Exams from Home - Exam Administrator

Scheduling an exam session

If you have not scheduled your exam session, please review the delivery model and processes info on the EFH home page to schedule your Test Candidates. Once you have confirmed your appointment, return to this page and review the information prior to your scheduled exam session.

When using the Exams from Home solution please note that there are two time limits you need to be aware of:

• Session time: the amount of time the virtual machine is active - about 1 hour 45 minutes for a standard session (a standard session would be everything except  exams with accommodations)
• Exam time: the actual timed portion the Test Candidate has to complete the certification exam - between 45-60 minutes for all exams except exams with accommodations

Session time is used by the Test Candidate to log in, select the exam, review the tutorial, ask the Proctor any questions, review their results, send feedback, or to complete other similar tasks. If the Test Candidate arrives later than 15 minutes to their scheduled session, they will need to reschedule their exam as there may not be enough overall time to complete all tasks as well as the exam itself.
 

Technical requirements (Exam Administrator - Proctor)

The technical requirements for Exams from Home are now listed on our primary Technical Requirements page.

User training

The video is a summary to the more detailed guide. Please review all available training materials before administering your first session.

Exam Administrator video

Exam Administrator user guide

Exam Administrator Guide

Test drive the Admin VM

We have an offline version of the Admin VM to give Exam Administrators (Proctors) a better idea of the layout and flow of what you would experience during an actual session.

Using the Offline Admin VM Training Tool

• You may use any credentials (or no credentials) to login - no authenticaion is actually occuring
• You may select any of the "practice" Testing Centers as your example
• The test drive illustrates a maximum of 10 users/sessions, your actual session could contain fewer than 10
• If you view the test drive at a resolution lower than 1920 x 1080, you will need to scroll to the right (or zoom out) in order to see the Chat windows - same as the live Admin VM
• The 10 navigation buttons (machine/session names) work to jump up and down the page
• The 10 session windows are screenshots, but illustrate a screen/step you will see during a live session
• The Chat windows and buttons are screenshots and do not function
• The Chat notifications are examples and can be clicked on but do not change status and cannot be dismissed
• The "refresh" and "copy URL" buttons can be clicked but do not perform any actions in offline mode

Begin the Test Drive

Process summary

On the Verify & Unlock Exam screen in Compass, the Exam Administrator (Proctor) verifies the Test Candidate's identity and environment before unlocking the exam.

To facilitate the verification process, Exam Administrators can use a video conferencing platform, like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, FaceTime, or other options. Test Candidates will need a webcam or other device with a camera capable of joining the video call in test centers where verification and monitoring by video are required. Given the limited time frame of the Exams from Home sessions, we recommend performing this immediately before the start of the exam session.
 

Identity Check

Confirm the identity of the Test Candidate. For example, in test centers where verification by video is required, if the candidate is not immediately recognizable the Exam Administrator could direct the candidate to present a school or government-issued photo ID to the webcam, then compare the photo to the live candidate.

Environment Check

Validate that the test candidate has followed the steps to prepare their environment for taking the exam:

• The candidate should be in a private, quiet, well-lit room
• The candidate should clear their workspace:
  • The candidate should only have their computer and accompanying keyboard, mouse, and webcam
  • The candidate is not allowed to use multiple monitors
  • The candidate is not allowed any recording devices (including paper, pens, pencils, cameras, etc.)
  • Unless specifically cleared by the exam administrator as a means of communication with the candidate, the candidate should not have a mobile device within reach
• The candidate should remove all non-religious head coverings

Verifying candidate identity and environment

Unlock the Exam

When the candidate has met the qualifications, check the box to certify that you have validated the candidate identification and environment, enter your proctor credentials, and then unlock the exam.

Monitoring the candidate during the exam

After verifying the candidate identification and environment and unlocking the exam, exam administrators monitor the candidate during the exam.

In test centers where monitoring by video is required, you can direct candidates to join a video call where you can see all candidates during their exam.

If you suspect the candidate is not abiding by the rules of the examination, contact the candidate directly to verify the situation. If you need to terminate the session due to a candidate infraction, direct the candidate to close their web browser and contact bahabeach immediately at 888-222-7890. If technical support is needed, contact bahabeach for help.

