Frequently asked questions and answers about Proftest Syke services.
The questions are divided in six topic areas.
Registration and customer information | ProftestWEB | Samples | Results | Report | Feedback
Where do I find information about your annual program?
- Our annual program is available on the Annual program website. On the same website you may also find our long-term program (non-binding).
I forgot to register on time, could I still register?
- Right after the deadline for registration, it is very likely that you can still register. If more time has passed, the possibility to register needs to be examined by us. In both cases, please contact proftest@syke.fi and we will send you further information.
There is conflicting information in the information or sample letter
- Please, contact proftest@syke.fi. We will solve the conflict and, when necessary, correct the letters, send them by email to participants and upload them to ProftestWEB.
May I cancel my registration?
- The registration is binding, but in exceptional cases the participant may cancel their registration free of charge no later than two weeks before the sample delivery date. After that the participant will be charged 70 % of the basic fee.
How do I inform changes in contact person or address?
- In contact person changes, please inform proftest@syke.fi.
- The address changes you can inform on the Customer information page on ProftestWEB.
I do not have a username for ProftestWEB
- If your laboratory has participated in our PTs, please contact proftest@syke.fi. We will give you a permission to use the client interface.
- If your laboratory has not yet participated in our PTs, you may register into a proficiency test without logging in. Select page Orders in ProftestWEB and fill up your contact and other information carefully while placing the order. The order is binding. When we process your order, you will get a permission to use the client interface.
My username on ProftestWEB doesn’t work?
- If you have forgotten your password, you can reset your password via the Reset password link on ProftestWEB. Create then a new password via the link sent to your email.
- If the email for creating the password is not found, please also check the spam box.
- If there seems to be a problem with your web browser, please try to use ProftestWEB with another browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge).
- The web browser's firewall settings (workstation specific) can cause problems with the operation of ProftestWEB. We can’t influence these settings, please contact your own ICT support.
- The username for ProftestWEB is personal. If you don’t have a personal username, please contact proftest@syke.fi.
- If the problem continues, please contact proftest@syke.fi.
ProftestWEB neither reacts nor allows to continue
- If ProftestWEB is not used for a longer while (> 30 min), your session expires, and the system will log you out. The problem is solved by updating the page view of the web browser (ctrl + R or F5) and logging in again.
I haven’t received the samples, what should I do?
- Please check the foreseen arrival date of the samples indicated in the information letter (check also the possible arrival time).
- If the sample package has not arrived as informed, please contact us immediately: proftest@syke.fi.
Some samples are missing or broken, what I can do?
- Please report the information and possible problems via the sample arrival form. A link to the form can be found in the sample letter.
- You can also contact us via email: proftest@syke.fi.
I would like to order more samples from the current round. What should I do?
- If samples are still available, we can provide them. Please contact proftest@syke.fi. Sample prices and additional shipping costs will be added to the invoice.
Can I order samples from the previous tests?
- It is possible to order samples from previous proficiency tests. Proftest Syke stores the samples until the publication of the final report. The stable samples are kept for 2 years. The fee for such samples is the sample price and delivery costs. Please, contact proftest@syke.fi.
Could I deliver the results after the reporting deadline?
- As the PT carefully follows the given timetable, the results cannot be accepted after the reporting deadline. In exceptional case, please contact proftest@syke.fi.
The result form is not found on ProftestWEB or it does not work.
- For some PTs, the results are reported using for example an Excel file and then the result form in ProftestWEB is not in use. In these cases, on ProftestWEB, the result form is visible but cannot be edited (unfortunately, in those cases, it cannot be hidden).
- The web browser's firewall settings (workstation specific) can cause problems with the operation of ProftestWEB. We are unable to influence these settings, please contact your own ICT support.
- If the result form is not found on ProftestWEB or it does not work, please contact proftest@syke.fi. We will solve the situation out as soon as possible.
I'd like to report two sets of results. What should I do?
- Please contact proftest@syke.fi and we create a second order for you. For each additional data set we charge an additional fee of 40 % of the basic fee.
Can I correct my results? (Results are reported for example incorrectly or in a wrong unit)
- Reported results can be edited on ProftestWEB until the given reporting deadline. If there are any problems with the correction of the results, please contact proftest@syke.fi.
- After the publication of the preliminary result report, the participant results will be corrected only if the organizer has interpreted the results incorrectly. In the final report a written evaluation will be given for the corrected results.
How is the z score calculated?
- Instructions to calculate the z score are provided in the Guide for participant, Appendix 3.
- In performance evaluation, the z score is calculated from the precise result reported by the participant. In the result sheetof the final report, the participant’s result might slightly differ from the reported value due to the number of visible decimals or due to rounding. Hence, the z score calculated manually using the data from the final report might differ from the reported z score.
Where do I find the participant code for a certain PT?
- You can find your participant code via ProftestWEB: Log into the interface > Select Tests > Select Orders (on the left side bar). From the Orders table you can find the participant codes (Participant id column).
- You can find your participant code via ProftestWEB also like this: Log into the interface > Select Tests > Select the test from the list > The code is in the Results table, in Participant id column.
When is the preliminary results report delivered?
- The preliminary results report is delivered to the participants usually in two weeks after the reporting deadline of the participant results. The more precise publication timetable (week of publication) of the preliminary results report is informed for each scheme. After the publication the preliminary results report is available on ProftestWEB, on the page of the test (some exceptions occur). The preliminary results report is sent via email to the contact person of the participant.
- The preliminary results report is confidential.
When will the final report be published?
- The final report is published 3-4 months after the sample delivery. The more precise publication timetable (month of publication) of the final report is informed for each scheme. After the publication the final report is available via ProftestWEB as well as via the Proftest Syke website (Proficiency test reports). All participants of the proficiency test will be informed of the published report by email.
How can I give feedback?
- Feedback and questions can be given via email proftest@syke.fi.
- The feedback and question are collected for each PT and ILC and those are published with their replies in the final report.
- Feedback can be given also via ProftestWEB.
- General feedback related to the Proftest SYKE services could be sent directly to Tero Eklin, Director of Laboratory (firstname.lastname@syke.fi).