2019 NCP Exam

Guide Program

Handbook

NCP Guide Handbook

Welcome to the Guide Program Sample Guide Path Sample Guide Sessions

Call #1: Introductory Call Call #2: Setting Expectations Call #3: NCP Program Details Call #4: Beginning Study Program Call #5: Establishing a Study Plan Call #6: Open Session on Topic of Candidate’s Choosing Call #7: Tips for Success

Suggestions if Your Candidate is a Re-Tester APPENDIX A: Sample Study Program APPENDIX B: Tips for NCP Exam APPENDIX C: PSI Test Center Guidelines

Copyright© 2018 ECCHO, a service of The Clearing House

Table of Contents

Welcome to the NCP Guide Program!You have achieved your NCP and are now the best person to facilitate another’s journey to becoming an NCP. You can share the lessons you learned that enabled you to be successful all while gaining valuable NCP CE credits for yourself.

Your primary mission is to guide the NCP candidate through the process of establishing and completing a study plan. A strong study plan is the key to success and the earlier it’s established, the more successful the exam candidate may be.

You will be able to answer questions about testing logistics and generally what to expect from the overall experience. Remember all the questions you had when you began your journey? You may discuss NCP Blueprint/NCP Roadmap topics, and in general, the process to study and prepare to take the NCP exam. However, you are not permitted to teach or discuss any specifics about the exam questions.

The Guide serves as a valuable resource for the NCP Candidate. The best way to succeed in this “buddy” process is to:1. Establish expectations2. Create a plan for you and the NCP candidate; and 3. Follow the plan.

The process may seem challenging at first, due to time zones, busy work schedules, and differences in how people learn. The following Guide tools are available to help you support your NCP Candidate:

1. Guide Path: To show you the potential steps of being a Guide2. Sample Guide Call Program: To assist you in potential topics of discussion for your

phone calls or emails3. Sample Study Plan: To share with your NCP Candidate to help him/her figure out their

own individual study plan4. Tips for NCP Exam: To share with your NCP Candidate5. PSI Test Center Guidelines: To share with your NCP Candidate

You should emphasize the importance of the study tools made available by ECCHO (links provided in this document) as well as those that are provided by the other NCP training partners (link provided in this document).

As a Guide, you may earn up to 5 NCP CE credits in a year (max. 15 CEs per each 5-year renewal cycle).

Following are suggestions - how to spend this time with your NCP candidate to achieve the maximum results. Feel free to spend more or less time based on agreement between yourself and your NCP candidate.

NCP Guide Handbook

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Exam NCP Guide Handbook

Sample Guide Session

Call #1: Introductory Call

Introductions: Discuss Who You Are and What You Do

Introduce yourselves Discuss Work Backgrounds Discuss Check Experience

Do’s:• Provide encouragement• Provide guidance on the NCP program• Share lessons learned from your journey• Explain what NCP Candidate may expect regarding logistics,

experience, etc.• Talk about NCP Blueprint topics in a collegial way• Encourage self-study and participation in formal exam preparation

training program• Help NCP Candidate establish their own study plan• Remind NCP Candidate to study• Think of yourself as a development and accountability coach for the

study plan

Don’ts:• Do not discuss test questions• Do not discuss test answers• Do not discuss what was or was not covered on the exam (refer to

NCP Blueprint and NCP Roadmap)• Guides are not trainers and are not expected to answer educational

questions

Guide’s RoleExplain the Guide’s role and what you can and cannot do.

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NCP Guide Handbook

Sample Guide Session

Call #2: Setting Expectations

Logistics: Discuss and Agree Upon a Format for Your Contact

• What time zone are you and NCP candidate in?• Discuss preferred time of contact. Morning? Afternoon?• Discuss frequency of contact.• Discuss preferred method of contact. Phone? Email? Other?• Discuss when to start contact and when to end contact.• Things come up and some of your contact plans might derail. • Be persistent. • Provide accountability and focus for your NCP candidate.

Baseline: Discuss the Needs of the NCP Candidate• How much check experience does NCP candidate have?• How much knowledge in each area NCP exam:

o Rules & Regulationso Operationso Risk & Fraudo Check Product

• What are candidate’s strengths / weaknesses / preferred areas of focus?

