Illinois Valley Community College’s Assessment Center is not just a destination for high school and college students completing placement or class exams. Last year, one-third of the test-takers came from the workforce to take career-defining licensing and certification assessments.

As a certified site for Pearson Professional Assessments and with its array of testing capabilities, IVCC’s Assessment Center has become a gateway to the college for all ages. A total of 3,262 people tested at the center last year, and Coordinator Summer Studstill expects those numbers to rise throughout 2026.

“For the most part, we are the first stop on campus. We see all generations and we are doing a lot of things at once,” she said.

Testers come with a variety of goals: to place or advance in their college courses, earn GEDs, gain credentials in the fire marshal service or the U.S. Secret Service or become licensed as insurance, food service or pharmacy professionals, teachers, nurses, or certified nursing assistants.

A recent remodel and relocation to the A Building expanded the test environment, creating large and small testing rooms and providing a spacious reception and check-in area. The corridor outside the center offers a comfortable waiting area for testers and a quiet area for students to study.

The Assessment Center supplies test materials, technology, security and supervision, but Studstill says its foremost function is to be a distraction-free environment “where nothing impacts your ability on that test except your knowledge. We want testers to feel comfortable here so they set themselves up for success.”

Test takers present photo IDs, and must tuck phones, electronic devices, coats, bags, and personal items in lockers while testing. Individualized computer logins are issued. Security cameras monitor all activity, as do trained proctors who can respond to questions or issues that come up, such as when exams call for special passwords or authorization or testers run out of scratch paper.

In its new location, the center has five times more seats to accommodate testers who qualify for special accessibility, along with dedicated secluded test rooms and space for Pearson testers to maintain special distancing requirements. Two large computer labs are equipped with a total of 40 computers, and 12 other computers are dedicated for Pearson testers.

The new reception area creates a better traffic flow at peak times so bottlenecks don’t develop.

IVCC offers a convenient and affordable option for many testers. For instance, high schools can arrange placement tests at the Assessment Center, at the Ottawa Center, or in their own classrooms, Studstill said.

Test fees range from $15 to $25, but there is no charge to students or first-time placement testers. IVCC administers some tests not available at other sites, and it can be a good option for local students attending university or taking online courses who need a proctored test site.

Testers come from as far away as the Chicago suburbs, Peoria or the Quad Cities. When Pearson offered an insurance license test for the first time, testers flocked to IVCC to take it, Studstill said.

Studstill said further changes are ahead, including being open longer to accommodate more testers and expanding the variety of tests the center can administer.

The Assessment Center can be reached by email at assessmentcenter@ivcc.edu or phone 815-224-0542. To make an appointment or for more information, visit the website https://www.ivcc.edu/assessmentcenter/index.php.