NEW ORLEANS, LA –-The Coordinate Metrology Society (CMS), the eminent membership association for measurement professionals, announces it will host a series of “pilot” certification examinations at its 28th annual Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference (CMSC), July 16-20, 2012, at The Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, LA. The CMS Certification Committee will conduct pilot examinations free of charge each day during the five-day event. Conference attendees, both experts and novices, are encouraged to test their general knowledge of portable 3-D metrology and contribute to the success of the first level-one Certification program in the industry.

In 2009, the CMS Certification Committee began work toward a personnel certification program. This year’s pilot examinations are the final step in a rigorous process to create an academically sound and legally defensible assessment. The test results will be used to validate and weigh the examination questions, and determine a cut-score. Participants will not be graded and will not receive certification upon conclusion of the examination. CMS members will also review the eligibility requirements for the certification and provide feedback during the conference.

In the past three years, the dedicated CMS Certification Committee has drafted a core body of knowledge and identified the American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) as their partner organization to support the certification effort. Formal documents defining roles, responsibilities, authority, and accountability have been crafted and reviewed by each organization’s Executive Committees. The Coordinate Metrology Society expects to have an industry-recognized, level-one personnel certification in portable 3-D metrology by the end of 2012, and later plans to deploy a level-two equipment-specific certification that would include laser trackers, area scanners, laser radars, hand-held scanners and data post processing.