July 31, 2018

Taking the Online Proctored (OLP) CIP Exam

Extremely short version of this post: The online proctored exam is a proctored exam. Don't do anything during the exam that you wouldn't do at a test center.

Update 5/10/2019: We've had a fair share of candidates get their exams suspended for reading questions out loud to themselves. This is a big exam security issue as we don't know whether someone else might be just out of sight capturing those questions. So don't read the questions to yourself - don't even mouth them silently - or your exam will be suspended. If you do get suspended, contact me at jwilkins@aiim.org.

As I mentioned in a previous post, CIP candidates now have the option of taking the CIP exam using an online proctored (OLP) model. I won't rehash the details of that here; instead, I want to provide some guidance for the actual exam experience.

Preparing your computer for the exam
Once you register for the OLP exam, you have the option to set up your biometric profile and install the Kryterion Sentinel software. The biometric profile consists of taking a picture of you, and a keystroke biometric exercise.

We strongly recommend that you do this at least one day in advance - and so does the registration email you receive from Kryterion. This way, if you have any technical issues such as your webcam or microphone not being compatible, or your computer being too locked down to install the Sentinel software, you can identify and resolve them prior to the scheduled exam.

Kryterion has a guide for preparing for your exam, which you can find at https://www.kryteriononline.com/sites/default/files/docs/PreparingForYourExam.pdf. You can also check your technical readiness at http://test.kryteriononline.com/webcam-checker/.

The day of the exam
The exam is a scheduled exam, just like the one you'd take at a test center. If you are late or miss your scheduled start time, you may have to pay a rescheduling fee of $50, or even pay for a new exam fee in certain cases.

If you haven't already installed Sentinel and done your biometric profile, you should do this well in advance of your scheduled test time so you don't run into any issues at the scheduled time and need to reschedule (and pay the rescheduling fee).

At the time of your scheduled appointment, log into http://www.webassessor.com/aiim/index.html and you should see a screen that looks like this:


If you don't see the yellow Launch button, or you just see a question mark, it may be because it's too early. The launch window is open from 10 minutes before your appointment to 20 minutes after for a total of a 30-minute window for you to start the exam.

During the exam
Again, this is a proctored exam. A Kryterion proctor is watching through your webcam, and listening through your microphone, while you take the exam. The proctors are trained to look for behaviors which could tend to compromise the exam. Some of these result in warnings and potentially the suspension of your exam, while others result in immediate termination. Most of these are self-explanatory.

Warning behaviors include:

  • Camera out of position or out of focus. This can also occur if you lean in too close to the camera. 
  • Audio problem
  • Talking, non-test related. If someone yells a question at you about, say, dinner, or the Wilkins case, you'll get a warning. If it keeps happening your exam will be suspended. 
  • Poor lighting
  • Invalid keystroke. Specifically, this is keystrokes like , , , and the like. 
  • Video signal problem
  • Multiple people in view. If your child wanders into view, or a coworker, you'll get a warning (and of course they will have to leave the area). 
  • Inappropriate environment
  • Reading exam aloud. Don't do it. Don't even mouth the questions to yourself. 
  • Leaning out of view. True story: when I took the OLP exam to see for myself, I stared out into space for a few seconds. I got a warning. Don't do it. 
All of these can lead to a suspension of the exam. Most will give you a warning first. If your exam is suspended, contact me or AIIM (jwilkins@aiim.org, certification@aiim.org) and we can get you un-suspended depending on the circumstances. Typically only available between 8 am and 8 pm Eastern time. 
Termination behaviors include: 

  • Leaving the area
  • Unauthorized test aid usage
  • Talking about the exam
  • Test item theft
Termination behaviors will result in the immediate termination of your exam. These are behaviors that tend to compromise the security of the exam and cause damage to the CIP program as a whole. At our discretion, we may: 
  • Let you retake the test, subject to a rescheduling fee
  • Let you retake the test, but make you pay the full fee to offset the time we spend investigating the behavior
  • Prohibit you from retaking the test for some time - including permanently.
Most of this boils down to: 
  1. Schedule the exam when it's convenient and keep the appointment. 
  2. At the appointed test time, make sure you've used the bathroom, you have a 2-hour window with no interruptions, and you're not in view or audio of anyone else. 
  3. Once you start the test, don't talk/mouth, keep your eyes on the screen, don't try to write anything down, and focus on the questions. If you're prepared, you'll do well. 
Please feel free to contact me at jwilkins@aiim.org if you have any questions about the online proctored exam process. Good luck!

July 19, 2018

July 12, 2018

CIP exam now available in online proctored format

Update: I've moved this blog post to AIIM's Digital Landfill blog so that it gets much more traction. The short version: You can take the CIP exam in an online proctored format. You have to meet Kryterion's technical requirements including a webcam and microphone, but it's the same proctoring process and the same cost.

To sign up for a proctored exam, go to https://www.webassessor.com/aiim/index.html and select the Online option. Ping me at jwilkins@aiim.org with any questions.

