New PA State Licensing Exam

As of July 1, 2011, The Pennsylvania State Baord of Cosmetology wil be using Pearson/Vue as the contracted third party testing service. The changover of testing services is resulting is some really big changes to the testing process. The challange schools have is being able to get information about what is to be expected during the testing process. Unfortunately, our numerous phone calls to the new test administrator has resulted in NO returned calls. We have to prepare our graduates and soon to be graduates with insight into what they can expect when they take the test. We can not effectively do this without some type of dialoge with the test servicer. Our school and all other schools are not getting the information they need to write the procedures and policies to take the test. There is always a learning curve when a new testing servicer starts testing and experienced schools are used to this as being part of the ongoing changes that effect our indukstry. In the past there has been the opportunity for the administration and staff of schools to attend preparitory programs throughout the state. At this point schools have been offered 1 prep session and given very short notice. I understand the preparitory session digressed to the point of extreme frustration to the small sampling of schools able to attend. I supposed this will all work out, eventually, but how many students will attemp to take the test and fail, befor the schools are instructed and the multitude of questions answered to assit in the preparing for what is already a high anxiety part of a graduated life.