YOUR NQEMT EXAMINATIONS QUESTIONS ANSWERED 

PHECC EXAM TEAM WISH TO ASSURE YOU THAT AS ALWAYS, WE ARE AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE ANY GUIDANCE ON RELATED MATTERS DURING THE CURRENT COVID-19 SITUATION

Prometric Test Centres:

As planned Prometric Test Centres opened on Monday 8th June.   
New distancing and infection control guidelines have been put in place in Test Centres. This information can be found on the Prometric website and is described below for your information.  It is important that you are familiar with the measures in place in the Test Centres before you take your test. 

Starting on Monday 10th August 2020:

All candidates are required to wear a Face Mask/Covering, at all times in the Prometric Testing Centre.   If you do not wear a mask, you will be unable to sit your test. 

If for a medical reason, you are unable to wear a mask please contact PHECC in the first instance and we will make arrangements with Prometric.  You will be required to provide evidence to support this exemption.
 
You will be required to wear a face covering in all common areas of the test centre, but you will be permitted to remove the mask while in the separated room. 

You may wear gloves while testing in the test centre, however these must be brought with you to the test centre.   

PLEASE NOTE: Face masks/covering, or gloves will NOT be provided in the test centre. 

PHECC NQEMT MCQ Candidate Arrival and Check-In Procedures at Prometric Test Centres

Candidate communications:

All candidate appointments are appointment-only basis and must be made in advance. We do not offer same day service or walk-in appointments. 

Please note we have added some additional measures in our testing centre to allow for a safe social distancing between candidates and staff as follows:   

You must wear a face mask and you may wear gloves testing in the test centre, however these must be brought with you to the test centre.  Face masks/covering, or gloves will not be provided in the test centre.   

You will be asked to safely remove the mask to verify your identity as part of the check in procedure.     

Hand sanitizer will be available in the test centre, and all workstations, lockers and any areas that candidates are in contact with, will be wiped down after each candidate to ensure cleanliness of the test centre and individual workstations.

Prometric will add to the candidate’s confirmation email, the following wording:

“By scheduling my examination with Prometric, I hereby declare that I understand that I should not attend for my 
  examination if"  

- I have a confirmed current case of COVID19 or,  

- I am experiencing signs or symptoms of COVID19 or,  

- I have been advised by the HSE or medical professional to self-isolate or,
  
- I am currently feeling unwell

- I have not been ill within the last 2 weeks" 

If any of the above applies to you, your exam will be rescheduled Free of Charge.
 

Arrival and Check-in Procedures

Prometric will follow any advice / direction from the Government and HSE and apply the advice accordingly. 

When entering the test centre, candidates may be required to do the following:  

Stand at a marked area of the floor and place the ID (open on the picture page if a passport) into the plastic pocket provided and onto the desk for inspection by the Test Centre Administrators (TCA)

Candidate will be instructed to place personal belongings in a locker. Each locker will be cleaned with antibacterial wipes between each candidate use. Candidates will maintain possession of the locker key and the ID and asked to take a seat in the waiting area which will also be cleaned with antibacterial wipes after ever candidate. 

Test centers will be fully cleaned after each testing session. 

Candidate orientation sheets have been posted on the notices area of the test centre so candidates will no longer need to handle these documents.
  

During the check-in process:

All Prometric Test Centre staff will wear masks at all times. All Administrators (TCA’s) have access to a safety gloves and sanitizing materials. All TCA’s will be required to wear and use these safety measures if the Government confirms this requirement.    Prometric will not supply of face masks for candidates that present without a face covering/mask but will allow the candidate time to source one.

Check in Rosters do not need to be signed by the candidate, this will be carried by the TCA on arrival and when exiting the test centre. Candidates will not handle pens, documents of sign anything during this period. 

Proctor & Testing Room Procedures:

Prior to entering the proctoring room, the following modified processes will be in place:  

- Candidates will be required to stand on the ‘stand here’ sign or ‘X’ in place on the floor, designating a safe distance
   away from the TCA.  

- Candidates will go through the agreed security checks at a safe distance.  

- During image capture the candidate will be asked to safely remove the face covering and replace once the image has 
   been captured. 