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NCP Guide Handbook

Sample Guide Session

Call #3: NCP Program Details

NCP Communications

Discuss the milestones that ECCHO will be communicating via the NCP Connection mailbox (ncpc@eccho.org) and what to expect along the journey:

• Confirm the candidate is receiving their emails from NCP Connection ncpc@eccho.org. If they have not received an email, please have them contact ECCHO at ncpc@eccho.org and also setup this email within their email client as a safe sender and @eccho.org as a safe domain.

• Suggest they work with their IT department to whitelist @eccho.org domain at the server level so they can receive these critical communications.

• Work through the candidate’s NCP Welcome Email with study links and timeline. This is an important email as it contains links to all ECCHO study aids that are provided upon registration for the exam.

• Suggest the training options available with NCP Partners• Remind them to look for Question of the Day emails starting in January

and ending the Friday before the exam window opens• Exam tips from previous test takers—review this free webinar• Register for exam appointment with PSI: location/date/time• What’s next: you have taken the exam and await your results• NCP exam pass/fail results with bar charts of performance in each

Blueprint area (rules and regulations, operations, fraud/risk, and product) are provided generally by the first week of June

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NCP Guide Handbook

Sample Guide Session

Call #4: Beginning Study Program

Ensure that NCP Candidate Has the Following Materials and Utilizes Them

• Go over the NCP Jump Start program Jump Starto NCP Blueprint: Go over the NCPC Blueprint to ensure that the candidate

knows what is covered on the test and the percentage of questions for each section.

o Go over the NCP Roadmap. Pages 5-7 of the NCP Roadmap discuss more about the topics and level of information covered on the exam.

• Ensure that the NCP Candidate has and is utilizing all the items on the ECCHO NCP prep checklist: including the PREP Guide and Questions of the Day. Please be aware that an updated version of the Questions of the Day will be sent to the candidate on a daily basis via ncpc@eccho.org email starting in January. The PREP Guide will be updated around October each year to reflect changes in the NCP Exam Preparation Training course.

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Auditory Learners:

• Re-listen to the recordings of each exam prep training session• Read materials out loud and put them in your own words• Record your own lesson on smartphone and listen to it in the car, or other

downtime (e.g., doctors office, train, plane, etc.)• Discuss materials in a study group

NCP Guide Handbook

Sample Guide Session

Call #5: Establishing a Study Plan

Visual Learners:

• Turn notes into pictures, charts, etc.• Develop and/or use flash cards• Color code the new concepts you have learned• Learn the big picture first and then focus on the details• Avoid distractions• Print educational materials (P.R.E.P. Guide, Roadmap, Jump Start

materials, etc. and make notebook or similar)

Discuss the NCP Candidate’s Plan for Studying

• Discuss the value of taking an exam prep training course--refer to the Exam prep training options. Candidates have a variety of training options to prepare them for the exam—offered by our NCP Partners.

• Discuss the candidate’s study plan. See APPENDIX A. Make suggestions on studying; discuss things that helped you to study or retain information. Consult reference materials online from universities and other resources (e.g., http://uaap.mit.edu/tutoring-support/study-tips/tooling-and-studying, http://www.howtostudy.com/create-a-study-plan/, http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Study-Schedule)

• Discuss learning techniques and how the NCP Candidate learns best and assist her/him in developing a plan that incorporates techniques for that style. Some examples follow:

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NCP Guide Handbook

Sample Guide Session

Call #6: Open Session

On Topic of NCP Candidate’s Choosing

• Suggest a call on a topic of interest from the candidate. Guide and candidate can search Question of the Day, PREP Guide, training materials, regulations and other resources on that topic to use as a reference. You may discuss topic in a collegial way but not teach/train the NCP Candidate.

• Detailed check questions/education should be forwarded to the Candidate’s training provider or ECCHO.

• Invite ad hoc inquiries – candidate calls you or emails with questions about exam logistics, ways to study, what you experienced, etc. on an as-needed basis. Set up status calls (for an agreed upon set period near exam window) – to discuss how the candidate is coming along with their study plan. For example:

• Does the candidate have a study plan? • Do they spend regular time studying? • How much of the exam material have they covered? • Are they actively participating in a training course?

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NCP Guide Handbook

Sample Guide Session

Call #7: Tips for Success

Test Taking Tips

• When is the last time the NCP candidate took a multiple-choice exam? Was it online? Is the NCP candidate a good test taker? See APPENDIX B. Guide her/him to look online at relevant suggestions offered by universities and other resources on successful test taking techniques (e.g., https://casc.byu.edu/testtaking-strategies, https://www.southwestern.edu/offices/success/academic-assistance/mentoring-skill-development/test-taking-strategies/)

• Discuss the style of certification test language. The language can be confusing. Emphasize that candidates should slow down, remain calm, read the question carefully, more than once, look for key words, and look for references (e.g., “According to UCC”).

