Taking a break during online-proctored exam
Hi everyone,
Taking the exams online is the best option for me. The nearest testing center is almost an hour away, and even then, the cheap hardware and the constant background noise from people talking and moving around make it difficult for me to focus.
I have taken four exams in the last four weeks (and passed all of them!). The last three were online. The biggest issue I have with the online proctoring experience is the amount of time wasted communicating with the proctor. Every second counts on these exams, so it is incredibly stressful to watch the clock continue to run while waiting for the proctor to respond or give instructions.
For example, during my CE exam, I planned to take two breaks. When I told the proctor I was ready to begin my first break, it took about a minute and a half before they responded with approval. Since we only get about two and a half minutes per question on average, losing a minute and a half is significant.
When I returned from my break 12 minutes later, I notified the proctor and followed their instructions to hold my ID up to the camera. I held it there for what felt like a very long time and eventually asked if everything was okay. The proctor simply told me to keep holding my ID for verification. The entire process of returning from the break took around 10 minutes. At that point, I had no choice but to skip my second planned break. It was extremely frustrating and completely threw me off for the remainder of the exam.
The experience was a bit smoother on my PjM and PA exams, but I still lost about five minutes of break time and another five minutes of actual exam time waiting for the proctor to respond before I could leave for a break.
I am curious if anyone else has had a similar experience or has any suggestions. It seems like NCARB should either provide additional testing time for online exams or work with PSI to exclude the time spent requesting a break and completing the return verification from the exam timer. Every second matters on these exams, and it is incredibly frustrating to lose valuable time because of delays that are completely outside the candidate's control.
Best,
Waqas
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I’m almost afraid to ask how many breaks you’re planning for PPD and PDD… They’re 4.5-hour exams, especially if you took two breaks for CE, which is the shortest one.
I passed all my exams online, and what worked best for me was letting the proctor know in the chat at least about 10-15 minutes before I wanted to take a break. Sometimes they approved it right away, and other times they had me wait another 5-10 minutes or so.
When you come back, the exam clock does start right away while they check you back in. Most proctors are pretty understanding, and the re-check is usually way faster than the initial check-in. That said, I did have a couple who were super thorough and took their time checking the room again and again, so I'd just budget another 10 minutes for that. -
Hi guys, I am planning on start taking the exams online because I failed PcM three times already, I had to go to three different test centers and they were not a very good experience, the last two specifically, and can't find open appointments in the first one where I felt more comfortable.
I have a few questions, how many days or weeks in advance would you recommend to schedule an online appointment? because I see open appointments available the very next day, but I read that I have to schedule a pre-session to inspect the room where I will be taking the test. Do you think a week in advance would be enough time to schedule both appointments?
Thanks in advance.
Harold -
The most important step is to run the system compatibility test on your computer and ensure you receive a green light before scheduling any online exams. After that make sure you have a camera with autofocus and an Ethernet cable. It's also a good idea to have a few white sheets on hand in case the proctor asks you to cover a piece of furniture or other items in the room.
I'd recommend scheduling the test run about three days before your actual exam. That should give you enough time to make any necessary preparations or adjustments if any issues come up.
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