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Technical requirements (Exam Administrator - Proctor)

Exam Administrators (Proctors) will log in to our website to schedule sessions with the calendar tool and administer the exams with the dashboard tool. As such, the Exam Administrator (Proctor) only needs a device with a large enough screen resolution to fully view the scheduling calendar and the activity dashboard through a browser.

• Laptop or Desktop (recommended)
• Tablets or other mobile devices
• The preferred internet browser is Chrome. Edge and Safari are also supported
• High-speed internet

Scheduling an exam session using the calendar tool

Instructions on how to schedule a Compass Cloud event session as an Exam Administrator (Proctor) are also illustrated in the user guide , in the scheduling details in the next sesion, and in the video below. Review all technical requirements and training materials on this page prior to scheduling your first session.

Calendar tool training video

Session time (LITA exams only)

When using the Compass Cloud solution please note that there are two time limits you need to be aware of when delivering Live-in-the-Application (Adobe, Autodesk, or Microsoft Office Specialist) exams. Only Live-in-the-Application (LITA) exams employ the use of virtual machines on Compass Cloud, so Session time is only applicable to that type of exam delivery, but all Test Candidates must arrive and be ready to test at least 5 minutes prior to their scheduled start time no matter which exam they are taking.

• Session time: the amount of time the virtual machine is active (approx 2 hours) or until the Test Candidate finishes the exam and disconnects from the session
• Exam time: the actual timed portion the Test Candidate has to complete the certification exam - between 45-60 minutes for all standard exams

Session time is used by the Test Candidate to log in, review the tutorial, ask the Exam Administrator (Proctor) any questions, review their results, send feedback, or to complete other similar tasks. If the Test Candidate arrives later than 30 minutes to their scheduled session, they will be locked out and need to reschedule their exam as there may not be enough overall time to complete all tasks as well as the exam itself.

User training for Exam Administrators (Proctors)

After you have watched the video, please note these important items. Review all available training materials before administering your first session and determine the actual number of committed Test Candidates carefully in your session request. For a detailed and illustrated look at the process for Exam Administrators (Proctors), please refer to the user guide.

Scheduling a session

1. You will schedule a single session event for up to 50 Test Candidates and up to 5 different exam titles using the calendar tool.
2. There are two different browser-based tools: The calendar tool is an online app that works inside a browser and is accessed by logging in to our website. When you administer exams, you will start a session from the calendar, at which point the administration dashboard will open in a new/additional browser tab.
3. The person creating the session does not have to be the Exam Administrator (Proctor), but only the designated Exam Administrator (Proctor) can confirm the session. So if you are creating a session for someone else, this ensures they are aware of it by only letting the person actually proctoring the exams to confirm the session.
4. If an Organization Administrator/Member creates a session for an Exam Administrator (Proctor), they will still receive a copy of all the emails that are sent to the Proctor (except the reminder emails to confirm the session), which can only be performed by the Exam Administrator (Proctor). See more on confirming sessions below.
5. Once you create a session, you cannot edit the CATC, the payment method, the exam language, or the exam titles. If you need to change those details you must delete the session and create a new one.
6. You can only create a new session a minimum of one hour prior to the start time specified in the event.
7. You can cancel your session up to one hour before it is scheduled to begin. After that, it becomes locked, and it cannot be cancelled, nor can any session information be edited during that final hour.
8. When a session is created, any corresponding licenses, inventory, or "CATC assigned" vouchers matching the number of candidates specified in a session will be debited from your CATC's account and put on hold (a.k.a "reserved"). This ensures that when the session actually occurs, your CATC has enough pieces to cover it. Cancelling the session early will release the hold. If you do not have a sufficient payment method, or the payment method will expire by the date of the session, or the payment method is not yet active, you will not be able to continue. Other elements such as not having an active site license agreement could also prevent session creation. See the "Using Vouchers" section on this page when scheduling sessions using vouchers.
9. If, for example, a session begins for 10 Test Candidates and 2 are sick the day of the event, we would return the 2 unused payment methods back to the CATCs account after the session is completed. (This may take a few hours to process.)
10. After scheduling an event, you will receive an email with instructions and Access Codes for your Test Candidates. The Access Codes will be unique for each exam title. For example, if 25 out of the maximum of 50 Test Candidates within a single scheduled session are taking IC3 Digital Literacy GS6 L1, then their Access Codes will be the same. The Access Code is also what ties the Compass Cloud desktop app to your specific CATC and the participating Test Candidates for the purposes of reporting.
11. If you or the Test Candidate realizes that they were signed up to take the wrong exam, and the correct exam is not among the exam titles in your current session, this can only be changed by deleting and recreating the session, or by creating an additional session.