• Discuss the style of scenario based questions / questions that test the level of knowledge and ability to apply the knowledge to business situation. Although the test is multiple choice, it requires more than just recalling facts.

• Talk about how to map out challenging questions into scenarios/diagrams to assist in answering the questions. Talk about ways to utilize the paper and pencil provided during the exam.

• Refer candidate to sample keyboard for PSI. It is a good idea to be familiar with the keyboard and its functions, prior to taking the exam.

• Discuss the ability to ‘Mark’ questions (blue key on the PSI keyboard) for later review while taking the exam.

• Talk about the testing center: what to expect, setup for you (each center is a little different), what you can/can’t take with you, as well as how to sign up for the exam date/time with PSI testing center.

• Remind the candidate they will need to have two (2) forms of ID to present at the testing center, one of which must be a photo id (drivers’ license or passport, etc.)

• Refer candidate to Study Tips presentation for simple exam taking techniques. Go through the Study Tips from Previous Test Takers presentation.

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NCP Guide Handbook

Suggestions if Your Candidate is Re-Taking the Exam

If you are paired with someone who has already taken the NCP exam, it might be harder to figure out how to guide them on this journey. Following are some ideas around how to navigate with a re-taker:

• Ask them about their study process for the prior test: • How much time did they spend studying?• Type of study techniques they utilized:

o Study Partners: independent, study groupo Study Aids: design flash cards, make recordings of material for themselves,

ECCHO study materials (PREP Guide, Question of the Day, NCP Roadmap)

o Additional resources: NCP preparation training, original documents (UCD, UCC 3 & 4, Reg CC, etc.)

o Discuss the gaps in these areas that you might help them develop and focus on differently

• Walk through all available study techniques even if they believe they know why they failed. Much can be learned by discussing with an objective party and examining other opportunities.

• Suggest ways to succeed based on all available resources and your own experience.

• Ask them about their performance results on the exam (only if they are comfortable sharing):

o Particularly focus on the Blueprint areas where they did not perform as wello Work with candidate to focus their study more on weaker areas of their

expertiseo Remind them to also review areas where they performed well

• Review pitfalls and ways to overcome them:o Not studying enough: develop a plan, carve out time on a consistent basis,

start earlier, utilize a trainer, don’t multi-task while studying, create your own study aids, get into a study group or have a study buddy, etc.

o Not a good test taker: look at resources online that provide test taking tips. See below.

o Get too nervous: deep breathing exercises, arrive at the test site early and take a walk or review notes a final time, read each question twice before answering, meditate, etc.

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NCP Guide Handbook

APPENDIX A: to share with candidate

• Complete Jump Start reading program and determine any items that you need to spend more time on.

o NCP Blueprint has all topics covered on examo NCP Roadmap goes into more depth about level subjects covered on examo Online versions of references are valuable for further study (Reg CC, UCC,

UCD, OC3, ECCHO Rules, FFIEC Guidance)• Study PREP Guide• Review Question of the Day

o Try to answer the Question each day as it comes ino Do more research on that topico Confirm answer on the next dayo Print Question of the Day and place into notebook for future review

• Take a NCP Partner Exam Prep Training Courseo Print out materialso Read chapter ahead of class and note any questions that you haveo Take notes during class, turn off all other phones/email, do not multi-tasko Ask questions in classo After class summarize highlights onto index cards or other useful format for

review• Form a study group if others at your organization are taking the exam; otherwise,

form a phone study group—pick a topic and discuss it thoroughly; ask your training provider if they have a study group

• Ask experts at your organization to discuss topics or answer questions

Sample Study Program

Tips for NCP Candidate to Establish their Study Plan

• Consider your current activities and when time is available or can be made to study. Study time of an hour or more is preferential but other test takers have reported that even taking 15 minutes here and there helped them to be successful.

• Mark off study time on your calendar. Plot your course by adding which subjects will be covered on each day.

• Determine your goals for what you will accomplish each week or month (depending upon when you begin your studies). Use this as a checkpoint to ensure that you do not fall behind.

• Stick to your schedule. If you fall behind, catch up at night or on weekends, etc.• Most test takers find that cramming for NCP will not produce a positive result.

