The Pennsylvania Department of Education requires that all secondary students completing a Program of Study participate in occupational
competency testing. The testing program mandated by PDE is the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI). At DHS,
students in Accounting, Child Care, and Construction Trades Programs of Study must take the NOCTI.
Student exam preparation is lead by their Program of Study faculty lead. In addition, a letter is sent home to parents informing them of their student’s participation. NOCTI testing takes place at the end of April in the student’s senior year.
PA Skills Certificate / NOCTI
Students have the possibility of earning a Pennsylvania Skills Certificate upon the completion of their Program of Study with an acceptable score on the NOCTI exam. The Pennsylvania Skills Certificate is one of the qualifying documents used to offer students advanced college credits with partnering post-secondary institutions through the Statewide Articulation Agreement.
The NOCTI provides high quality occupational competency examinations to the vocational educational community. NOCTI assessments measure the skills of an entry-level worker or an individual who has completed course work in a secondary career and technical program. NOCTI assessments allow students to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and talents within their chosen occupational program to post-secondary institutions and employers.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) requires that career and technical program completers (students who have been in the program for two or more years and have completed more than 50% of the instructional competencies and graduating high school) must take the NOCTI test.
Students passing both the written and performance tests to measure their workplace skills at the advanced level will receive the Pennsylvania Skills Certificate, students passing the written and performance tests at the competent level will receive a Pennsylvania Certificate of Competency.