York College of PA Student Accessibility Services Testing Center Earns National Recognition

York College of Pennsylvania’s Student Accessibility Services Testing Center has been awarded Test Center Certification by the National College Testing Association (NCTA). Criteria for certification are rigorous and based on the NCTA Professional Standards and Guidelines, which were developed to guide post-secondary test centers in the delivery of quality testing programs.

Student Accessibility Services (SAS) at York College serves more than 700 students yearly, offering support and assistance to ensure that students with documented disabilities receive equal access to the campus, course content, and programming. 

"In 2020, SAS received a generous gift from the Mayer family that gave us the opportunity to expand the Testing Center and our student services,” said Lynda Garner, Testing Center Coordinator. “SAS currently provides accommodations to 25 percent of the York College student body. The update to the Testing Center made it possible for us to pursue and achieve NCTA Certification, which keeps the Testing Center up to date on the most current testing center standards, allowing us to align ourselves with the best practices to provide a streamlined and successful experience for our students and faculty.”

"The Testing Center is the hub for SAS students,” said Elizabeth Grohal, Testing Services Specialist. “It is a welcoming, safe, positive environment and an example of a successful collaboration between students, staff, faculty, and the greater York College community.”

The NCTA congratulated Garner and the staff of York College’s Testing Center for “maintaining high test administration standards and for providing excellent service to a wide variety of students and community members in the performance of their duties.”

York College’s is among a growing number of test centers in the United States and worldwide to have completed this intensive certification process. This certification will be in place for five years and can be renewed by demonstrating continued compliance with national standards.

The National College Testing Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of professionalism and high-quality service in the administration of testing programs, offers certification to college and university test centers that demonstrate exemplary practices. NCTA membership numbers more than 2,200 testing professionals from over 650 colleges and universities, as well as 50 test companies and organizations offering test-related products and services.