As outlined in the Special Section Introduction (this issue), the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the world economy as shelter-in-place regulations forced individuals to stay at and work from home. Brick and mortar testing centers, whether run as part of a for-profit company, a cooperating educational facility with a history of paper and pencil administrations, or centers established for performance assessments, were largely forced to close to comply both domestically and internationally. As a result, assessment organizations who rely on vendors or partners to provide physical space saw their primary, and in many cases, sole test delivery channel collapse overnight. This short, invited manuscript focuses on the implications for certification and licensure assessment organizations as a result of these wide-spread disruptions. Although we touch briefly on issues that will resonate for any assessment organization, we have attempted to share more details on issues that are more likely, challenging, and specific to the certification and licensure space. In the specific context of our organization and other organizations in the health care space, demand for health care providers has soared, setting up a paradox whereby the same force that amplified the need for essential workers stilted the educational, certification, and licensure pathways responsible for introducing new providers into the work force. Certification and licensure organizations were left in the uncomfortable position of needing to advocate for the continued value of testing in upholding minimal competency to protect the health of the public, while also being unable to deliver that value to either the examinees needing to test nor the public requiring the services of health providers in greater number. This was complicated by a multitude of secondary uses, including progression within educational programs, graduation requirements for students, accreditation for institutions that provide educational programs, and selection decisions for specialized training. The impact of this pandemic on examinees, educational institutions, regulatory bodies, and assessment organizations has been immediate, yet the changes, whether correctly or incorrectly assumed to be temporary or permanent, will reverberate into the future of testing in the professions.

中文翻译：

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当考生无法测试时：大流行对认证和许可的攻击

正如特节介绍（本期）中所述，COVID-19 大流行对世界经济造成了严重破坏，因为就地庇护所的规定迫使个人留在家中工作。实体测试中心，无论是作为营利性公司的一部分运营，还是具有纸笔管理历史的合作教育机构，还是为绩效评估而建立的中心，在很大程度上都被迫关闭以符合国内和国际要求。结果，依赖供应商或合作伙伴提供物理空间的评估组织发现他们的主要（在许多情况下）唯一的测试交付渠道一夜之间崩溃。这份简短的受邀手稿重点介绍了这些广泛中断对认证和执照评估组织的影响。尽管我们简要介绍了会引起任何评估组织共鸣的问题，但我们已尝试分享更多关于认证和许可领域更有可能、更具挑战性和特定性的问题的详细信息。在我们的组织和医疗保健领域的其他组织的特定背景下，对医疗保健提供者的需求猛增，形成了一个悖论，即扩大对基本工人的需求的同一股力量阻碍了负责将新的供应商引入劳动力队伍。认证和许可组织处于一种尴尬的境地，需要倡导测试在维护最低能力以保护公众健康方面的持续价值，同时也无法向需要测试的考生或需要更多医疗服务提供者服务的公众提供该价值。这因众多次要用途而变得复杂，包括教育计划的进展、学生的毕业要求、提供教育计划的机构的认证以及专业培训的选择决定。这种流行病对考生、教育机构、监管机构和评估机构的影响是立竿见影的，但无论正确或错误地假设是暂时的还是永久性的，这些变化都将影响未来的职业考试。这因众多次要用途而变得复杂，包括教育计划的进展、学生的毕业要求、提供教育计划的机构的认证以及专业培训的选择决定。这种流行病对考生、教育机构、监管机构和评估机构的影响是立竿见影的，但无论正确或错误地假设是暂时的还是永久性的，这些变化都将影响未来的职业考试。这因众多次要用途而变得复杂，包括教育计划的进展、学生的毕业要求、提供教育计划的机构的认证以及专业培训的选择决定。这种流行病对考生、教育机构、监管机构和评估机构的影响是立竿见影的，但无论正确或错误地假设是暂时的还是永久性的，这些变化都将影响未来的职业考试。