Brenda Coleman, M.S., Director
Lewis R. Holland Hall, Suite 200
(615) 963-5991
www.tnstate.edu/testing
The TSU Testing Center is a service unit within the Division of Enrollment Management and Student Support Services and it administers both paper-and-pencil tests and computer-administered, standardized tests that support the academic programs of the University and address community needs for admissions tests, distance learning, workforce development, credentials, and licenses. Services provided through the Testing Center are available to TSU students and members of the community. The Testing Center provides special accommodations for test candidates with appropriately documented disabilities. The TSU Testing Center is a member of the National College Testing Association and of the Consortium of College Testing Centers, a network that facilitates distance education nationally and internationally.
Various testing services are provided at the following locations:
- Testing Center Office: (615) 963-5991 - Lewis R. Holland Hall, Suite 200
- ETS/Prometric and Pearson VUE Labs: (615) 963-7386 - Avon Williams Room 220
- Testing Center Lab: (615) 963-1481 - Holland Hall Room 310
Student Assessment
The Testing Center facilitates admission to the University by administering the ACT on all national testing dates. During orientation and registration the Testing Center administers the University Diagnostic Tests and the placement test, COMPASS, for all students who are required to take them. Many students elect to earn credit by examination and the Testing Center routinely administers the CLEP (College Level Examination Program) and DSST (Dantes Subject Standardized Tests). Certain academic/professional programs also require specific entrance tests, such as the A2 Admissions Assessment (Nurse Entrance Test), Dental Hygiene Assessment (Dental Hygiene Entrance Test) and the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core) Tests, and these are also administered by the Testing Center. The University is required to document student outcomes and the Testing Center participates in this effort by administering selected Major Field Tests as well as the Senior Exit Exam, the ETS Proficiency Profile, which is required of all graduating students.
To facilitate admission to Graduate and Professional Schools, the Testing Center administers the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) and offers the GRE and MCAT through the TSU-ETS/Prometric Computer-Based Testing Lab. The Testing Center also administers the LSAT (Law School Admission Test) according to the nationally published dates.
TSU-ETS Computer-Based Testing Lab
The TSU Testing Center operates an ETS/Prometric Computer-Based Testing Center, Site #7741, in Room 220 within Avon Williams Campus. This Center is open to the public and offers the following tests: GRE (Graduate Record Examination; TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language); Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core) Tests; Praxis II Subject Assessments (Teacher Certification) and MCAT (Medical College Admission Test).
Proctored Tests and Distance Education
Students involved in distance education through RODP (Regents Online Degree Program) courses and web-based courses are often required to take proctored examinations. This assures accrediting organizations that students taking their examinations have provided proof of identity and taken their tests under supervision and according to standardized procedures. The TSU Testing Center supports this effort to maintain the integrity of distance and asynchronous programs and schedules proctored examinations for students who need to take paper or web-based tests. This service is also provided for businesses and other organizations that need to schedule proctored tests as a part of employment screening and certification procedures.
High School Equivalency (HSE) Testing and Workforce Development
The HiSET (High School Equivalency Test) and GED (General Educational Development) Exam offer adults who have not earned a high school diploma a second opportunity to demonstrate their skills and knowledge and earn a high school credential. The primary reasons that adults give for seeking a HSE diploma are for employment or for higher education. The TSU Testing Center contributes to workforce development and access to college by conducting both paper-based and computer-based HiSET and computer-based GED testing approximately ten times a month.
A contribution to the assimilation of immigrants and other non-native speakers of English, into the workforce is made through the routine administration of the HiSET and GED test in Spanish and of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) required by many schools and employers as evidence of communication skills in English.
Certifications and Professional Licenses
The Testing Center cooperates with a number of credentialing agencies and test companies to administer a variety of national examinations. The Testing Center routinely administers the following examinations according to the national schedule for each test:
- Praxis II Subject Assessments/ National Teacher Exams
- School Leaders Licensure Assessment & School Superintendent Assessment
- National Opticianry Competency Exam & Contact Lens Registry Exam
- Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MRPE)
- Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach (CSCC) Certification Exam
- Electrical Generating Systems Association (EGSA) Certification Exam
- International Fluid Power Society (IFPS) Certification
- Other certification tests are also administered when there is sufficient interest within the Nashville and middle Tennessee area.
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