During the exam process, the following modified process will be in place: 

- The 2M restrictions between testing stations has been reduced to 1.5 in line with HSA protocols while seated for an 
   exam.  Do not remove you face covering/mask while you are in the test centre

- Check-in and administration areas will retain 2M distance.   

- Monitoring of candidate behavior in the test room will be done exclusively using the existing DVR system. Physical 
  walkthroughs will be suspended, except in centres where there is adequate space to comply with social 
  distancing guidelines.  

End of Test Procedures:

Once the MCQ is complete, the following modified processes will be in place:  

- Candidates must remain at their seat and raise their hand to indicate they wish to leave.  TCA confirms via the viewing 
   window that the exit path is clear and signals the candidate to exit the testing room back to the reception area. 

- Candidates will return to the reception area where TCA’s will: 

- Place the candidate score report on the counter  

- Call the candidate to the reception desk  

- Initial the time of sign-out on behalf of the candidate – no sign in or sign out is required by the candidate at this time.  

- TCA’s will wear safety gloves and clean all used pens at the end of the day, ready for use at the next testing session  

- TCA’s will clean down each workstation, locker, admin desk and proctor desk between each test taker, and at the 
   start and end of each day.  

Test Centre Signage and Expectations of the candidate:

- Test centre posters will be updated as per HSE/HAS advice.  

- Hand sanitizer will be available at all test centres.   

- Candidates will be expected to follow good respiratory hygiene and hand washing techniques.  

- Due to the closure of Test Centres since March, in line with Government restriction, there will be a backlog of many 
   thousands of people, across many disciplines, requiring exams in Prometric test centres. We will always accommodate 
   you as best we can, so if you have any issues with the scheduling of your MCQ do not hesitate to check with us. 

- There is further information on www.prometric.com re Covid19 Global Test Centre Procedures.   

Rescheduled - September 2020 EMT OSCEs

This OSCE is scheduled to take place on the 21st of October (subject to Covid 19 restrictions) in the Maldron Hotel, Portlaoise. This OSCE was provisionally schedule to take place on the 9th and 10th of September but was rescheduled due to the very small number of candidates (3) eligible to take the OSCEs.

Please refer to the Exam Calendar for all EMT OSCE deadlines.

Capacity will be reduced in order to adhere to Covid-19 social distancing measures. The next OSCE exam is scheduled for the  21st of October 2020. However, please do not hesitate to contact PHECC with any OSCE requirement you may have. 

Candidates should not attend the OSCE exam if:

- you are a confirmed coronavirus case 

- you are experiencing sign or symptoms of coronavirus 

- you have been advised by the HSE or a medical professional to self-isolate 

- you are currently feeling unwell, or have been in the last 2 weeks
 

6-month exam completion rule:

If due to COVID-19 you are applying for your NQEMT EMT exam or taking your exam outside the six- month rule period, we will endeavor to accommodate you without forfeiting an exam attempt. 

Exam Viewing sessions: 

We will continue to process all viewing application forms as we receive them.  All viewing forms will be processed on a first come first served basis we are now scheduling viewing appointments for September.

Infection Control Measures implemented by PHECC must be followed:

- social distancing must be practised when attending the offices

- hands must be sanitised immediately upon arrival

- please observe all COVID-19 prevention protocol including sneeze/cough etiquette

- when entering and leaving the building there is strictly one person permitted to use the lift at a time

Please note that there is no waiting area available. Therefore, we would ask that visitors attending for an appointment 
only arrive immediately before it is due to commence

If you are displaying any symptoms of COVID-19 please do not attend the office

In line with government and HSE guidelines, If you are displaying any symptoms of COVID-19 or answer yes to any of the questions (listed below) please do not attend your appointment.

- have you had symptoms of cough, fever, high temperature sore throat, runny nose or flu like
  symptoms now or in the last 14 days?

- have you been confirmed or suspected of having Covid-19 in the last 14 days?

- have you been in contact with a person who has been confirmed or suspected of having Covid-19 in the last 14 days?

- have you been advised to self-isolate by a doctor?

- have you been advised to cocoon by a doctor?


You will be asked these questions again when you arrive in the PHECC for your appointment.
 

Responder Level Exam Requests: 

For responder level exam requests email: exams@phecc.ie and you will be emailed the required documents and MCQ exams in due course.   

Yours sincerely,  

PHECC Exam Team 
15th of September 2020