Additional items to watch out for:

• In the AdminVM tool, each candidate machine should only have one IP address join and exit once during the session. If more than one unique IP address joins, contact the candidate immediately. Make sure that no one else has access to the candidate link. If the same IP address joins and exits repeatedly, the candidate may be having internet connectivity problems (these gray message boxes appear in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen)
  
• In test centers where monitoring by video is required, if the candidate leaves the view of the webcam, someone else enters the private space, or you hear non-compliant activity, contact the candidate immediately

Ready for your Exam?

After you have reviewed the training materials and scheduled your session, see our exam readiness checklist to review a list of common issues that can be addressed prior to your session.

Frequently asked questions

Q: What should I do if I suspect the Test Candidate may be cheating?
A: Please review our Exam Administration policies and follow the steps outlined in the “Cheating” section.

Q: What should the Test Candidate do if they lose internet or experience an error?
A: The Test Candidate will simply need to click on the link you provided them in order to reestablish the session. If necessary, have them reboot their computer and then try the link again. If their outage is prolonged, or you experience an unrecoverable error, please contact bahabeach immediately.

Q: What should the Exam Administrator do if they lose internet or experience an error?
A: Similar to the Test Candidate, you will simply need to click on the Admin VM link you were emailed in order to reestablish the session (you losing connection will not affect the Test Candidate's sessions). If necessary, reboot your computer and then try the link again (see the guide for additional info on this scenario). If your outage is prolonged, or you experience an unrecoverable error, please contact bahabeach immediately.

Q: Can another Exam Administrator (Proctor) log in to the same Admin VM and help with my session? 
A: No. Only one administrator can be logged into the Admin VM at once.

Q: Is the virtual session a Windows or Mac environment?
A: Test Candidates and Exam Administrators (Proctors) may use a Windows, Mac, or Chromebook device to take an exam or administer a session, but the actual virtual session will occur in a Windows 10 environment. See the Technical Requirements on the Exam Administrator and Test Candidate pages for the full solution requirements.

Q: How does the Test Candidate communicate during exam launch?
A: A Chat feature is part of the virtual Compass application. A Test Candidate can click on the blue "Show/Hide Chat" button on the right-hand side of the screen to open or minimize the chat window and communicate with the Exam Administrator (Proctor) outside of the timed portion of the exam. The Proctor will have up to 10 different chat windows on their side using the Admin VM tool that will always remain open. See the Chat video for detailed information on using Chat.

Q: What happens if the Test Candidate logs in before the session link is active or after it has ended?
A: They will be met with an “Exam Session is not Active” error on an all-white screen.

Q: What happens if the Exam Administrator logs into the Admin VM outside the session time?
A: They will be met with an all-black screen and an “Invalid Symlink” error.

Q: In Autodesk (ACU), "Alt+Tab" is not working for the Test Candidate to switch between the exam and the application, what can they do?
A: There are different options to switch between the Autodesk application and the exam window depending on the type of machine they are using:

Autodesk Certified User (ACU) in English:
When taking ACU exams in English (ENU), the Test Candidate may use the icons on the toolbar located on the far-right side of the page to navigate quickly between Compass and the ACU application. Please review the tutorial for detailed information on the new toolbar.

Q: What is video conferencing software used for?
A: Third-party video conferencing software may be used to communicate with your Test Candidates (outside of the timed portion of the exam or in the event of a technical issue). It may also be used for identity and environment checks. It will never be used to communicate with a bahabeach representative. Using such software will occur simultaneously with your separate virtual session(s) occurring within the bahabeach Admin VM tool. Third-party video conferencing software may only be used to communicate with your Test Candidates during your scheduled session; they cannot be used to directly administer the actual exams - only the bahabeach Admin VM tool can deliver the virtual sessions. Note that using video conferencing or other software may put an additional burden on you or your Test Candidate’s bandwidth that may exceed the baseline technical requirements we have set forth for the Exams from Home solution. bahabeach's Technical Support team will also not be able to troubleshoot any issues related to third-party software use.