The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) will introduce the option of online pesticide certification exams through a partnership with Everblue, an innovative technology company that specializes in digitizing and automating processes.
Under the state’s legacy process, certification candidates are required to schedule a specific day/time for their exam appointment and travel to the DMV to appear in person for their testing session. However, due to COVID-19 and inflation, consumers are more apprehensive about using gas and appearing in person for services that can be delivered online from home. These concerns have led government agencies like VDACS to consider alternatives, such as online exam delivery and proctoring, in order to continue operations and to withstand any future interruptions.
Using Everblue’s proprietary registration and test delivery system, certification candidates will be able to register online for their state pesticide exam and will be immediately enrolled into their on-demand tests. After doing a systems check of their computer, a candidate will be able to complete their exam from home. The Everblue online testing system also includes virtual exam proctoring, scoring, and the ability to transmit the results back to the state.
By removing the manual time and effort associated with administering, proctoring, and grading paper-based exams, Everblue helps state government agencies to improve efficiency and productivity. Everblue’s custom-built workflow for candidate enrollment and test delivery allows for the automated flow of information from one system to another, without staff involvement. This ultimately allows staff members to focus their time on other activities, while letting this process work in the background.
Everblue delivers online education services for a growing number of states, including Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Tennessee.
“The state departments love working with us because our system is secure, requires no scheduling, can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection, accommodates varying social distancing requirements of COVID-19, and is more affordable than any comparable alternative,” said Chris Boggiano, president of Everblue. “Aside from needing exam content and guidance from VDACS, our expectation is that we will do all the heavy lifting for setting up, maintaining, and delivering secure, remotely proctored exams.”
For more information about Virginia’s remote pest control certification and licensure, contact Chris Boggiano at chris@goeverblue.com.