July 3, 2018

New podcast interview with 3 AIIM CIPs

Kevin Craine has just posted his latest AIIM on Air podcast, featuring interviews with 3 CIPs: Andrew Pery, Ed Steenhoek, and Gerry Guilbeault. You can find the podcast episode at http://info.aiim.org/digital-landfill/podcast-what-can-certification-do-for-my-career-a-look-at-the-cip-program. To access the entire podcast series, visit https://www.aiim.org/Resources/Presentations-Podcasts/Presentations-List-Page.

July 2, 2018

CIP Today - June 2018

Editor's Note
Ah, summertime. The AIIM18 conference has come and gone - and was an amazing success. Our thoughts turn to vacation, recreation, and a chance to recharge.

For my part, I'm thinking about CIP. Yes, I'm a geek. But as a CIP myself, I want to make sure that it is relevant to you, your colleagues, and your employer. That means it's time to start thinking about CIP v3, which we want to go live in Summer 2019.

It means it's time to think more about how CIPs can benefit even more from the AIIM conference, which returns to San Diego next March.

And it means it's time to update the CIP value proposition so we can make sure the value CIP provides can be communicated effectively. How can we make the website more useful to candidates as well as to CIPs? What types of statistics can we develop for different audiences - say, the vendor community, or veterans, or particular industry verticals?

I'd welcome your thoughts on these questions at jwilkins@aiim.org.

Sincerely,
Jesse Wilkins, CIP
Director, Certification
AIIM

Announcements

New CIP Prep Course Model

We're looking at a new way to provide CIP Prep training. We're still working out some of the details, but it will be a combination of self-paced materials that cover the exam plus a series of instructor-led online training sessions. Those sessions will be focused on exercises and activities to allow students to apply what they've learned. The first course is expected to be delivered in October 2018 - watch this space for details.

CIP Webinar

We're hosting a webinar on July 12 at 11:00 Eastern that will outline the CIP value proposition and the mechanics of how to become a CIP. If you're already a CIP you will likely know the things we're going to cover, but please consider forwarding this to others in your organization who are interested or unsure.

CIP CEUs

We've added CIP credits to all of our events, training courses etc. We're also working on adding a list of events that have been preapproved for CIP CEUs to the website. In the meantime, if you're going to an event or you're an event producer, we'd love to preapprove your events as well. You can submit events for preapproval using our web form or by sending an email to jwilkins@aiim.org.

CIPs represent at AIIM18

At the inaugural CIP luncheon, during AIIM18, we announced a few stats we're pretty proud of:

  • 83 attendees took the CIP practice exam in the conference app
  • 33 candidates became CIPs at the onsite proctored exam
  • 116 CIPs were in attendance at AIIM18, including 18 speakers and 14 AIIM Board or staff members
  • More than 70 CIPs showed up for the annual photo
  • Our 1,500th CIP passed the exam at conference!

Next year we want to make AIIM19 even more relevant to CIPs. So our question to you: What else would you like to see at conference that would make it a compelling, no-brainer, "Shut up and take my money!" kind of event for you? Ping me at jwilkins@aiim.org.

New Emerging Technologies course

We're pleased to announce the availability of a new online course on emerging technologies. The course provides a thorough introduction to artificial intelligence and machine learning; the cloud; blockchain; and robotic process automation. We previewed this course at AIIM18, but it is now live and valid for 4.0 CIP CEUs if you take the entire course.

AIIM19 - Save the Date!

As noted above, AIIM18 was an enormous success, particularly for all the CIPs represented. We'd love to see you again in San Diego next year, and if you missed San Antonio, you really don't want to miss San Diego. AIIM19 is scheduled for March 26-28, 2019 in San Diego, CA. We plan to make AIIM19 even better than the amazing AIIM18 experience! The conference website is once again at www.aiimconference.com. Updates will start taking place in July, with information on early bird registration rates, precons, etc. Hope to see you there. :)

Upcoming CEU Opportunities

Just a reminder that all CIPs have to complete 45 hours of continuing education every three years in order to remain certified. Here are some upcoming AIIM events you might wish to consider:



For a complete and current list including locations, details, and registration, click here. All AIIM courses are available in an online, self-paced format as well. CEUs vary by the length of the course - visit http://aiim.org/training for details.

AIIM's webinars are generally worth 1.0 CEU each. Here's a list of the webinars we have coming up.

Private Courses

We also offer private courses. These can be the standard course, or can include modules from different courses or even customization including specific legal requirements or even vendor content. You provide the venue and the A/V, we provide the materials and an experienced and accredited trainer. We generally charge a flat per-day fee plus travel expenses, so if you have more than about 6 people, you can save money with this model as well as ensure that the content exactly meets your needs. The best part? These courses also count for CIP CEUs. You can find more information on AIIM's Private Courses here or you can contact me at jwilkins@aiim.org.

Share Your Story

As a CIP, I want to know what you're doing and how you're doing it. If you have a story to share, an article you think would be of interest to other CIPs, or even just want to tell your CIP story, send me a note at jwilkins@aiim.org. I can help you write it if needed, and we'll make sure it gets in the next newsletter.

Key POCs

You have questions? We have answers. Here's where to get AIIM-related information:

  • For questions about your CIP status, CEU status, or general questions about CIP - Me! jwilkins@aiim.org
  • For questions about AIIM training - Maureen Hearn, mhearn@aiim.org
To register for AIIM training:
Oscar Berg, CMSWire: The Digital Workplace Is Not an IT Project