Proctored Exam Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Before Proctored Exam:
1. Is the final proctored exam required to earn the certificate?
Yes, you are required to take the final proctored exam to be eligible for the course certificate.
2. What are the requirements before taking the exam?
Make sure you completed all of the following three prerequisites. You will not be able to take the final without them.
- Complete the Proctortrack Onboarding and make sure your Proctoring Software works on your computer
- Learn the proctor rules and requirements here (Note that Test environment rules on this page does not apply to every course. Please refer to the Test environment rules in the During the Exam section below)
- It takes 2 business days for Proctortrack to review your profile
- Complete ID verification. See detail here
- The name on your ID must exactly match the full name you have on your edX account, including being in the same language/alphabet. If needed, you can change the name on your account to match your ID
- It takes 5-7 business days for edX to verify your ID
- Take Dos and Don’ts quiz
3. What is the deadline for onboarding (ID verification and Proctored Practice Exam)?
4/16/2021 23:30 UTC
4. How long does the onboarding process take?
The onboarding process should take no more than 30 minutes in total. It would take 2 business days for proctortrack to process the onboarding profile.
5. How to be prepared for the proctored final exam?
- Complete your onboarding practice exam
- Plan your time wisely. Make sure to prepare for proctored exams multiple days before the exam due date (4/26/2021-05/03/2021).
- Choose a computer that meets the system requirements. Before you start the proctored exam, your space should be uncluttered, with no writing visible on walls or surfaces, and you must be alone in the room.
Yes, check out this 3-minute video to walk you through the proctored exam requirements.
7. What is the technical requirement to take the proctored final exam?
- a compatible computer system (can we add the window systems bc the modern version is too vague))
- a consistent internet connection
- a private test room (environment) in which to complete the assessment
8. How to open Proctortrack on MacOS Catalina 10.15 or Above?
You will need to place the proctortrack app to Application to complete the installation; and go to the System Preferences > Privacy settings to enable proctortrack accessibility. Please find detailed tutorials here.
9. How can I know if my Proctortrack onboarding is successful or not?
You should receive a confirmation email from Proctortrack when you successfully complete the onboarding and another email when your onboarding profile has been approved. You can also reach out to course staff on the discussion forum and ask for your onboarding status.
10. Do I have to take the onboarding practice exam again if I have done with other courses?
Good news. The onboarding profile is good for a year. If you have done it within a year, then you don't have to do it again. You can also check the status by selecting the Onboarding exam in this course.
11. What happens if I miss the onboarding deadline?
Verifying the ID for the onboarding is a manual process handled by the proctortrack software company. If you miss the onboarding deadline (4/16/2021), final exam window (4/26/2021 - 5/3/2021) because of any delays caused by the onboarding procedure, no extension is allowed. The course will archive as scheduled.
12. What are the common reasons that students fail onboarding practice exam?
- Facial scan missing or insufficient
- ID scan missing or insufficient
- ID scan shows an invalid ID
- Environment lighting insufficient
13. How can I retake the onboarding practice exam?
Please reach out to course staffs on the discussion forum so they can reset your previous attempt.
14. What if I have any problems with the Proctored Exam?
You can contact proctortrack via live chat or submit a ticket for any issues regarding proctortrack. Or you can contact edX Support.
During the exam:
1. What are the rules for the final exam ?
- The exam is timed and needs to be completed in one sitting.
- Week 12 is not included in the final exam.
- It is a timed exam, 150 minutes.
- Pens, scratch paper and physical calculators are permitted. You can use any number of pages of scratch paper.
- Handwritten or PDF notes are allowed. Students can only use preview or Adobe Reader to access the digital notes.
- Students are allowed to use Solvers on Vocareum to answer questions. You will be able to log into Vocareum on the exam page.
- No books or videos.
- No access to any other browser tabs except the exam.
- Students may use a hardcopy/printed normal distribution table (download here)
- Note: Proctortrack does not support Linux, Virtual Machines, Chromebooks, iPads, Tablets, Android Mobile devices and computers or networks with firewall restrictions.
2. What are general test environment rules
- You must take the exam in the same room that you scanned during the proctoring setup for the current exam.
- Note: You must complete a webcam scan of the room where you will take the exam every time you take a proctored exam. However, you do not have to take all of your proctored exams in the same room.
- No other person is allowed to enter the room while you are taking the proctored exam.
- The lighting in the room must be bright enough to be considered “daylight” quality. Overhead lighting is preferred. If overhead lighting is not available, the source of light must not be behind you.
- You must sit at a clean desk or table.
- The desk or walls around you must not have any writing.
- The room must be as quiet as possible. Sounds such as music or television are not permitted.
3. I have issues starting the exam. Why is that?
You need to complete the onboarding successfully before you are able to take the final exam.
4. How do I know the time during the exam?
Timed exams are indicated on the course page by a clock icon and the label Timed Exam. See here for more instructions on timed exams.
5. What to do if my browser crashes or connectivity drops?
Proctortrack monitors you off-line if the blue border is around your screen you can try to fix your internet issue or switch to the different network and proceed. So far the Blue border is around your screen you are good to go.
If you experience any technical problems during the proctored exam, you can get live support from ProctorTrack.
Also, you can contact edX Support for assistance. Please fill out a support ticket.
6. What happens if I violate the proctored exam rules?
Any violation of the proctored exam rules could result in losing the opportunity for earning the certificate.
After Proctored exam:
1. How long do I have to wait to receive my exam result?
Once the final exam is completed, it takes about 5 business days to receive the proctor exam result. After that, you can find the final exam and the total grades on the progress page. If you do not hear back from the exam result after 5 days, you can reach out to the course staff on the discussion forum
2. Will I still be able to access the course materials after the course ends?
You will be able to access all the course lecture videos after the course ends, but they won’t have access to the coding platform and be able to submit any assignments and quizzes after the deadline.
3. When will certificates be available?
Learners will be able to find their certificates at the dashboard after May 19th 2021.
4. Where can I find my certificate if I take the exam and receive passing grades?
If you have fulfilled the criteria of earning a certificate, you will be able to see the certificate available on your dashboard after May 19th 2021. Please note that edX does not offer physical copies of certificates by mail or email. The certificate would NOT display the grades either.