Web Based Exam Driver Guidelines |

Please review the minimum computer requirements you will need at least 72 hours before your exam.

If your computer does not meet our minimum requirements and if you contact us up to 72 hours before your exam, your exam can be rescheduled free of charge. This will allow you time to find another computer that meets our requirements. On your exam day, if the computer you use does not meet our minimum requirements, the exam session may be cancelled and rescheduled with a fee.

Minimum computer requirements for exams taken with our Web Based Exam Driver:

Windows® 11, Windows® 11S Windows® 10, Windows® 10S or macOS High Sierra (10.13) onwards
Dual-core 2.4GHz CPU or faster with 4GB of RAM (minimum).
Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Opera or Safari browser installed (Latest version recommended). Other browsers are not compatible with our Web Based Exam Driver.
Active Full-Time/Broadband internet connection of at least 4Mbps.
16-bit monitor (at least 15”) with screen resolution 1024 x 768 or higher.
Keyboard and mouse or another pointing device (keyboard to be set to English characters).
A web camera either embedded in your computer or external. Make sure you can rotate the web camera through a 360-degree rotation as you will be asked to do this on your exam day. Mobile phones cannot be used to take your exam or be used as a substitute for the web camera.
Speakers and microphone. The use of headsets is only allowed during exam onboarding.

Additional considerations:

On the day of your exam make sure you save all your work and exit any open programs (e.g. AnyDesk, Skype, MS Teams etc.) as these could disrupt the exam process.

If you intend to use a work computer for your exam, bear in mind that work computers often have restrictions that could affect our Web Based Exam Driver and prevent a successful exam experience. Therefore, you’ll need to make sure your organisation’s IT department is available to assist you on the day of your exam.

Make sure your exam room meets the following criteria:

Only one doorway in and out of the room; visible to your web camera throughout your exam.
The room is private and quiet, with no transparent walls (i.e., glass walls, indoor windows etc.). You must be alone in the room.
The walls and your desk/table is clear of unnecessary or unauthorized items (e.g., posters, post-it notes, papers and books).
If note paper or other resources are allowed, you can and should have this available for your exam.
No screens are visible, other than the screen which is being used to take the exam (or a second device being used for an open book exam). To read more about open book exams please refer to your Candidate Guidelines.
There is adequate light so the proctor can always see you clearly. Light should not be directed toward the web camera.

FAQs

Can I take the exam in any room I want?

Whatever room you want to take your exam in, the room must meet our requirements. Please read our Candidate Guidelines document as this sets out the criteria your exam room needs to meet. We advise that you read the guidelines at least three days before your exam day so you can properly prepare. We do not advise attempting to take your exam in a bathroom/restroom.

Why do I need to be alone in the room?

We are responsible for the integrity of the exam process and for ensuring that all exams are taken under secure, valid and reliable conditions. This is to ensure candidates are issued results that reliably reflect their knowledge, understanding and skills.

What should I do if there are TV screens or other screens in the room that I cannot move?

You should make sure these screens are not connected to your computer and that the screens are covered (e.g. by a towel) so they are not visible. If you do not do this before your exam, your proctor will ask you to do this on your exam day, so we recommend you do this beforehand to make your exam day experience smoother.

What if I have transparent walls (i.e. glass walls) in my exam room?

For security reasons, transparent walls are not allowed. Please make sure you find a room to take your exam that does not have transparent walls. You will not be allowed to take your exam if we can see the walls of your exam room are transparent.

Get your identification document(s) ready!

Make sure to have added your mobile/cell phone number (including country code) to your Candidate Profile. This will help us contact you on your exam day if you experience any difficulties.

On your exam day you will need to show your ID to the proctor who will verify it.

The ID you use on your exam day must be the same ID you used to book your exam. It must:
- Be current and valid – expired is not accepted
- Be an original, not a photocopy
- Include a recognisable photo of you
- Match the information you gave when you booked your exam
- Be a government-issued national/state/province identity card; recognised by the country in which you are a citizen or permanent resident
- Contain your full date of birth
- Contain your First/Middle Name(s) and Last Name in English (Latin) character

Please note that electronic IDs will not be accepted.

