Pearson Wants To Check Your Glasses

You just can't make this stuff up.

Pearson VUE is the division of the massive corporation that actually delivers tests to a computer screen near you. They are, for instance, the folks who handle the actually administration of the GED, but they also handle nursing exams and many financial industry clients.

But you don't stay on top of that industry without being on top of things. So here's a new policy that came out in a February circular from Pearson VUE:

Pearson VUE upholds a high level of security for safeguarding the testing programs offered by our exam sponsors. To maintain this high level, we are continually evaluating our technology and processes to ensure that we are adequately addressing existing and emerging security threats. New technology advancements in eyewear, such as Google Glass, camera glasses and spy glasses,and the availability of this technology have been identified as security risks. 

As a result, we conducted a pilot to improve our processes to visually inspect candidate eyeglasses during the admissions process and created specific training on how to identify eyeglasses with built-in technology. The purpose of the pilot was to field test the change in process for visually inspecting all candidate glasses for built-in technology.

Yes, the next time you go to take the GED, you'll have to present your eyeglasses for inspection (though the test administrator is not to actually touch them) to determine that you are not using any spywear. 

No sign yet that we'll be imposing similar security measures on students taking the PARCC, but I am now officially not going to be shocked when it happens. Because when you're protecting something as precious as proprietary test information, you just can't be too careful.