Technical requirements

On this page you will find all the hardware, software, environment, connectivity, and permission requirements that must be met to ensure compatible and consistent exam delivery. Live-in-the-Application (LITA) exams have requirements that are above and beyond those of the exam delivery software or solution; refer to each individual program for detailed information.
 

Important: For information on what exams are available in what languages and versions, please see our Exam Releases page. For Exams from Home, please see our EFH Exams List page.
Note: Exams cannot be delivered during times of periodic maintenance. View the periodic maintenance schedule.

Exam delivery system requirements

For delivery of:

Important: The technical requirements of any locally installed software used with LITA (Live-in-the-Application) exams would be in addition to those of Compass. View each individual exam section in addition to the delivery system for each program your CATC wishes to administer.

Note: If it is not found in the requirements below then it should be considered "Not Supported".
 
Item Required / Minimum Recommended
Operating System Windows 11 Enterprise, Professional, Home, or Education (the locally installed Adobe and Autodesk applications required for Live-in-the-App delivery with Compass are not supported on Windows 11)

Windows 10 Enterprise, Professional, Home, or Education
 Ver. 1607 build 14393.2515 or later (32-bit and 64-bit)

Windows 8.1 Enterprise or Professional (32-bit and 64-bit)
  Note: Some Live-in-the-Application exams support only 64-bit operating systems.
  Important: The language of Windows, the language of the locally installed software (for LITA exams only), the language of Compass, and the exam language must all match. See our FAQs for detailed info.
Admin Rights Local Windows Administrator rights are required to install Compass, configure the settings, and administer local exams.
Processor Pentium 4 or equivalent
1.3 GHz or higher		 Core i5 or equivalent
2.6 GHz or higher
  Note: Some Live-in-the-Application exams support only 64-bit processors. We do not support ARM processors.
RAM (LITA exams) 4GB 8GB
RAM (non-LITA exams) 2GB 4GB
Hard Drive 5GB +1GB over min per exam program installed
Video Resolution 1280 x 800 (Widescreen 16:9)
1024 x 768 (Standard 4:3)		 1920 x 1080 (Widescreen 16:9)
1280 x 1024 (Standard 4:3)
Audio The CSB English for IT exam requires sound through speakers or a headset/headphones. If you are not administering this exam, sound is not required. (Headphones are recommended in a classroom/in-person setting.)

Note: bahabeach's Technical Support team will not be able to troubleshoot any issues related to audio playback or devices.
Security Protocol TLS 1.1 or higher
Internet Connection Speed 256 kbps or DSL High-speed internet connection
Supported Internet Browsers Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 (32-bit version only)
Latest versions of Microsoft Edge, Chrome, or Firefox  
Keyboard & Mouse 2-button wheel mouse
Keyboard
Browser Settings Cookies must be enabled
Printer Printer installed – can be Windows document printer
Additional Software .NET 4.5.2 must be installed (Windows only)
Adobe Reader current version
Firewalls Corporate firewalls (including VPNs) often cause this delivery method to fail. Please take your exam in a setting without a corporate firewall or ensure the ports and IP addresses are whitelisted
Communication Ports & IP addresses

Required: The domain bahabeach.com needs to be accessible. Also, need to have full access through ports 80 (HTTP), 443 (HTTPS), 56774 (TCP), and HTTP redirects permitted.

Recommended: Whitelist the domain "*.bahabeach.com".

Minimum: The following IP addresses must be accessible:

  • 159.182.30.18 | www.bahabeach.com
  • 159.182.31.253 | nuget.bahabeach.com
  • 93.191.169.139 | Additional Security IP
  • 159.182.30.17 | downloads.bahabeach.com
  • 159.182.30.17 | verify.bahabeach.com
  • 64.27.100.27
  • 64.27.64.232
  • 64.106.193.0/24
  • 64.106.220.0/24
  • 206.188.17.0/24
  • 159.182.0.0/16
  • 13.107.246.0/24
  • 13.107.253.0/24
  • 147.243.0.0/16
  • 191.232.166.33 | azuresouthamerica.starttest.com
  • 51.140.142.254 | azureeurope.starttest.com
  • 104.211.154.51 | azureindia.starttest.com
  • 40.122.173.143 | azureuscentral.starttest.com
  • 168.63.220.86 | azurehongkong.starttest.com

Note: If the internet is accessed through an authenticating proxy server and the system is not configured to automatically pass credentials to it, you will experience issues while testing.

The following URL’s may require unrestricted Communication:
 
 
Note: Sometimes it works better on certain systems if you add them in one of these fashions: (1) http://starttest.com, (2) http://starttest2.com, (3) *.starttest.com*, (4 *.starttest2.com*, (5) *.programworkshop.com*.

Prohibited Items

Note: If it is not found on the requirements below or in the Advanced Requirements list then it should be considered 'Not Supported'.
 
