YANGON-BASED computer company Workgroup Co Ltd has been approved as a test centre for the International Computer Driving License (ICDL), according to the company’s managing director.

Workgroup Co Ltd is now preparing to become a test centre and plans to begin operations this week, the company’s managing director, U Zaw Lwin Win, said.

The company was given the green light in early April by Springboard4asia Ltd, a Malaysia-based licensee of European Computer Driving License Foundation Ltd – the groups that issues ICDL certificates.

The centre plans to initially test for five ICDL certificates: Certificate in Computer Skills, Foundation for International Diploma, ICDL start certificate, Certificate for Advanced Spreadsheet and Certificate for AutoCAD.

“We plan to act as a test centre for other ICDL certificates, if there is demand, even though we’ll only offer five certificates now,” U Zaw Lwin Win said.

He said results from the one-hour exam would be announced through the ICDL head office two weeks after the exam. And the actual certificates would be received within one month, he added.

The costs for the exams are: K60,000 for a Certificate in Computer Skills; K40,000 each for the Foundation for International Diploma and ICDL start certificate; K42,000 for the Certificate for Advanced Spreadsheet; and K49,000 for the AutoCAD Certificate.

Workgroup Co Ltd also plans to open a test centre in Mandalay.

ICDL certificates were first offered in Myanmar in early 2007 by Ocean Gate Education Services, which now has offices in Yangon, Pathein and Lashio.

ICDL certificates are examined and awarded by the European Computer Driving License Foundation Ltd, which has 22,000 approved test centres around the globe.

ECDL statistics show that there were seven million graduates worldwide last year.