If you need to request a Reasonable Adjustment (RA) for your exam please review our RA Policy here so that you know the application process you will need to follow and timeframes you need to allow for a reasonable adjustment request.

FAQs

If a candidate is under 16 years old and is taking an exam what procedures need to be followed?

Candidates under 16 years old must be supported by a Legal Guardian during exam onboarding. The guardian must provide their ID, per our ID requirements and provide their consent for the exam to be recorded, per PeopleCert’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

If my ID is not in English language (Latin characters) what should I do?

ID that is not written in English language (Latin characters) will only be accepted if you have booked your exam selecting a proctor in your native language. Please refer to PeopleCert’s ID Policy for full detail.

If the ID you use to register for your online exam is acceptable but NOT written in English-language letters (Latin characters), then as part of booking your exam you must pick the correct proctor language to match your native language (*When available). For example, if your native language is Chinese and you are using an ID that is NOT written in English-language letters (Latin characters) but instead, is written in Chinese characters, then you must select your ‘Proctor’s language’ preference to Chinese.

When booking your exam if the ‘Proctor’s language’ or your language is not available as an option, you must follow Steps 1 and 2 below:

Step 1: At least 48 hours before your exam upload a clear image of your ID to your candidate profile so we can validate your ID before your exam day.

Step 2: Email us at customerservice@peoplecert.org with the subject line ‘ID Validation Request’ and provide us with your:

-Full Name

-Candidate ID

-Date of Birth

-Exam Date and Time

-Country of Origin

Once we receive your email, we will validate your ID. On successful validation we will confirm this to you, and you can proceed with your scheduled exam. If we cannot validate your ID successfully, we will contact you to reschedule your exam, allowing you more time to obtain the necessary document(s) for ID validation.

*Proctor languages are available for a limited range of languages as shown in the language options of our exam booking system.

What if my ID document has expired?

We will only accept ID documents that are valid (i.e. have not expired) and meet our ID criteria. If you use an expired ID you will not be allowed to take your exam.

What is a Reasonable Adjustment?

An exam should be a fair test of candidates’ knowledge and what they are able to do. For some candidates, the usual learning approach or exam format may not be suitable. We ensure our qualifications and exams do not bar candidates from taking them. We consider reasonable adjustment requests from candidates registered for a PeopleCert exam where a reasonable adjustment may be required. Reasonable adjustments are made to ensure that candidates receive recognition of their achievement so long as the equity, validity and reliability of the assessments can be assured. Such arrangements are not concessions to make learning or assessment easier for candidates, nor advantages to give candidates a head-start.

If you need to request a Reasonable Adjustment (RA) for your exam please review our RA Policy here so that you know the application process you will need to follow and timeframes you need to allow for a reasonable adjustment request. Bear in mind that:

- Requests for additional time up to 25% of total exam time, a reader or a scribe should be submitted no later than 5 business days before any PeopleCert exam. For these requests, completion of our reasonable adjustment form is not required.

- Requests for all other reasonable adjustments should be submitted no later than 10 business days before any PeopleCert exam.

What is PeopleCert’s ID Policy?

Our ID Policy (which can be found here) explains what ID types we will accept and the criteria your ID must meet. On your exam day, if you do not present a valid and acceptable ID, or if there is a name mismatch, this may result in the exam session being terminated with no refund. In such cases, you can re-book the exam using our standard booking process.

Please read our Candidate Guidelines document as this sets out the ID criteria. We advise that you read the guidelines at least three days before you exam day so you can properly prepare.

24 hours before your exam:

Thoroughly read our ‘Web Based Online Proctored Exams - Candidate Guidelines’ so that you are well prepared for your exam.
Before you take your exam, you must carry out a system compatibility check. This checks your computers’ system integrity, audio, camera, internet connection and speed. The compatibility check is mandatory before you can start your exam and must be completed at least 24 hours before your scheduled exam time.