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NCP Guide Handbook

APPENDIX B: To share with candidate

Tips for NCP Exam

Just Before the Exam

• Get a good night's sleep the evening before the exam.• Eat a healthy, protein-rich breakfast the morning of your exam.• Arrive at the PSI testing facility 30 minutes early.• Relax your mind before the test begins.

Prior to the Exam• Register for the test as early as possible. ECCHO has study aids to help with your

preparation and putting off this crucial step will only add to your stress. • Spend time working through study topics, scenarios, Question of the Day, other

practice resources for several weeks before your scheduled test date.• Take an exam prep training course.• Study a little every day. This gives your mind time to absorb the material. • Depending upon your learning style, either relax the day before the test to give

your mind a break so that it will be refreshed and ready on test day, OR take the day away from work to concentrate solely on studying for the exam.

• Take your study aids with you. If you are struggling with terminology or facts, make flashcards and keep them in your pocket. You can review while you are standing in line, on train or plane, or waiting for class to begin.

• Put together a study group. If you know other people who are preparing for the same test, you can get together for study time. This helps because your colleagues will be able to explain some of the things you do not understand and you can do the same for them.

Guide’s time to provide Words of Encouragement….

You can do it! I know you can!

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During the Test

• Ask PSI test center proctor resolve any issues that you may have with desk, chair, computer, etc.

• Read the instructions carefully. Know how to use the keyboard and special keys.

• Read each question carefully, paying attention to details. Look for references like “according to Reg CC”, etc.

• Read each question, then read all four possible answers, then go back and read the question again before answering.

• Pay attention to time passing in relation to the time allotment.• Don't get distracted by other testers in the room (wear the earplugs provided

by the testing center).• Begin by answering the questions that you know. For the rest of the

questions, eliminate the answers that cannot be correct. This often leaves you with just one answer.

• If you come across a question that is difficult, use the paper and pencil to draw out/assist in understanding the scenario. Be careful not to spend too much time on any one question. Mark it for later review, move on and come back to it at the end.

• Don't second guess yourself by changing your answers unless you are 100% certain.

• Don't fall into the trap of looking for patterns in the answers. The exam questions are randomized each year so there isn’t any pattern.

• When you are finished, ensure you have answered all questions.• After the test, CELEBRATE! Go out and do something enjoyable. Treat

yourself to a favorite meal or other activity. Celebrate your accomplishment

NCP Guide Handbook

APPENDIX B: To share with candidate

Tips for NCP Exam (continued)

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Test Facts• NCP exam is administered online at PSI proctored testing centers.• You are allowed three hours to take the exam.• Testing center provides a piece of paper and a pencil to contemplate test questions..• You may not take books or notes of any kind into the test center (other than the

paper and pencil provided by the test center proctor).

NCP Guide Handbook

APPENDIX C: To share with candidate

PSI Test Center Guidelines

Other Tips• Know exactly where your testing site is before test day and how long it will take to get

there at the time of your test (e.g., traffic conditions).• Get to the testing site early and go through your flashcards one final time.

Things You Should Know• You must present two valid, unexpired and acceptable ID(s) in order to take your

test. One must be a photo ID. Examples of ID include: driver’s license, passport, employee ID, signed credit card.

• You must take a copy of the email that confirms your appointment at PSI.• The name for the appointment should match the name on your ID.• Make a plan for your personal items. Purses, phones, etc. are not allowed in the testing

centers. Some testing centers have lockers but some do not have a place to secure your personal items. Check ahead of time with your designated testing center.

• You must arrive at the testing center at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled exam time in order to be admitted to take your exam.

• Persons not scheduled to take a test are not permitted to wait in the testing center or surrounding common areas.

• You may not exit the building or use your cell phone or other electronic devices during the exam, however there is a bathroom available in all testing sites.

• Assist her/him in developing a plan that incorporates techniques for that style

Scheduling Your Exam • Schedule as soon as you can after signup with PSI begins. Appointment times in any

given testing center may be limited..

Pass/Fail Results• You will receive your pass/fail result via email generally by the first week of June. You

will see a bar chart graph on your individual report depicting how you performed on the four test areas.

• You will receive your NCP certificate and lapel pin by mail a few weeks after that.16

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Your guidance paves the way for the success of the NCP program as well as for the electronic check payments system.

Thank youfor supporting the future of your NCP program and the

development of expert check professionals.

If you have any questions during your NCP Guide journey, please email ncpc@eccho.org or call 214-273-3218.

Welcome to the Program!