ACT Selected to Produce Microsoft Certification Test

August 7, 2002

IOWA CITY, Iowa—ACT has been chosen to develop a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) certification examination. The exam will be delivered in 2003.

Microsoft offers more than 40 exams for certification in several of its products. Previously, all of these exams were developed within the company. Recently, Microsoft has collaborated with outside vendors to evaluate their test-development capabilities. ACT emerged as one of the primary companies selected to partner with Microsoft to develop a new MCP exam.

"Microsoft sets its test-development standards very high, and ACT’s track record speaks to our ability to develop high-stakes tests for major organizations," said RickiAnn Saylor, vice president of ACT’s Professional Development Services. "This is our first IT certification offering, and we look forward to working with Microsoft on this project."

ACT is best known for the ACT Assessment, the college entrance exam taken 2 million times last year. It also develops high-stakes licensing exams for career fields such as law, engineering and social work, as well as certification exams for organizations such as the American Dietetic Association and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence.