The Office of Personnel Management is using iPads to pilot a new program that will eliminate the need for fixed testing facilities and desktop PCs to do pre-employment testing.

Wired Workplace reported on Wednesday that OPM had awarded a contract to VideoTape Products Inc. of Burbank, Calif., to provide the agency with 50 iPad2 tablets to help implement a mobile testing center. OPM said it selected the iPad2 over other tablet computers because of its battery life, screen shape and display and user interface.

"Traditional proctored online testing requires fixed locations where appropriate IT infrastructure already exists," said W. Neal Patterson, director of facilities, security and contracting at OPM. "Mobile testing centers cut the costs associated with traditional facility and equipment rental and provide additional flexibility and convenience when there is a request to provide proctored test administration services in locations where existing facilities may not be available."

Patterson said the mobile testing pilot involves using iPad tablets to administer testing in lieu of desktop or laptop computers. Testing can be conducted in any location that has appropriate Internet capacity, and once testing is completed, the mobile devices can be shipped to the next location, he said.

The mobile testing concept will allow OPM to do pre-employment testing for a variety of government jobs including border patrol agents and other law enforcement officers. "If effective, we will be able to visit smaller cities without test locations to do testing," Patterson said.