Pearson Language Tests, a Pearson plc business, (“we”, “us”) has adopted the following Privacy Policy applicable to personal information that it may receive related to certification, licensure, and academic admission testing.
Certification, Licensure, and Academic Admission Test Services
We, together with our affiliated group companies and third party agents and sub-contactors, provide testing services for our own qualifications and as a service provider to third party test sponsors. The sponsor of a test is the company or organisation that offers certification, licensure, or academic admission testing and controls the test(s) that must be taken to secure that certification, licensure, or academic admission. We collect or receive personal information from testing, certification, licensure, or academic admission testing of candidates. We use this information in order to perform testing services for our own qualifications and on behalf of test sponsors, to collect payment for the testing services requested, and to communicate with the candidate about certification, licensure, and academic admission testing and the results of the testing. Providing personal data is voluntary, but necessary if the candidate wishes to receive test results, certification, licensure or academic admission testing. We will handle and treat all personal information collected and received by us in connection with certification, licensure, and academic admission testing including candidate registration and the administration of the tests in the manner outlined in this Privacy Policy.
- Data Protection Act. We are committed to compliance with, and are fully notified under the English Data Protection Act 1998 (“DPA”). For further information, see www.ico.gov.uk
- Safe Harbour. As part of the Pearson group of companies, we also adhere to the U.S. Commerce Department’s Safe Harbour principles for personal information collected in connection with the delivery of certification, licensure, and academic admission testing services. For further information, see www.export.gov/safeharbor.
This means that we are dedicated to provide a high level of privacy protection, as defined by both American and European Community law, for this information. We are also committed to compliance with the decisions of the European Community Data Protection Authority in collecting and handling this information. - Personal Information Collected. The personal data that we collect or receive in registering a candidate ("you") for certification, licensure, or academic admission testing services include: name, address, email address, phone number, fax number, credit/debit card information, company and title. We may also collect or receive the following additional information at registration or in the testing process, as necessary or appropriate: language, date of birth, employment information, previous examination history, education information, and source of financing for the examination. For candidate verification and identification purposes, we may collect all or part of a government-issued identification number and mother’s maiden name. When an electronic certification test is administered to you, we may collect and score your test responses and then derive a test score and generate a report about your certification test results. Depending upon the test sponsor and/or test security requirements, we may also collect your signature, photographic image, and fingerprint digitally when you arrive at a test centre to take a certification, licensure, or academic admission test and you may be audio- and video-taped while taking the test for security and monitoring purposes. Unless we provide specific notice and obtain your consent, Pearson Language Tests does not collect or process any sensitive personal data or information, as defined by the DPA and Safe Harbour scheme, in connection with certification, licensure, or academic admission testing services.
- Aggregation of Non-Person-Specific Data. We may statistically aggregate in non-person-specific form test responses and other information collected in the testing, certification, licensure, and academic admission test registration and delivery process and transfer this information to test sponsors and to independent testing centers. Such aggregated non-person-specific information may be used for quality control, operations management, security and marketing purposes and to enhance, develop or improve licensure, certification, and academic admission testing processes, testing services, tests and related products and services. By registering for a test through us, you give your consent to this non-person-specific data aggregation and the use and transmission of this aggregated statistical data as outlined above.
- Transfer of Information to Test Sponsors. By registering for a test through us, you give your consent for your personal information (with the exception of your debit/credit card information) to be transmitted by Pearson Language Tests to the test sponsor from whom you seek certification, licensure, or academic admission, if applicable. The test sponsors require this personal data so that (a) tests can be correctly administered; (b) certification, licensure, or academic admission can be processed and administered; and (c) candidates can receive further information about licensure, certification, or academic admission testing. For further information about how the sponsor may use your personal information, please contact the relevant test sponsor directly.
- Other Transfers of Information. In addition to transmitting certain personal data about you to a test sponsor, we may disclose personally identifiable information in the following situations: (a) in response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted and required by law; (b) to protect your security or the security of other persons, consistent with applicable law; (c) in connection with a sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of the assets of Pearson Language Tests; (d) to organisations, including independent testing centers, who are working as our contractors or agents and who are committed or obliged to protect your privacy in a manner consistent with this Privacy Policy. For the purposes of validating test and user integrity and security, we may supply audio- and video-tapes of test candidates in a testing center at a particular time to any test sponsor whose test was being administered at that time in such test center. By registering for a test through us, you give your consent for your personal information to be transmitted in the situations outlined above.
