Test Taker Confidentiality Policy
iTEP International is concerned for the privacy of all test takers and clients. This Test taker Privacy and Information Security Policy sets out and defines iTEP International’s approach to the gathering and processing of the personal information of iTEP test takers. Test takers and iTEP clients may provide personal information in many different ways. However, the primary way for a test taker to provide personal information is through the registration period prior to taking an iTEP test. No matter what method is used to collect personal information of test-takers and clients, iTEP International is committed to protecting and properly securing personal information.
Any information that can personally identify a test taker is considered “personal information.” When referring to test takers, iTEP International is referring to all individuals who register and complete any of its tests, including official, sample, promotional, or diagnostic tests. In this regard, test takers are clearly differentiated from other iTEP stakeholders such as employment applicants or third-party contractors for whom other policies and procedures may apply. Proving personal information and registering to take an iTEP test indicates the test taker’s consent and agreement to all terms and conditions of this policy and terms of use.
What This Policy Is
Through a description of the iTEP International Test taker Privacy and Information Security Policy, iTEP International seeks to define how it collects, retains, and discloses personal information. By agreeing to the iTEP International Test taker Privacy and Information Security Policy, you acknowledge that you have entered into an agreement and are subject to the policy. To the extent to which you have entered into any other agreement with iTEP International, this agreement shall supersede those terms.
Information that test-takers provide to iTEP
For the purposes of test taking, scoring and reporting, iTEP International gathers, processes and discloses Personal Information that has been willingly provided by the test taker to iTEP International, including:
- Full name
- Email address
- Phone number
- Date of birth
- A government-issued identification number
- Educational level
- Native language
- Country of residence
- Date of the last test
- Photographs
- Written responses
- Recorded audio of spoken responses
- The audio record of your speaking ability for some language tests
- Answers to surveys or website registrations
- The use and disclosure of personal information:iTEP International uses test takers’ personal information to provide reliable, convenient English proficiency testing at an affordable price. As such, iTEP International reserves the right to make lawful use of test taker personal information. The lawful use includes but is not limited to the collecting, processing, retaining, verifying, displaying, transferring, and disclosing personal information. iTEP International does not sell test taker information to third-parties.
- iTEP International discloses personal information to:
- Report score information to third-party universities and high schools upon request by the test taker.
- Generate reports that do not specifically identify any test taker.
- Generate reports that use statistical data for research which is shared with third-party stakeholders such as schools, universities, and government agencies.
- Create sample and preparation materials that do not identify the test taker in any way.
- Conduct regular business processes such as identity verification of persons taking a test or those requesting scores to be sent to third-parties.
- Storing of personal information: iTEP International stores the personal information of test takers for a period that the company deems necessary to provide English proficiency evaluation services to our clients. iTEP International may discard personal information at its own discretion.
- Test taker access to personal information: iTEP International does not provide test takers access to their personal information in a form or method that can be updated by the test taker. Generally, personal information collected by iTEP International cannot be changed. iTEP International alone can determine what personal information may be changed or adjusted after its collection.
- Securing personal information: iTEP International uses internal procedures to protect the personal information of test takers. These procedures include using unique usernames and passwords for all administrative logins, training staff on proper and lawful disclosure procedures, and maintaining the most updated firewall and malware protection on all its company devices. In addition, iTEP routinely conducts third-party stress testing of its security measures and certifies these procedures. iTEP International has instituted these procedures to comply with all laws that dictate the prevention of unauthorized disclosure of personal information.
- Withdrawing consent: iTEP International does not sell or disclose personal information to third-parties without the specific consent of the test taker for these actions. In addition, any disclosure of personal information is in a non-identified aggregate form used for research reports. Therefore, iTEP International does offer or require a withdrawal of consent option.
- Test taker consent: iTEP International ensures that test takers are aware of these policies by requiring their consent at the time of test registration. By completing the fields on the registration page and agreeing to the terms of the consent form, test takers choose voluntarily to engage in a process that requires the collection of personal data. Test takers are bound by their consent.
