Exam Policies

As part of our ongoing effort to enhance the value of Certiport certification, certain security measures are in place to protect the integrity of the exams. Please familiarize yourself with the following policies.

Exam administration policies

ISE is committed to ensuring that its certification exams are respected and valued in the marketplace. Accordingly, ISE takes appropriate measures to ensure that the integrity of its exams are not compromised and also holds Certiport Authorized Testing Centers (CATCs) accountable for taking appropriate steps to prevent and detect fraud and exam security breaches.

ISE conducts periodic data forensics to identify patterns of aberrance in exam results that help detect cheating or content piracy. For example, forensic indicators such as types of responses, latency, pass rates and retakes may reveal patterns of cheating, collusion or piracy. However, prevention and early detection are critical elements that require the close cooperation of its CATCs.

Therefore, in addition to relying on its CATCs to provide industry standard monitoring during testing, ISE requires its CATCs to ensure an appropriate physical testing environment, and that administrators and proctors are sufficiently trained to provide good quality oversight of testing.

Administrators and proctors who observe violations of rules or suspect a testing security breach must immediately contact ISE Customer Service (or ISE’s Authorized Partner Representative). It is very important to document all relevant facts supporting the alleged breach. Reports should include date, time and location of the incident, name of Test Candidate, name and version of exam taken.

  1. Ensure the testing area is a professional environment where Test Candidates may take the exam without interruptions. Private dwellings, homes, or other personal facilities are not approved testing environments and should not be used to administer exams.
  2. Ensure that each test is actively proctored with an unobstructed view of each Test Candidate in the testing area. Acceptable methods of proctoring include:
    • Camera/video display – The proctor may remotely monitor the Test Candidate via a camera with access to a complete view of the testing environment.
    • Observation window – The proctor may monitor the Test Candidate through an observation window with a complete view of the testing environment.
    • In-Room proctoring – The proctor is located in the same room with the Test Candidate. This is typically the preferred method for larger groups of classroom testing.
  3. If partitions are not available for the testing stations, ensure that Test Candidates are seated far enough apart to minimize distractions and prevent cheating. The recommended distance is four feet.
  4. While testing is in progress, use of equipment such as printers, fax machines, copiers, telephones, or other electronic devices is not permitted in the testing environment.
  • The CATC is responsible for verifying the Test Candidate’s identity with at least one form of valid identification (containing both a photograph and the Test Candidate’s signature).
  • The CATC/Proctor must not allow recording or electronic devices in the testing area. Such devices include: paper, pens, pencils, cameras, computers, or cell phones. Additional Test Candidate property, such as books or bags, should be stored outside the testing environment or inaccessible during the exam.
  • The CATC/Proctor may permit a Test Candidate to take a break during testing if requested, but must inform the Test Candidate that the testing clock cannot be stopped during the break. Test Candidates must not be permitted to conduct activities during a break that may compromise exam security – including use of a telephone and/or communicating with other Test Candidates.
  • The Proctor must confirm that the Test Candidate’s ID matches the Certiport account information on the Proctor Validation Screen prior to launching the exam.
  • Proctors may answer questions regarding the functionality of the exam software, but may not answer questions or provide instructions related to exam content.
  • Accurate scheduling information must be included on the CATC locator, and should be updated as needed.
  • Personnel responding to exam scheduling requests must be thoroughly trained on ISE product offerings and procedures. Please Note: If you choose to use our older Online Exam System to offer exams, the CATC locator will display your center as offering all ISE exams.
  • The CATC Logo must me posted in a location that is visible to Test Candidates prior to entering the facility.
  • The CATC should greet the Test Candidates in a professional manner and provide testing policies and procedures prior to the beginning of the exam.

Test candidate exam policies

Test candidates, proctors and administrators must adhere and/or enforce all of the following policies when taking or administering an exam at a Certiport Authorized Testing Center.

  • Upon arrival at the testing center, Test Candidates must present their personal identification bearing a photograph and signature.
  • Test candidates may not take recording devices such as paper/pencil, cameras, PDAs, computers, or communication devices such as cell phones, or pagers into the testing area.
  • Test candidates must not communicate with other test candidates either in the testing room or in any other area of the testing facility during authorized testing breaks.
  • Test candidates must read and accept the terms of the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) presented prior to the start of the exam.
  • Test candidates must not remove exam content from the testing area, and must not reproduce exam content outside of the testing area.
  • Test candidates must abide by the terms of the retake policy.
  • Test candidates found to have violated testing center rules may lose any existing certifications and may be made permanently ineligible for additional certifications.

Note: In certain circumstances, the computer on which a test candidate is taking the exam may stop responding, or produce an error condition in which continuation of the exam would not be possible. If a test candidate experiences this or any other computer interruption (e.g. power outage), they must notify the Certiport Authorized Testing Center (CATC) administrator and/or proctor immediately to restart the exam. When the computer is restarted and/or the error condition is resolved, the proctor will launch the software again and the test candidate will choose the “In-Progress” exam, which on most exams will return them to the point at which the interruption occurred. On applicable exams, the software will retain the exam progress and time remaining up to the point of termination, as long as the exam is resumed on the same computer in which it was started.