VIENNA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Business Continuity Institute (BCI), a leader in setting and validating standards of professional competence and ethics in business continuity management, today announced an agreement with testing services leader Professional Examination Service (PES) and its delivery partner Prometric that expands the number of exam locations for BCI’s professional certificates to more than 400 in more than 75 countries.

Through Prometric’s worldwide computer-based test delivery network, BCI now has professional certificate exam centers in Africa, China, Europe, India, Japan, Latin America, Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Canada and the U.S. Exams are offered on an ongoing basis in the morning and afternoon with limited evening and weekend sessions. For a complete list of exam test locations, visit http://www.thebcicertificate.org/intapc_locations.html.

PES, a non-profit corporation dedicated to ensuring the quality of credentialing processes, will now oversee exam development, scoring and psychometrics, and ensure the ongoing integrity of the BCI examinations.

“BCI is pleased to be working with Prometric and PES because they can assist in managing the administration of our credential on a truly international scale,” said Lorraine Darke, executive director of BCI. “The BCI Certificate, leading to the CBCI, is the cornerstone of our professional membership, and an international network of high-quality examination venues will ensure growth in BCI membership and the professional community of business continuity practitioners.”

Linda Waters, Prometric’s vice president for associations business, said, “Prometric has unmatched expertise in expanding credentialing programs internationally, and we look forward to working closely with PES to meet the delivery needs of BCI on a global basis.”

PES President Dr. I. Leon Smith added, “Working closely with clients to develop and maintain valid, defensible credentialing assessments, and ensure the ongoing integrity and security of their intellectual property is perhaps PES’s highest calling as a mission-driven, not-for-profit credentialing services company. We are delighted to be partnering with BCI in this endeavor.”

BCI also announced the launch of its revised portal (www.thebcicertificate.org) with a new design and additional content, including educational resources for those studying for a BCI certificate exam and an industry events calendar.

For more information about the BCI certification and education opportunities, please contact education@thebci.org.

About Business Continuity Institute (BCI)

Based in Caversham, United Kingdom, The Business Continuity Institute (BCI) was established in 1994 to “promote the art and science of business continuity management” to assist organizations in preparing for and surviving minor and large-scale man-made and natural disasters. The group enables members to obtain guidance and support from their fellow practitioners, as well as offers professional training and certification programs to disseminate and validate the highest standards of competence and ethics. It has more than 4,000 members worldwide in more than 85 countries. For more information, visit http://www.thebci.org.

About PES

Since 1941, Professional Examination Service (PES) has provided a full range of assessment and advisory services to organizations across a broad range of professions, in support of professional licensure and certification, training, and continuing professional education. As a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the public welfare through credentialing, PES specializes in the delivery of tailored services that meet the unique needs of each client. To learn more, visit PES online at http://www.proexam.org.

About Prometric

Prometric, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ETS, is the recognized global leader in technology-enabled testing and assessment services. Its comprehensive suite of services, including test development, test delivery and data management capabilities, allows clients to develop and launch global testing programs as well as accurately measure program results and data. Prometric reliably delivers and administers more than seven million tests a year on behalf of 450 clients in the academic, professional, healthcare, government, corporate and information technology markets. It delivers tests flexibly via the Web or by utilizing a robust network of more than 10,000 test centers in 163 countries. For more information, please visit http://www.prometric.com.