September 25, 2020

Virtual APPLIED Exam Progress Update

We want to keep you apprised of our progress in adapting the APPLIED Exam for a virtual administration during the COVID pandemic. Since May, the Board has extensively vetted technology platforms and reimagined exam scheduling and logistics so we can provide candidates and examiners a positive and secure exam experience. Our goal is to maintain the integrity of the exam and assess as many candidates as possible in 2021, while avoiding preventable technical issues.

We’ve decided to use Zoom to deliver both the Standardized Oral Exam and the Objective Structured Clinical Exam for candidates required to take both components. We have successfully completed two pilot exercises using this platform and have several more pilots planned in the coming months to iron out virtual scheduling, administration procedures, scoring and audit functions.

We will soon begin scheduling examiners for 2021 exams and preparing training and orientation materials so that our examiners and candidates have a seamless exam experience. We’ll share more details with you as soon as we have them.

Our plan for candidates remains the same.

Candidates will be assigned an exam date and be notified of their specific date and times approximately three months in advance. Candidates will not be able to select a specific exam date for 2021.
We’re giving priority to candidates whose 2020 exam weeks were cancelled by virtually examining them during the first half of 2021.
All other candidates who are or become eligible to take the APPLIED Exam in 2021 will be examined as soon as possible, likely in the second half of 2021. They will be scheduled after candidates who were displaced in 2020.

In early 2021, we will decide whether to continue virtual exams for the remainder of the year based on the feasibility of in-person assessments in Raleigh, N.C., and the status of COVID-19. If you have any questions, please contact us at (866) 999-7501 or appliedexam@theaba.org.