PSI Online Proctoring PA Exam Crash
I took online proctoring PA exam a few weeks ago. The check-in process was fine and the proctor launched the exam for me. By the time I was at question #10, the exam crashed. I got back into the PSI website and got technical support on chat helping me. They were trying to figure out what the issue was. I almost lost 30 min and the exam was still running on their end but they could not connect me back to the exam. PSI told me to reschedule it. PSI told me that they will send me the report in 48 hours and notify NCARB that it was a technical issue and I should get the exam refund. It has been almost 6 weeks and I have not heard back from PSI. If I want to take future exams at home, there is no way to know what went wrong and how I can prevent in future.
At least, NCARB gave me a seat credit for exam retake. The frustration is that PSI doesn't understand how much hard work goes into preparing for these exams and because of their technical issues, NCARB gave me a fail report and my retake is after 60 days. This is extremely inconvenient and stressful situation. NCARB needs to hold PSI accountable for such issues and come up with a solution.
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Wow that must be so frustrating! I wouldn't mind going to the test center just so I can use paper and pencil but I remember hearing they've been forbidden? How did you all get used to using the built-in whiteboard and calculator prior to taking your exams? I feel this is just as big of a challenge as the exam themselves.
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Niti Gajjar & Esra Ozcan I'm so sorry to hear about the technical issues you experienced during your exams. I encountered similar issues through online proctoring when it was fairly new (2021) and can relate to the added stress in creates.
Oliver Hidalgo Correct - candidates are not permitted to use physical scratch paper for both test center and online proctoring. My first exam was really stressful because I didn't know how to operate the whiteboard and calculator, on top of not being familiar with the overall exam interface. This really hindered my ability to feel confident about the actual exam content.
For subsequent exams, I spent a lot of time prior practicing the tools with NCARB's practice exams. I played around with the whiteboard, calculator, highlighter, and strikethrough tools. This was very helpful to find my own tricks and feel comfortable when it came to the real thing.
A tip that I learned was to utilize the calculator in conjunction with the white board. As I calculated equations, I made notes on the whiteboard so that I could keep track of the figures and ensure that everything made sense. I also realized that I could create multiple pages on the whiteboard and save them for future reference throughout the exam.
I also recommend that you review pages 66-72 of the ARE 5.0 Guidelines, which provide details about how to navigate different areas of the exam and utilize each tool.
I know these are all tricky obstacles to overcome, but I am confident that you will all conquer them!
Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB
Black Spectacles
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