Q and A 5.20.25.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 22 KB Posted
- Attached to
- RE_RA RFR
- Solicitation number
- BD-25-1087-REG01-REG01-113625
- Issued by
- Massachusetts
About this file
The document is a Q&A spreadsheet for a Massachusetts Department of Licensing (DOL) Real Estate and Real Estate Appraiser examination and licensing contract opportunity. The procurement involves a comprehensive testing and licensing support services contract for real estate professionals, with an estimated contract start date of October 1, 2025, and an initial focus on examination administration. In 2024, the current program processed approximately 5,947 Salesperson and 407 Broker applications, with a total of 10,095 Salesperson exams and 780 Broker exams administered (59% site-proctored, 41% remote testing). The solicitation requires a vendor to provide examination services, including test development, administration, scoring, and candidate support, with responses due by May 9, 2025.
The contract will transition away from the current vendor's licensing processes, with DOL planning to handle application processing electronically and gradually moving toward self-issued licenses by 2026. The vendor will be responsible for printing Real Estate Appraiser licenses until the transition is complete. Key service requirements include establishing a customer service center, providing same-day exam question reviews, and potentially implementing text message support. The procurement emphasizes a Supplier Diversity Plan, requiring vendors to demonstrate commitment to diverse business participation. The contract appears to be exclusively focused on testing services, with DOL managing the broader application and licensing workflows, signaling a strategic shift in the state's approach to professional credentialing for real estate professionals.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| RE_RA RFR~1.pdf | ||
| SDP_Plan_Form~2.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| PSI Proposal - SDP Plan Commitment.pdf | ||
| RE RA RFR revised 5.20.25.pdf | ||
| busreffm~4.docx | DOCX document | |
| form_prompt-pay-discount~1.pdf | ||
| form_standard-contract.pdf | ||
| form_w-9~3.pdf | ||
| form_commonwealth-terms-and-conditions~1.pdf | ||
| RE RA RFR posted.pdf |
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Text version
Sheet1
| Question # | Created Date | User Created | Questions Subject | Question | Answer | ||
| 1 | 3/20/25 | Terri Dunbar/NCS Pearson, Inc. | Invalid contact information | The email address and phone numbers listed on the CommBuys bid page are invalid. Could you please provide updated contact information for this bid? | DPLVendorBids@mass.gov | ||
| 2 | 3/20/25 | Terri Dunbar/NCS Pearson, Inc. | Unable to open RFR | When we try to open the "RE_RA RFR~1" PDF, we get an error message and cannot open it. Can you please upload a new version of the file? | An Amendment has been posted with RE RA RFR posted. | ||
| 3 | 3/25/25 | Terri Dunbar/NCS Pearson, Inc. | Estimated Procurement Calendar | 1) Estimated Procurement Calendar (RFR, pg. 3): To promote a fair and equitable bidding process, and to ensure a smooth implementation should the Agency award to a bidder beyond the incumbent, would the Agency consider a program launch date of November 1, 2025? As a point of reference, typical transition requires numerous contractual, technical, procedural, content development, psychometric, publishing, quality control, and other administrative requirements to be completed before exams can be administered. | Our current contract ends September 1, 2025 . the intent of awarding the contract 6 weeks prior to the contract start date is to provide for a transition period or that the boards have worked with a transition to a new vendor previously with the mutual cooperation of the incoming and outgoing vendors. | ||
| 4 | 3/25/25 | Terri Dunbar/NCS Pearson, Inc. | Background Information | 2) Background Information (RFR, pg. 1): While we acknowledge the Agency licensed approximately 3,100 individuals by exam in 2023 for Brokers and Salespersons, we would ask if the Agency could provide further specificity to the following volumes: a. Number of Salesperson exams administered in calendar year 2024 (or 2023), broken out by National Component, State-Specific Component, or combined Administration b. Number of Broker exams administered in calendar year 2024 (or 2023), broken out by National Component, State-Specific Component, or combined Administration c. Number of Salespersons applications processed in calendar year 2024 (or 2023) d. Number of Broker applications processed in calendar year 2024 (or 2023) e. Percentage breakdown of total 2024 exams administered in physical test centers vs. via your current vendor�??s online remote proctored platform. | A. | Total # of Salespersons Exams is 10,095 (9,967 Sales, 128 Sales Valor); Total # Combo Exams = 6,323; Total # of National Only = 3,230; Total # of State Only = 542. | |
| B. | Total # of Broker Exams is 780 (771 Broker, 9 Broker Valor); Total # of Combo Exams = 484; Total # of National Only = 69; Total # of State Only = 227. | ||||||
| C. | Total # of Salesperson Exams Site Proctored = 6,032 (59.75%), Total Remote Testing = 4,063 (40.24%); Total # of Broker Exams Site Proctored = 467 (59.87%), Total Remote Testing = 313 (40.12%) |
d. Number of Salespersons applications processed in calendar year 2024 - 5947
e. Number of Broker applications processed in calendar year 2024 - 407
