AI Issue 9 2017

Acquisition International - September 2017 15 The RELC Examinations Bureau was set up in October 1989 to administer professional public external examinations in Singapore. It is an institution of the Regional Language Centre (RELC). ELC Examinations Bureau offers a wide range of assessment services, both online and paper-based, for professional bodies such as the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), the Singapore Chartered Accountants (Singapore CA), Pearson Education, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), and others, as well as for examination boards and universities such as the University of London International Programme, the Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing, Deakin University, University of Sydney, College of Law Australia, and more. Over 50,000 candidates sit for their exams with RELC Examinations Bureau yearly. We feel ecstatic and honoured to be the 2017 Business Elite winner from Singapore. Having received the Singapore Quality Class Award for the second time this year, the 2017 Business Elite Award is a further testimony to our commitment to providing friendly, innovative and highly professional services in all our exams and assessments. From candidate registration to the dissemination of results and graduation certificates, we always strive for perfection in the delivery of our services, and provide a one-stop service for candidates, professional bodies, and any other parties involved in the projects. This award also gives us the precious opportunity to expand our brand as the go-to administrator of professional and university exams in Singapore. Our established brand name and extensive experience in liaising with exam bodies all over the world means that candidates can simply come to us instead of traveling to other parts of the world to sit for their exams and get the qualifications they desire. In this time of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity where assessments have transformed from paper-based to computer-based to project- based, RELC Examinations Bureau needs to keep itself agile to meet the ever-changing and diverse modes of exam delivery while ensuring the security and integrity of each assessment remain 100% intact. In the modern world where technology becomes an integral part of our lives, this remarkable evolution, while bringing loads of undeniable benefits, at the same time poses many challenges to our business entity, especially where exam security is concerned. Many of the assessments we administer are high-stake, evaluations used for the purpose of migration, application of visas purpose, and licenses, as well Company: RELC Examinations Bureau TopMarks R 1706AI54 as for entry to prestigious universities and post- graduate education. It, therefore, goes without saying that we need to ensure each test and exam administration of each paper is delivered in a conducive, secure, and professional manner according to the distinct requirements of each exam body. In the wake of net neutrality debate in the United States, we would like to emphasize that the confidentiality of candidate’s data is of the utmost importance to us. Each and every staff has to abide by the confidentiality clause in their contract and we apply a set of strict check-and-balance to keep such data safe and secure. All information is governed strictly in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act enacted by the Singapore Government in 2012 and kept secure and confidential. The new generation of candidates is smart, savvy, curious, and outspoken. The uncertain economic outlook in most countries around the world means that most candidates would be more selective in the exams or qualifications that they choose to sit for, and they would not hesitate to question the higher authorities over the registration, exam administration processes, and the fees they would need to pay to sit for these exams or qualifications. RELC Examinations Bureau needs to continually innovate and keep ourselves up-to-date to ensure our processes remain cost-effective, efficient, relevant, and beneficial to the candidates. The buzz words of Disruptive Innovation hit not only popular industries such as transportation (Uber), retail (online shopping), and technology (advanced artificial intelligence robots), it has also hit the examination business. Nowadays, exam bodies and institutions are looking for ways to minimize the needs to engage third party administrators and are working closely with software solutions providers to have exams which can be “home- proctored” – making them extremely accessible and affordable to the candidates. In order to keep ourselves sustainable in light of this trend, RELC Examinations Bureau must expand our roles and functions and go beyond the registration and administration of the exams, for example, being a consultant in opening up doors for exam bodies who wish to promote their exams or qualifications to different market segments. We must continue to seek collaboration with examination and professional bodies worldwide in enhancing and diversifying our services.