEA will host several webinars in the weeks leading up to the launch. Because Because many features will be familiar to current uses, these sessions will focus on orienting programs to enhancements and key differences. All sessions will be recorded and posted on the PAEA website for on-demand access.  Questions submitted during webinars will help inform additional resources, including FAQs.

General Webinar Sessions

Two general webinar sessions will provide a full system demonstration and address common questions programs have about the transition.  

Proctoring Webinar Sessions

PAEA will also offer two focused webinars dedicated to proctoring. These sessions will provide a deeper review of proctoring tools so faculty and staff feel confident on testing days.

User Guides and Instructional Resources  

In addition to the live education, PAEA will provide comprehensive self-service resources, including a full user guide, short how-to videos, and one-page task-based tutorials with screen shots. Personalized support will also be available throughout the transition period through Exam Support and office hours.   

Student Practice Test  

PAEA recognizes that a new testing platform can cause student anxiety. To help students feel prepared, a practice test will be available prior to their first scheduled exam in ITS.   

The practice test mirrors the testing experience for PACKRAT^®, End of Rotation^™, and End of Curriculum™ exams. Students will be able to review a tutorial about platform features and complete eight practice questions to simulate test day. The practice test will be available for students several weeks prior to launch.   

Device Setup Resources 

PAEA will provide resources for students using personal devices, as well as for program and IT staff managing on-campus testing environments. These tools will allow advance testing of device compatibility and network settings and will be available prior to launch. 

Office Hours  

Webinars and educational materials are designed to fully prepare programs for a successful transition to ITS. Office hours will remain available for questions related to ongoing assessment operations. Programs are encouraged to refer to published communications and resources as the primary source of information regarding the new platform. 

We appreciate your partnership and engagement as we move toward this next phase of PAEA Assessment.