Item Exam delivery must adhere to the following restrictions
Portable Computing Devices

Touch Screen Laptops, Tablets and Smartphones are strictly prohibited.

Note: Examples of prohibited portable computing devices include, but are not limited to: Surface Pro, Chromebooks, Android and iOS phones, and tablets.
Processor

Devices running Ultra Mobile Processors are strictly prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to Intel Atom, AMD NEO CPU lines, and ARM CPUs.
RAM Less than the specified minimum RAM of your exam workstation OS
Operating Systems
  • Windows XP & Vista are strictly prohibited
  • Windows Server Operating System strictly prohibited on the exam delivery workstations
  • Virtual environments are strictly prohibited for exam delivery
  • All Linux/Unix based Operating Systems are strictly prohibited
Display Touch Screen monitors are strictly prohibited for exam delivery.
Display resolution less than 1024 x 768 in 16-bit color is strictly prohibited.
Network Connection Pearson strongly recommends avoiding networks configurations that involve Proxy Servers, Advanced Firewall Security Configurations, and other network security measures such as but not limited to packet filtering or packet inspection.
Internet Connection VPN connections are strongly discouraged and will result in disruption to exam delivery.
SSL VPNs are strictly prohibited (e.g., Hotspot Shield).
Dial-Up Internet Connections are not supported.
 
 Internet Browsers Browsers not found on the list of Supported Internet Browsers in this document cannot be used for exam delivery.

For delivery of:

Important: The technical requirements of any locally installed software used with LITA (Live-in-the-Application) exams would be in addition to those of Compass. View each individual exam section in addition to the delivery system for each program your CATC wishes to administer.

Note: If it is not found in the requirements below then it should be considered "Not Supported".
 
Item Required / Minimum Recommended
Operating System Mac OSX Monterey 12.x (for Adobe Certified Professional, the 2021 exams are only supported in Mac OSX versions 12.x and 11.x)
Mac OSX Big Sur 11.x
Mac OSX Catalina 10.15
  Important: The language of Mac OS, the language of the locally installed software (for LITA exams only), the language of Compass, and the exam language must all match. See our FAQs for detailed info.
Admin Rights Local Mac Administrator rights are required to install Compass, but are not required to deliver exams.
Processor Pentium 4 or equivalent
1.3 GHz or higher
 		 Core i5 or equivalent
2.6 GHz or higher
Apple Silicon (M1) processor

Note: The Adobe 2020 & 2019 exams are not supported with the M1 because only Mac OSX versions 12.x and 11.x are compatible on computers with the M1 processor, and the Adobe 2020 & 2019 exams are only supported on Mac OSX version 10.15.
RAM (LITA exams) 4GB 8GB
RAM (non-LITA exams) 2GB 4GB
Hard Drive 5GB +1GB over min per exam program installed
Video Resolution 1280 x 800 (Widescreen 16:9)
1024 x 768 (Standard 4:3)		 1920 x 1080 (Widescreen 16:9)
1280 x 1024 (Standard 4:3)
Audio The CSB English for IT exam requires sound through speakers or a headset/headphones. If you are not administering this exam, sound is not required. (Headphones are recommended in a classroom/in-person setting.)

Note: bahabeach's Technical Support team will not be able to troubleshoot any issues related to audio playback or devices.
Security Protocol TLS 1.1 or higher
Internet Connection Speed 256 kbps or DSL High-speed internet connection
Supported Internet Browsers Safari or Chrome
Keyboard & Mouse Yes
Browser Settings Cookies must be enabled
Printer Printer installed – can be a document printer
Adobe Reader current version
Firewalls Corporate firewalls (including VPNs) often cause this delivery method to fail. Please take your exam in a setting without a corporate firewall or ensure the ports and IP addresses are whitelisted
Communication Ports & IP addresses

Required: The domain bahabeach.com needs to be accessible. Also, need to have full access through ports 80 (HTTP), 443 (HTTPS), and HTTP redirects permitted.

Recommended: Whitelist the domain "*.bahabeach.com".

Minimum: The following IP addresses must be accessible:

  • 159.182.30.18 | www.bahabeach.com
  • 159.182.31.253 | nuget.bahabeach.com
  • 93.191.169.139 | Additional Security IP
  • 159.182.30.17 | downloads.bahabeach.com
  • 159.182.30.17 | verify.bahabeach.com
  • 64.27.100.27
  • 64.27.64.232
  • 64.106.193.0/24
  • 64.106.220.0/24
  • 206.188.17.0/24
  • 159.182.0.0/16
  • 13.107.246.0/24
  • 13.107.253.0/24
  • 147.243.0.0/16
  • 191.232.166.33 | azuresouthamerica.starttest.com
  • 51.140.142.254 | azureeurope.starttest.com
  • 104.211.154.51 | azureindia.starttest.com
  • 40.122.173.143 | azureuscentral.starttest.com
  • 168.63.220.86 | azurehongkong.starttest.com

Note: If the internet is accessed through an authenticating proxy server and the system is not configured to automatically pass credentials to it, you will experience issues while testing.

