How the Association of Average Adjusters Delivers Professional Qualifications Worldwide with Confidence
The Association of Average Adjusters (AAA) uses TestReach to deliver secure online exams to marine insurance professionals across multiple countries and time zones, without placing an unsustainable administrative burden on its internal team. With support from TestReach, AAA delivers assessments with confidence globally while maintaining a fair and consistent exam experience.
Highlights
- Secure online exams delivered to marine insurance professionals worldwide
- A responsive and flexible managed service for exam administration, reducing pressure on AAA's internal team
- Flexible scheduling across multiple time zones while protecting exam integrity
- Hands-on responsive support for candidates across all exams
Background
Founded in 1869, the Association of Average Adjusters is the professional body for average adjusters and other specialists working in marine insurance.
The non-profit Association offers Associate and Fellowship qualifications. Its entry-level A1 and A2 Associate exam modules are delivered online through TestReach to candidates in locations including Hong Kong, Singapore, Mumbai, New Zealand, the United States and the UK.
These initial modules include various aspects of marine insurance and law, including questions requiring either a written response, a spreadsheet-based calculation, or a combination thereof, with candidates accessing tools such as a notepad and calculator within the exam interface.
The Challenge
Before moving to TestReach, the AAA used the traditional printed format approach. This meant that exam papers and materials had to be physically sent around the world to multiple test centres and markers.
The AAA required a reliable solution that could deliver professional exams to candidates worldwide, without creating excessive administration for its small internal team. The AAA also needed a partner they could trust.
Because candidates sit the same paper across different countries and time zones, scheduling exams needed to be carefully managed. To help protect the confidentiality and integrity of the exams while ensuring exams were offered at reasonable local times, sessions had to overlap, so one group could not complete an exam before another started.
The AAA required help with the administrative burden of building exam papers as well as enrolling and managing candidates.
The Solution
The Association has partnered with TestReach for over six years, working with the TestReach project management team to support the administration and delivery of its exams.
Once the AAA has prepared and reviewed its questions, the TestReach team carries out the exam administration and setup. The AAA can then review the completed papers and make final refinements before exam day. This exam administration service from TestReach is especially valuable, as it means the AAA does not need to maintain detailed system knowledge in order to manage exam sessions that are spread throughout the year.
TestReach also helps manage scheduling the exams across multiple time zones, so candidates can sit their assessments from their own locations while protecting the integrity of the exam content.
The support is especially valuable because AAA only runs exams twice a year. The Association does not need to maintain detailed system knowledge year-round simply to manage occasional exam sessions.
The Impact
| Before TestReach | After TestReach |
|---|---|
| Reaching candidates internationally created administrative and security challenges | AAA delivers professional exams worldwide with confidence and full test integrity |
| Exam and assessment administration was excessive | TestReach manages exam administration and candidate support |
| Candidate support was challenging due to multiple exam locations | AAA can focus on maintaining fair, relevant and rigorous exam content |
| It was difficult to securely deliver exams to candidates in different time zones | Overlapping sessions support fair and secure delivery across time zones |
Today, the AAA delivers its Associate examinations to professionals around the world through a secure and scalable online process. TestReach manages the administration and delivery, allowing the AAA team to focus on exam content and marking. Smooth exam sessions and the absence of candidate complaints gives the AAA confidence that candidates are receiving the professional experience expected of a long-established qualification provider.
For Judy Houlden, Company Secretary at the AAA, the ability to reach candidates internationally has also opened up greater access to professional development globally.
“I am personally very motivated by the fact that we help professionals worldwide who can take our Associate Exams and thus progress their career in the marine insurance industry.”
The flexibility of the partnership also means the AAA can quickly respond to last-minute candidate needs, while maintaining the standards and integrity of its qualifications.
“TestReach gives us the confidence to deliver secure, professional examinations to candidates anywhere in the world.”