Confirming a session

1. After you schedule your session in the calendar, you will need to confirm it. You will get two reminders to confirm your session. First at 24 hours prior to your session start time, then again at 2 hours prior. Sessions that are not confirmed will be automatically cancelled at 1 hour prior to the start of the event. Session confirmation reminders are received by the Exam Administrator (Proctor) via email, but you can also opt-in to receive them via SMS text message. See the user guide for details.
2. You can only confirm a session in the last 24 hours before the start time specified in your event.
3. Creating a session in the calendar is not the same as confirming it. You must enter the calendar tool, view your upcoming session, and click the "Confirm session" button in the 24 hours leading up to your event. After doing so, your exam session status in the calendar will change from the orange "Confirmation required" to the green "Confirmed". 
4. Sessions that are created fewer than 2 hours prior to the scheduled start time will be automatically confirmed.

Administering a session

1. Five minutes prior to the scheduled session time, you will log in to the Certiport website and access the calendar tool.
2. Locate your session and click "Start session", which will open a new browser tab showing you the administration dashboard. This dashboard will display each of the joined Test Candidates in a list (per exam title), along with their status, name and exam details, and allow you to verify & unlock Test Candidates that are showing ready.
3. At the same time (five minutes prior), the Test Candidates can log in to the desktop app and enter the Access Code you provided to them. Exam Administrators (Proctors) will administer exams according to our in-person Exam Administration policies. 
4. Upon launching the Compass Cloud desktop app, the Test Candidate will enter a locked down state, and they will not be able to tab to any other open applications. Before the exam has started, they can exit the Compass Cloud app by clicking "Close window" at the bottom of the screen or by clicking their name in the top, right-hand corner of the screen and clicking "Log out", but after being verified and unlocked, they will not be able to exit Compass Cloud until the exam has been completed and scored.
5. Remember that the Exam Group (optional) and Payment Method are selected during session creation, so the Test Candidate will not be prompted to select or enter these details. However, if you are using the "User assigned voucher" payment type when scheduling a session, there will be an action that any participating Test Candidates will need to perform before the session (see the "Using Vouchers" section on this page for more info).
6. You will guide each Test Candidate through the exam launch process and then verify & unlock each exam. With the new group proctoring ability, you can now unlock a single candidate, a specific group, or all participating candidates as a batch from the administration dashboard (this occurs per exam title).
7. If a Test Candidate logs in and enters their Access Code, they will wait in an area called the lobby until you unlock them. 
8. The Test Candidate takes their exam, reviews their score report and ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ progress, and then exits from the session. 
9. Once all Test Candidates are finished, you can exit from the administration dashboard.

Errors & troubleshooting

LITA exams only:

Exams administered with Compass Cloud from the Adobe, ACU, or MOS suites are delivered in a virtual environment. If you should encounter an issue within that environment that is preventing the Test Candidate from proceeding with their exam, it's possible to restart the VM on which the exam is taking place.

During an active session on the administration dashboard, locate the Test Candidate experiencing issues in the list of session participants, click the three dots under the "options" column at the end of the row, then click "Restart VM".

Use the “Restart VM” button to try and resolve serious issues related to the software the Test Candidate is using on the VM, such as the LITA software has frozen or experienced an unrecoverable error. Using the Restart VM button will disconnect the Test Candidate, which typically takes just a couple minutes to restore the session and allow the Test Candidate to resume their exam (in times of high traffic this could take up to 10 minutes). The Test Candidate will see a loading icon during this time.

Note: See the FAQs for more troubleshooting tips.

