best practices for Certiport Exams from Home

TEST CANDIDATE – EXAMS FROM HOME GUIDE
UPDATED: 10/12/2020 – V 1.10.2 © 2020 Certiport, a business of NCS Pearson, Inc.
Guide Summary
This guide outlines the processes and best practices for Certiport Exams from Home. You will work with your Exam
Administrator (Instructor) to be administered a session of the Compass exam software in a virtual environment. The
sessions will be tailored to the exams you signed up for, and the Compass software will not require any setup. Please
review everything in this guide, including all troubleshooting and frequently asked questions.
Technical Requirements
• Laptop or Desktop with Windows 10, or Mac OSX Sierra 10.12 or higher
o The language of the OS on your computer must match the exam language you are scheduled to take
• Chromebooks with the most current OS – Not supported for Autodesk exams
• Keyboard and mouse (see FAQs if using a laptop with Autodesk exams)
• Recommended minimum screen resolution of 1280 x 800
• The preferred internet browser is Chrome. Internet Explorer, Edge, and Safari are also acceptable
• A bandwidth download speed of at least 5Mbps*
*Important: Before using the Exams from Home product, we strongly encourage all users to test their bandwidth to
verify it is adequate and ensure the session will not be interrupted. A reputable third-party site you may use is
www.speedtest.net. Ensure other members of your household are offline during the bandwidth test and during your
actual exam session. If your Exam Administrator chooses to use third-party software such as Teams or Zoom to
communicate during your session, that could exceed the 5Mbps baseline we have set forth above.
Important Info
Please review these instructions in advance of your scheduled exam time. If you have any questions about this guide,
please contact your Exam Administrator (Instructor).
• Review the Tutorial of the exam you signed up for prior to your appointment.
• You will need your Certiport login/username and password. Please have this information ready before your
scheduled exam time. If you have lost your username or password click here.
• Ensure exam security by strictly adhering to the following:
✓ If possible, find a space to take your exam without distractions or other people.
✓ No mobile or other computing devices are allowed.
✓ No recording devices are allowed (this includes paper, pens, pencils, cameras, etc.).
✓ Close all open browsers and applications prior to the exam.
✓ Have other household members refrain from using the internet during your exam session.
Important: Accessing anything other than the exam during testing will invalidate your exam and you will be
removed from the session. These actions will result in a failed exam and suspension of your Certiport account.
Process
1. Your Exam Administrator (Instructor) will provide you with a link that will allow you to connect to a virtual
session from your personal computer and take your Certiport exam from home. The exam will be administered
remotely. The link will not come from Certiport, just a plain email with your individual link from the Instructor.
Page 1
TEST CANDIDATE – EXAMS FROM HOME GUIDE
UPDATED: 10/12/2020 – V 1.10.2 © 2020 Certiport, a business of NCS Pearson, Inc.
2. When you click the link provided to
you by the Exam Administrator
(Instructor), a browser window opens
(based on your default) and you will
see a virtual Windows 10 desktop,
with the Compass software open and
ready for you to log in; the Notepad
application will be open on top of
Compass (used for communication).
Chrome is used in this example.
3. You may need to expand the browser
for optimal viewing. To do this, click
the three vertical buttons on the top
right side of the window and click
expand in the dropdown menu.
(Chrome is used in this example; other
browsers have similar steps.)
4. Read the message in the Notepad, minimize it,
and then sign into Compass using your
Certiport username and password. If you are
not yet registered, click on the “Create an
account now” link. If you forgot your
username or password, click on the “I Cannot
Access My Account” link.
5. If you have any issues or questions during this
process, click back to the Notepad already
opened on the virtual desktop. You can
communicate with the Exam Administrator
by typing your questions in to this window.
The keyboard and mouse are shared by you
and the Exam Administrator during chat.
Once the exam begins, no other
communication path will be allowed or
available. Important: Do not enter any
personal information into the Notepad during
your testing session. If you become
disconnected, see the “Errors &
Troubleshooting” section below.
Step 2
Notepad