| 5 | 3/25/25 | Terri Dunbar/NCS Pearson, Inc. | Responsibilities of the Contractor | 3) 3.10 Responsibilities of the Contractor (RFR, pg. 12) indicates the successful bidder offer same day only option to review test questions for candidates that were unsuccessful. a. Can the Agency provide the number of candidate requests its current vendor received for same day review of a failing exam in 2024? b. Can the Agency detail the process by which failing candidates requested such a review of the full exam playback? | The MA RE Program currently does not have an exam review immediately after the failed exam. The only review of the examiniation available to candidates is the current vendor is consistently evaluating the examination(s) being administered to ensure that the examination(s) accurately measure competency in the required knowledge areas. Comments may be provided using the designed link on the examination(s) test question on the screen. The comments are then analyzed by development staff. Vendor does not respond to individuals regarding the comments, all substantive comments are reviewed. In the event of an error affecting examination scores discovered as a result, the examination scores of all affected candidates are automatically adjusted. However, it is a desire of the future vendor to offer same day exam reviews as well as the ability to challenge questions. It is our desier that candidates may petition the Board within 30 days and the vendor shall transmit that candidates exam to the Board for review |
| 6 | 3/25/25 | Terri Dunbar/NCS Pearson, Inc. | Customer Service | 4) 3.10.1.8 Customer Service (RFR, pg. 12): Provide a fully staffed, customer service response center, which shall respond to email, telephone, text and other candidate requests for information for each of the Boards�?��?? a. Can the Agency confirm the requirement the awarded bidder's customer service response center make available/respond to text message? b. If yes, can the Agency provide the number of inbound text messages its current vendor received (and responded to) in calendar year 2024? | Texting is not currently a feature but the agency is looking to implement this option |
| 7 | 3/25/25 | Terri Dunbar/NCS Pearson, Inc. | Responsibilities of the Contractor | 5) Section 3.10 Responsibilities of the Contractor (RFR, pg. 12) indicates Application Processing represents a central scope of the contract. As per the Agency�??s current Real Estate/Real Estate Appraiser Vendor�??s candidate handbook (version updated 10/1/2023), it appears the current application process involves the candidate populating a paper-based application and submitting (with supporting documentation) to a dedicated email address. As stated in the handbook, the approximate processing time is 4�??6 weeks from the date the application is received by the Agency�??s vendor. a. Can the Agency further describe the current Application for Examination process, specifically with respect to how its current Vendor addresses an incomplete application or missing documentation? b. Would the Agency allow for fully electronic application processing solutions, where candidates would create a user profile on a platform, upload supporting documents, and track the status of their application? Should deficiencies be detected with a candidate�??s application, the Vendor�??s processing team would notify the candidate via email of the deficiency with instructions on how to rectify. | This bid is exclusively for testing. For Real Estate Brokers and Sales Persons, DOL is processing all applications via an online portal and will electronically submit approved test taker information to the successful bidder. For Real Estate Appraisers, DOL is processing all applications and will submit electronically applicants approved to test. Vendor will be responsible for printing Appraiser licenses until 2026 when the agency fully transitions into providing licenses electronically via DOLs platform. |
Section 3.10 of the bid is designed to illustrate the entire process, not list all of a vendor’s duties. We have updated the formatting on the RFR document to clarify.
8 3/25/25 Terri Dunbar/NCS Pearson, Inc. Immediate On-Site Licensing 6) Immediate On-Site Licensing: Per the Agency�??s existing Real Estate/Real Estate Appraiser�??s candidate handbook (pg. 3), it appears candidates who pass both portions of the pertinent licensure exam (and make appropriate payment) may obtain their licensure card and wall certificate from the Proctor. a. Can the Agency confirm this remains current practice, or provide further specificity about how this process is undertaken today? b. How does the Agency and its Vendor address the onsite licensing process for remote proctored candidates, who successfully pass both parts of the exam? c. Would the Agency consider alternate solutions to the current licensing process for Real Estate Brokers, Salespersons, and Appraisers? For the real estate salesperson and broker licenses currently, individuals who pass a remotely proctored exam schedule a visit to our exam vendor where the license is printed and paid for . Under this new contract, licenses for Real Estate Brokers and Sales Persons will not be issued by the vendor.
For real estate appraisers currently, licenses are issued at the exam location, and there are no proctored exams . Under the new contract, the vendor will print the licenses until approximately January 2026. After that transition, the licenses will not be issued by the vendor.
| 9 | 3/25/25 | Terri Dunbar/NCS Pearson, Inc. | Supplier Diversity Plan | 7) 6.3.6 Supplier Diversity Plan (RFR, pg. 22): Can the Agency provide the nature of service/scope for which its current Real Estate/Appraiser Vendor enlists an SDB(s)? | "PSI Proposal- SDP Plan Commitment" contains document responsive to this question. |
| 10 | 4/22/25 | PSI Proposal/PSI SERVICES LLC | 3.8 Compensation Structure/Pricing | Is there a desired format for the Cost Proposal? | No |
| 11 | 4/22/25 | PSI Proposal/PSI SERVICES LLC | General | Will all vendors participating in this bid receive the answers to all other vendors' questions? | Yes |
| 12 | 4/22/25 | PSI Proposal/PSI SERVICES LLC | 3.10.3.19 | Please confirm that API work will bee needed for the Appraiser exams as well. | Yes |
| 13 | 4/22/25 | PSI Proposal/PSI SERVICES LLC | 3.10.3.19 | Please confirm the expected API launch dates. | RE- September |
RA- Early 2026 14 4/23/25 PSI Proposal/PSI SERVICES LLC 3.1.2 Can the DOL please give an example of what types of qualification documentation would be needed to fulfill this part of the requirement: "Proposals including services to be provided by subcontractors should provide qualification documentation for the subcontractors." Bidder should provide documentation of how the subcontractor is qualified or credentialed to perform the services to be subcontracted as well as how the subcontracted services will be performed.
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