Using Vouchers in Compass Cloud

Start by familiarizing yourself with the following terms:

• Center assigned voucher: A payment method selected in the calendar for vouchers that a CATC has purchased. Vouchers used with this payment method cannot be pre-assigned to a Test Candidate at the time of session creation.
• User assigned voucher: A payment method selected in the calendar for vouchers that the Test Candidate has pre-assigned to themselves, but must also associate to the scheduled exam session via Access Code after the session is created. If you are using this payment method, you must instruct any participating Test Candidates to pre-assign their voucher to themselves and then to associate it to a scheduled session at least 1 hour before the session starts (see the FAQs below for instructions).
• Pre-Assigned voucher: A voucher that has been assigned to a Test Candidate prior to taking an exam so that no other Test Candidate can redeem it. Only Test Candidates can pre-assign a voucher to themselves.
• Reserved Voucher: An unassigned voucher belonging to a CATC that has been put on hold by Compass Cloud to make certain it is available for a scheduled exam session. Vouchers are reserved when employing the "Center assigned voucher" payment method.
• Associated Voucher / Associated to a Session: A pre-assigned voucher that has also been associated to a scheduled exam session via an Access Code. Vouchers that need to be associated to a session are ones that will be used when employing the "User assigned voucher" payment method.

Voucher Payment Types

There are now two voucher payment types to select from in Compass Cloud. Although there are some exceptions (see FAQ), a good baseline instruction for voucher use is:

• Center assigned voucher: Vouchers used in this payment method can never be associated to a session, and for clarity it is best to avoid having any of your vouchers pre-assigned to Test Candidates.
• User assigned voucher: Vouchers used in this payment method must be pre-assigned and must be associated to a session after the session has been scheduled in the calendar tool.

Using Vouchers FAQ

Q: Can we use vouchers in Compass Cloud?
A: Yes. Vouchers that your CATC has purchased and are not pre-assigned to a Test Candidate can be used as a payment method when scheduling your exam session (including Vouchers with a Retake option). In the Compass Cloud calendar you would select "Center assigned voucher" as the payment method when scheduling a session using these types of available vouchers.

Q: What is the difference between the “Center assigned voucher” and a “User assigned voucher” payment methods?
A: Use the “Center assigned voucher” payment method when you have vouchers that have been purchased by your CATC and show up in your account as an active payment method. Use the “User assigned voucher” payment method with vouchers that the Test Candidate has pre-assigned to themselves, but must also then associate said voucher to a scheduled exam session via Access Code after the session is created. Vouchers used under the “User assigned voucher” payment method may be ones that the Test Candidate acquired on their own (either purchased through our or were given to the Test Candidate through an outside promotion, etc.) which would not show up under a CATC’s account. However, vouchers used in the “User assigned voucher” payment method could also be ones that the CATC purchased, so long as they are not already reserved for a Compass Cloud session, or already pre-assigned and associated to another Compass Cloud session.

Q: When scheduling a session with the “User assigned voucher” payment method, can the voucher already be pre-assigned to a Test Candidate?
A: Yes. Since you aren’t actually tying the session to any particular voucher at the time of session creation, the voucher could be pre-assigned to a Test Candidate so long as the voucher is valid for the exam specified in the scheduled session and not yet associated to another Compass Cloud session.

Q: What if a CATC has vouchers that have been pre-assigned to a Test Candidate?
A: If you encounter a scenario where your CATC has purchased vouchers but also has one or more already pre-assigned to a Test Candidate, then you could still select "Center assigned voucher" when scheduling a session in the calendar as long as you have enough additional unassigned vouchers matching the total number of Test Candidates scheduled for the session. Remember that vouchers are reserved when the session is created using the "Center assigned voucher" payment method, and that vouchers to-be-reserved cannot be pre-assigned to a Test Candidate. In the same scenario, you could also use the “User assigned voucher” payment method for just those vouchers already pre-assigned to Test Candidates, so long as they then associate any pre-assigned vouchers to the scheduled exam session using their Access Code after the session has been created.

Q: Can the Test Candidate purchase their own voucher and use it with Compass Cloud?
A: Yes. Vouchers that a Test Candidate has purchased or acquired on their own can also be used, but they must be pre-assigned to themselves and associated to a scheduled session via their exam Access Code after the session has been created. If you know a Test Candidate has their own voucher, you would select "User assigned voucher" as the payment method when scheduling a session in the calendar, then give the Test Candidate the Access Code so they can associate it to the session.

