Fri, 18 December, 2020
Following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, TWI introduced Online Live classes via Zoom. The courses were well received by many candidates who wished to continue their training while face to face training was not possible.
This method of training gained popularity among students as they found that, by attending the online classes, they could use their time more efficiently by joining the class from the comfort of their homes in the evening after work. Being priced at a lower rate, the candidates also save on the cost of training. Moreover, those who need to travel to a training venue no longer have to incur travelling costs, irrespective of the travel restrictions due to the pandemic.
However, due to the travel restrictions, most examinations were put on hold as TWI invigilators couldn’t fly outside Malaysia. This caused a lot of delays in candidate examinations, whether for those who had just completed their training and needed to sit an initial or retest exam, or those who needed to renew an expired certificate.
With the travel ban in place and uncertainty about the near future of inter-country commutes, TWI SEA launched an effective and efficient way of conducting exams through remote invigilation. The examination is approved by CSWIP and the successful candidates get certified on the course they have been tested on. Candidates experience the same process and quality of examination conducted under TWI’s direct supervision. In other words, there are no changes in the test itself, but the only difference is in the slight change in delivery of the examination.
The first round of remote invigilated examinations were successfully delivered in Singapore in December 2020. A total of 96 candidates who had been waiting for more than eight months underwent the examination in various disciplines, from CSWIP Welding Inspection to BGAS-CSWIP Painting and Coating inspection and NDT Radiographic Interpretation. The examinations went very smoothly and the candidates expressed their satisfaction with the process of the examination delivery.
In 2021, examinations with remote invigilation will be scheduled in every quarter of the year. The examination will be delivered in all countries under the SEA region outside Malaysia and monitored and invigilated from the office in Kuala Lumpur.
Previously, the examinations at agent venues were conducted only following completion of a course. However, with this new method, the examination can be conducted at the agent venues for retest and renewal applicants, regardless of whether a course is running or not.
This new method of exam delivery involves plenty of arrangements, preparation and coordination, and slots will be limited to 10 students per session per day. This is to ensure the best experience for the participants as well as compliance with the social distancing rules by minimizing the number of people per classroom. Candidates can also benefit from this new method by being able to plan their time more effectively and bypass the travel restrictions, as they will no longer be a barrier for their examination arrangement and certification.