- Independent Testing Centers. Certain testing and certification, licensure, and academic admission tests are administered through independent testing centers. These centers may provide unrelated services and may collect and use personal data for other purposes under different terms and policies. If you have any questions or concerns about an independent testing center’s collection or use of any of your personal information, please talk to the independent testing center directly. If you have unaddressed concerns about an independent testing center relating to licensure, certification, and academic admission services supplied by Pearson Language Tests, please contact Pearson VUE at PearsonVUEContracts@pearson.com
- Information Access and Corrections. To access and correct the personal information that we have collected under this policy, please contact our Call Center at the telephone numbers or email addresses listed at the end of this policy. To protect your privacy and security, we will take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access or making alterations.
- Protection of Personal Information. We use reasonable precautions to protect personal information from unauthorized use, access, disclosure, alteration or destruction. These precautions include appropriate physical, electronic and managerial procedures. We provide a secured transmission method for the electronic transmission of credit/debit card information.
- Resolution of Concerns. If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we have handled personal data, please contact us at pltsupport@pearson.com
Ifwe are unable to satisfactorily address your concerns, you should contact the UK Data Protection Authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office, or other relevant organisation, in your country.
Pearson Language Tests is a business division of Edexcel Limited, (Company Number 4496750), of One90 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7BH.
Information from Children
Part of our services are available and directed at children or anyone under the age of thirteen (13). Pearson Language Tests will not, through this Web site or through its professional certification test registration and administration process, knowingly collect, maintain or use any personally identifiable information about anyone under the age of thirteen (13) without informing and gaining the consent of such child’s parent or guardian to this processing.
If you are a child of thirteen (13) or under, and you wish to use our services available on this website, please get one of your parents or your guardian to contact us directly.
Information Received from Internet Service Providers Through This Web Site
This Web site receives information that is automatically generated by a user’s Internet service provider (ISP). This information may include the IP address (a number automatically assigned to a computer by the ISP), the associated URLs, domain types, the browser type used to access our site, the country, state and telephone area code, the location of the ISP’s servers, the pages of our site that the user views during the visit, any search terms entered on this site, and the user’s Web site address and email address. This information may be collected for system administration purposes, to gather broad demographic information and to monitor the level of activity on the site. Pearson Language Tests does not link IP addresses to personally identifiable information; however, we reserve the right to link IP addresses and other information supplied by the ISP to personally identifiable information in order to protect the integrity of our system and for security purposes.
Cookies
Cookies are small text files that a Web site transfers to your computer’s browser. We use cookies to measure traffic patterns, personalise content and control security. The cookies we use supply non-personally identifiable information, but they may identify your computer, browser and Internet specifications.
International Transmission of Information
The Internet is a global environment. By using this site and sending information to us electronically, you consent to transborder and international transmission of any data that you may choose to supply us. Information transmissions to this site and emails sent to us may not be secure. Given the inherent operation and nature of the Internet, all Internet transmissions are done at the user’s own risk.
As part of the Pearson group, Pearson Language Tests makes use of other Pearson company facilities (such as testing centres) and information technology services to provide its services. Some third parties may also process data on our behalf. Some of those facilities and service providers may be in different countries around the world and in particular outside the European Economic Area. By registering for any of our tests or services you consent to the international transfer of your data in accordance with this policy.
Links to Other Sites
This site may contain links to other Web sites on the Internet that are owned and operated by third parties, or by Pearson plc or its affiliates. The information practices of those Web sites are not covered by this Privacy Policy, but by their own terms and policies, which you should read carefully. These other sites may send their cookies to users, collect data or solicit personal information. This Privacy Policy is not intended to apply to other Pearson Web sites, or other types of information which may be subject to different privacy policies.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to change the terms of this Privacy Policy from time to time by posting an updated Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes or updates.
How to Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at pltsupport@pearson.com