The following URL’s may require unrestricted Communication:
 
 
Note: Sometimes it works better on certain systems if you add them in one of these fashions: (1) http://starttest.com, (2) http://starttest2.com, (3) *.starttest.com*, (4 *.starttest2.com*, (5) *.programworkshop.com*.

Prohibited Items

Note: If it is not found on the requirements below or in the Advanced Requirements list then it should be considered 'Not Supported'.
 
Item Exam delivery must adhere to the following restrictions
Portable Computing Devices

Touch Screen Laptops, Tablets and Smartphones are strictly prohibited.

Note: Examples of prohibited portable computing devices include, but are not limited to: Surface Pro, Chromebooks, Android and iOS phones, and tablets.
Processor

Devices running Ultra Mobile Processors are strictly prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to Intel Atom, AMD NEO CPU lines, and ARM CPUs (excluding the Apple M1 ARM processor for compatible exams).
RAM Less than the specified minimum RAM of your exam workstation OS
Operating Systems
  • Server operating systems strictly prohibited on the exam delivery workstations
  • Virtual environments are strictly prohibited for exam delivery
  • All Linux/Unix based Operating Systems are strictly prohibited
Display Touch Screen monitors are strictly prohibited for exam delivery.
Display resolution less than 1024 x 768 in 16-bit color is strictly prohibited.
Network Connection Pearson strongly recommends avoiding networks configurations that involve Proxy Servers, Advanced Firewall Security Configurations, and other network security measures such as but not limited to packet filtering or packet inspection.
Internet Connection VPN connections are strongly discouraged and will result in disruption to exam delivery.
SSL VPNs are strictly prohibited (e.g., Hotspot Shield).
Dial-Up Internet Connections are not supported.
 
 Internet Browsers Browsers not found on the list of Supported Internet Browsers in this document cannot be used for exam delivery.

For delivery of:

See the Exams from Home Exams List page for a list of deliverables.

Exam Administrators and Test Candidates must meet or exceed the requirements listed below for Exams from Home:

Note: If it is not found in the requirements below then it should be considered "Not Supported".

EFH Exam Administrator (Proctor) Requirements
Item Required / Minimum
Operating System Windows 11

Windows 10

Mac OSX Sierra 10.12 or higher

Chrome OS (the most current version) - Chromebooks are not supported for Autodesk Certified Professional (ACP) exams
  Important: The language of the OS on your computer must match the exam language your Test Candidate is scheduled to take in Exams from Home
Screen Resolution Recommended minimum screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 (resolutions lower than the minimum will still work, but will require the user to scroll to the right or zoom out in order to see the Chat feature)
Supported Internet Browsers The preferred internet browser is Chrome. Internet Explorer, Edge, and Safari are also supported
Input Devices Keyboard and Mouse
Internet Connection Speed A download speed of at least 10 Mbps*
  Important: Before using the Exams from Home product, we strongly encourage all Exam Administrators 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. 
  *Please Note: Using video conferencing software may put an additional burden on your bandwidth that may exceed the baseline technical requirements we have set forth above. bahabeach's Technical Support team will also not be able to troubleshoot any issues related to third-party software use.

EFH Test Candidate Requirements
Item Required / Minimum
Operating System Windows 10

Mac OSX Sierra 10.12 or higher

Chrome OS (the most current version) - Chromebooks are not supported for Autodesk Certified Professional (ACP) exams
  Important: The language of the OS on your computer must match the exam language you are scheduled to take in Exams from Home
Screen Resolution Recommended minimum screen resolution of 1280 x 800
Supported Internet Browsers The preferred internet browser is Chrome. Internet Explorer, Edge, and Safari are also supported
Input Devices Full Keyboard and Mouse
Internet Connection Speed A download speed of at least 5 Mbps*
  Important: Before using the Exams from Home product, we strongly encourage all Test Candidates 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. 
  *Please Note: Using video conferencing software may put an additional burden on your bandwidth that may exceed the baseline technical requirements we have set forth above. bahabeach's Technical Support team will also not be able to troubleshoot any issues related to third-party software use.
Audio The CSB English for IT exam requires sound through speakers or a headset/headphones. (Headphones are recommended when taking this exam in a classroom/in-person setting.)

Note: bahabeach's Technical Support team will not be able to troubleshoot any issues related to audio playback or devices.
Disclaimer: While it is very unlikely to occur, bahabeach 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 bahabeach Exams from Home.

Certification program requirements

Important
Support links
Exam information