Q: Can we schedule a mix of “Center assigned voucher” and “User assigned voucher” payment methods within a single session?
A: No. The fundamental guidance here is whether the voucher is associated to a scheduled exam session. If it’s not associated and do not plan on associating it to the session, use the “Center assigned voucher” payment method. If you plan on associating a pre-assigned voucher to a scheduled exam session, use the “User assigned voucher” payment method. Only pre-assigned vouchers can be associated to a scheduled exam session using Access Codes.

Q: How can we check if we have available vouchers or if they have already been assigned to a Test Candidate?
A: Log in to www.certiport.com as an Organization Administrator. Hover over the "My Certiport" tab and click on the dropdown for "Vouchers". As shown in the image below, the "Product" column will indicate if the order is for a "voucher" or "voucher + retake". The "Available" column will indicate how many unredeemed and unassigned vouchers are remaining in that order. You can click the orange "Detail" link to see if any of the vouchers in the order are pre-assigned to any Test Candidates (or “reserved” for a “Center assigned voucher” session), along with additional info. If present, the orange "Reassign" link is not for changing the Test Candidate pre-assignment, but rather transferring an order of vouchers to another CATC if you have a multisite account. Only a Test Candidate can unassign a voucher by logging in to www.certiport.com, locating the voucher under "My Exams" and clicking the green "Remove/Unassign" button.

Q: How does a Test Candidate associate their own voucher to a scheduled exam session?
A: The session must be created and the voucher must already be pre-assigned (learn how a Test Candidate can pre-assign a voucher). After that, to associate a pre-assigned voucher to a Compass Cloud session, the Test Candidate must log in to the website at www.certiport.com, scroll down to "My Exams" and enter their exam Access Code in the field and click "Associate session".

Q: How does Compass Cloud determine which vouchers to reserve and then use?
A: When scheduling a session in Compass Cloud and using the “Center assigned voucher” payment method, your CATC must have enough unredeemed and unassigned vouchers - matching the number of participating Test Candidates specified in the session - available to be reserved at the time the session is created (which we then hold until the date of the scheduled session). However, if you allow your Test Candidates to pre-assign additional vouchers your CATC has purchased that are not among the reserved vouchers for the session, Compass Cloud will redeem the pre-assigned vouchers first, then it will redeem from the pool of vouchers that were initially reserved for the session, with the difference being returned to the CATC’s account after the session is over.

Q: What happens if the Test Candidate forgets to associate their voucher to a scheduled session?
A: When using the "User assigned voucher" payment method, even if the session has been confirmed, if no Test Candidates have associated their vouchers to a scheduled session, the session will be cancelled at one hour prior to the start of the event. You must instruct your Test Candidates to associate their pre-assigned voucher to the session at least 1 hour before the session is scheduled to begin when using the "User assigned voucher" payment method.

Q: How do Vouchers with Retakes work in Compass Cloud?
A: Upon initial redemption, a Voucher with Retake works like a standard Voucher and can be utilized with either voucher payment method in Compass Cloud as described on this page. After that point, it is important to first understand how Vouchers with Retakes work (a.k.a. “Voucher + Retake”). Like regular Vouchers, Vouchers with Retakes can be purchased by either the CATC or the Test Candidate, they can be pre-assigned to a Test Candidate or remain unassigned, and if pre-assigned they could also be associated to a scheduled exam session for Compass Cloud.
 
How they differ from regular Vouchers occurs after they are redeemed, as there is the potential for a completely different 2nd voucher to be generated. A Test Candidate first uses the voucher portion, and only if the Test Candidate fails the exam does a “Retake Voucher” become generated. So, think about a Voucher + Retake as really being a Voucher and a separate Retake Voucher. However, the Retake Voucher will have a different voucher number (16-char redemption key) than the original Voucher, it will be automatically pre-assigned to the Test Candidate that failed the exam, it will NOT show up in a CATC’s orders even if they purchased it, and it can only be used with the “User Assigned Voucher” payment method in Compass Cloud*, which will require the Test Candidate to associate it to a scheduled session as described on this page. For other details about Retake Vouchers, please see our Voucher Policies page.