Connect to our Web Based Exam Driver at least 24 hours before your exam to carry out a compatibility check. This helps to identify any issues and address them well in advance of your exam.

When you carry out this check you must:

Use the same computer you will use on your exam day
Use the same computer set up (camera, headset, screen etc.) and network (wifi/lan) that you will use on your exam day
Complete the compatibility check in the same room where you will take your exam.

The compatibility check identifies if you are using more than one screen. You can only have one screen activated. If you want to use an external screen with your computer or laptop the set up must be as we describe in points 1 and 2 below. This set up must be completed before you carry out the compatibility check otherwise you will not be able to successfully complete this stage.

Set your preferred screen as primary
Disconnect any other screen(s) (other than your primary screen) from your computer and make sure the screen(s) is covered (e.g. by using a towel).

We also highly recommend you repeat the compatibility check approximately 2 hours before your scheduled exam time in case there are any Operating (OS) updates to your computer since your first compatibility check. Sometimes OS updates can alter a computer’s configuration, so it is best to check before your exam in case you need technical assistance from us.

Please note that the compatibility check will not detect any security settings on your computer or virtualisation programs that could interfere with the connection to our Web Based Exam Driver. Any such connection interference will only be detected during actual exam connection.

The system compatibility check takes approximately 5 minutes to complete.

If the compatibility check identifies any issues, or you experience technical issues on your exam day or have questions, our technical support team is here to help. You can reach us 24/7/365 via our support channels here.

FAQs

What happens if I receive a warning during the compatibility check?

A warning during the compatibility check is there to give you tips on steps you can take to address the warning to reduce the risk of experiencing a problem during your exam. ‘Error’ warnings, on the other hand, require actions on your side prior to the exam, otherwise it's highly likely that technical issues will occur which may prevent completion of the exam.

What should I do in case I cannot complete the process and connect to my exam?

If you experience technical issues on the day of your exam or have questions, our technical support team is here to help. You can reach us 24/7/365 via our support channels here.

What happens if I see the yellow icon with an exclamation mark during the compatibility check?

If only the yellow icon with an exclamation mark appears, you can still proceed to the next step. Yellow icon notifications are there to give you tips on steps you can take to address the identified issue to reduce the risk of experiencing a problem during your exam.

Two hours before your exam, login to the Web Based Exam Driver using your credentials and run the system compatibility check again in case there are any Operating (OS) updates to your computer since your first compatibility check. Sometimes OS updates can alter a computer’s configuration, so it is best to check before your exam in case you need technical assistance from us.

When you have successfully completed the compatibility check the on-screen instructions will prompt you to:

Accept our Non-Disclosure Agreement
Read the exam instructions
Confirm you have read and agree to our exam rules
Scan your ID by either taking a picture of it with your webcam or uploading an image file
Connect to your proctor by clicking ‘Start now'.

Your proctor will carry out your ID validation and onboarding which will include a range of security checks.
Your proctor will unobtrusively observe your exam and be online throughout your exam in case you need help. You must have your microphone on throughout the exam. In case of communication loss during the exam, the proctor will pause the exam timer to prevent any impact on your allotted time. Once the connection is restored you can resume your exam with the same amount of time remaining prior to the interruption.
Security checks may be repeated during the exam to ensure exam security or integrity. It will not affect your exam duration. Please note that your exam session will be recorded and retained in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
For more information on security checks read our Candidate Guidelines thoroughly.

FAQs

Is the exam time affected while the proctor checks my ID and the room requirements?

No, your exam time will not be affected.

What if my proctor asks me to perform additional security checks during my exam?

This may be because the proctor has observed something that could compromise the security or integrity of the exam. You must comply with all security check requests in a reasonable and timely manner.

What happens if I cannot take a picture or upload my ID?

Don’t worry, your proctor will ask you to show your ID in front of the camera and will take the necessary photo of your ID.

What happens if I do not accept the NDA?

You will not be able to take your exam.