Step 4
Page 2
TEST CANDIDATE – EXAMS FROM HOME GUIDE
UPDATED: 10/12/2020 – V 1.10.2 © 2020 Certiport, a business of NCS Pearson, Inc.
6. Once you are signed in, select whether you are
part of an Exam Group or using a Voucher.
Turn either slider to Yes to open the fields for
each section. Your Administrator (Instructor)
should have notified you the name of your
Exam Group and which payment method (i.e.
voucher/license) to use.
7. Fill in or select from the dropdown your Exam
Group name and/or Voucher code. Note:
Voucher info will only be in the dropdown if it
has been pre-assigned. Click the Next button.
8. You will be presented with a list of all exams.
Use the search to narrow down your selection
(e.g. “Word” or “CC 2018”) and click the blue
link to select it. The selected exam must match
the exam scheduled by your Exam
Administrator (Instructor). Ensure you know
the Program name (e.g. Microsoft Office
Specialist) and the exact Exam name and
version (e.g. Excel 2016). Note: Not all exams
have version years.)
9. Read and accept the Non-Disclosure (NDA) and
EULA agreements if you have not already done
so.
10. Verify your information and wait for the Exam
Administrator to temporarily take over the
keyboard and mouse to sign in and unlock the
exam for you. The controls will then return to
you at which point you will review the exam
tutorial and then begin your exam (exam
timer does not begin until after the
tutorial).
11. When you complete your exam, you will
see your score report. Be patient while
your score is calculated and upload the
results. Do not press any buttons or
perform any actions while waiting for
your score to upload. Although you will
see your score almost immediately, you
will not be able to download or print it
from within the virtual session. It may also
take longer for your results to be finalized
and displayed within your online transcript.
12. Close the Compass software, close your
browser window containing the virtual
session, and the Exam Administrator will
end the virtual session.
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 10
Page 3
TEST CANDIDATE – EXAMS FROM HOME GUIDE
UPDATED: 10/12/2020 – V 1.10.2 © 2020 Certiport, a business of NCS Pearson, Inc.
Errors & Troubleshooting
If you should lose internet, experience an error, or otherwise lose connection with the virtual session, simply click on
the link that your Exam Administrator (Instructor) provided to you to reconnect. If necessary, reboot your computer and
then click the link again. If your outage is prolonged, or you experience an unrecoverable error, please contact your
Exam Administrator (Instructor) immediately.
Disclaimer: While it is very unlikely to occur, Certiport is not responsible for any damage to data, software, computer,
telecommunications, or other equipment (including damage caused by virus transmission) that candidates may
experience as a result of using Certiport Exams from Home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What if I have not received my session hyperlink by the time my session has begun?
A: If you have not received your session hyperlink an hour before the start of your scheduled session please contact your
Exam Administrator (Instructor) immediately.
Q: What should I do if I lose internet or experience an error?
A: You will simply need to click on the link your Instructor emailed again in order to reestablish the session. If necessary,
reboot your computer and then try the link again. If your outage is prolonged, or you experience an unrecoverable error,
please contact your Certiport representative immediately.
Q: How do I communicate during exam launch?
A: The virtual session is a Windows 10 desktop and the application Notepad will be open on the desktop. Use the blank
Notepad instance to communicate back and forth with the Exam Administrator. Important: Do not enter any personal
information (PII) into the Notepad during your testing session. Should you provide personally identifiable information in
the Notepad during a testing session, the Certiport representative (Monitor) will immediately terminate the exam
session.
Q: What happens if I log in before the session link is
active or after it has ended?
A: You will be met with an “Exam Session is not Active”
error.
Q: I’m receiving a message saying my Office software
doesn’t match my exam selection, what is happening?
A: A feature was added to Compass on Sept 17, 2020 to
detect the Office software
that is locally installed and
verify that it aligns with
the exam you selected.
Ensure you select the exact
same exam that your Exam
Administrator signed you
up to take.
Page 4
TEST CANDIDATE – EXAMS FROM HOME GUIDE
UPDATED: 10/12/2020 – V 1.10.2 © 2020 Certiport, a business of NCS Pearson, Inc.
Q: In Autodesk (ACU/ACP), Alt+Tab is not working to switch between the exam and the application, what can I do?
A: There are different keystrokes that the Test Candidate needs to use depending on what type of computer you are
taking the exam on:

*Note: If you are using a Windows laptop or external mini keyboard that does not
have dedicated PageUp and PageDown keys you will need to add the Function
(Fn) key to your keystroke. Example: Fn+ALT+PageUp or Fn+ALT+PageDown.
Q: How do I change my default browser to Chrome?
Windows 10:
1. Navigate to Settings. You can get there from the Start menu or type it
into the search field.
2. Select System.
3. Click Default apps in the left pane.
4. Click the current default browser under the “Web browser” heading (e.g. Edge).
5. Select the Chrome in the menu that pops up.
Mac OSX:
1. Launch the Chrome app on the Mac.
2. Look under the initial “Settings” section and go to the bottom.
3. Click on “Make Google Chrome my default browser”
Q: I require an ADA accommodation; can I still apply for one with Exams from Home?
A: Yes, please contact your Exam Administrator. Certiport is committed to ensuring that those persons with the desire to
certify their proficiency in the use of computers should have the opportunity to do so. Certiport is committed to providing
access for all individuals with disabilities.
Certiport and its Authorized Testing Centers require advance notification of requests for accommodations as well as a
reasonable amount of time to review and implement such requests. Certiport and its CATC’s are not obligated to
accommodate examinees with language limitations unrelated to a documented disability (e.g., English as a second
language, literacy) nor to provide unlimited time for the completion of exams that are designed to certify not only
knowledge but also efficiency in the use of computers. For more information see our ADA page.
Page 5
An example of a keyboard
with multipurpose keys:
(PageUp and PageDown
keys combined with the
arrow keys.