Frequently asked questions

Q: What if I have not received my confirmation email by the time our scheduled session has begun?
A: After creating an event in the calendar, the confirmation email will be sent almost immediately. If you have not received it within 5 minutes, check your email spam filters and if you still cannot locate them, return to the calendar, locate your session event in the dashboard, click three dot icon under "options" at the end of the row and then choose "Resend confirmation email" to generate the email again. If you continue to experience issues receiving your confirmation, please delete the session and create a new event.

Q: I received the email that my session was created but my session status still shows "Confirmation required".
A: The first email you receive contains your Test Candidate Access Codes and additional information about administering exams with Compass Cloud, it does not actually confirm your session in the calendar. After you are certain that all your session details are correct (and you are less than 24 hours to the start of your session), log in to the calendar tool, view your session, and click the "Confirm session" button, at which point another email will be sent to you.

Q: I went to confirm the session and the "Confirm session" button is grayed out.
A: Only the designated Exam Administrator (Proctor) can confirm a session. If someone created a session but assigned an Exam Administrator (Proctor) other than themselves, they cannot confirm a session, even if they are a Certiport Organization Administrator.

Q: It's fewer than 24 hours to the start of my session, I have not received my email reminder to confirm, and my status is stuck on "Scheduled", what could be wrong?
A: It's possible the system did not refresh your status and trigger the next status condition of "Confirmation required". Go to your session, click "Edit", and then without making any changes, click "Save" again which should refresh the status and trigger the email which will allow you to confirm.

Q: If I sign up for SMS text messages, what will I receive?
A: You will only receive notifications/reminders to confirm your session. Session creation or session cancellation notices are not delivered via text, only email. Copies of session confirmation reminders will continue to be sent via email as well as text, even if you opt-in for SMS text messages. If you are creating a session on behalf of another Exam Administrator (Proctor), and said Proctor would like to receive session confirmation reminders via SMS text, they need to log in to the Compass Cloud dashboard calendar and opt-in prior to session creation.

Q: I signed up for SMS text messages, but did not receive anything, what could be wrong?
A: Either you created a session that was within 2 hours of the designated start time and your session was automatically confirmed, or you missed one or more checkboxes within the opt-in screen. See the user guide for more info. You will also not receive text messages if you created a session on behalf of another authorized Exam Administrator (Proctor).

Q: Can we change session details even after we have confirmed the session?
A: Yes. As long as the session status is not showing as "Cancelled" or "Completed", you can edit some of the session details. However, once a session is created, you cannot edit the CATC, the payment method, the exam language, or the exam titles. If you need to change those details you must delete the session and create a new one. The session cannot be cancelled, and no session information can be edited in the last 60 mins before the actual event.

Q: Do we really only have a 5-minute window to begin our session?
A: No. The button to “Start session” will be grayed out until 5 minutes prior to your scheduled start time, but then you have an additional 15 minutes after the start time to initiate the session (for a total of 20 minutes). If you go longer than the 20 minutes the session will drop off the “Next session” list and you will be unable to start it or cancel it. You will not receive a notice or email if this occurs.

Q: I started my session but a new browser tab with the proctoring dashboard did not open.
A: Return to the calendar, locate your session, click on the 3 dots at the end of the row and click "Resume exam" to try again. If this does not work, ensure you are using one of our supported browsers and then contact Support if you cannot get the individual tab containing the administration dashboard to open.

Q: I scheduled a session but had some no-shows, what happens to those unused payment methods?
A: If, for example, a session begins for 10 Test Candidates and 2 are sick the day of the event, we would return the 2 unused payment methods back to the CATCs account after the session is completed. This may take a few hours to process.

Q: I have an Adobe, ACU, or MOS exam that is frozen, how can I fix it?
A: If a Test Candidate is unable to proceed with testing due to an error or freeze on the virtual machine, you can try to restart the VM by locating the Test Candidate in the proctoring dashboard, clicking the 3 dots at the end of the row under options, then clicking Restart VM. See the Errors & Troubleshooting section under the User Training section on this page for detailed info.

Q: The Test Candidate requires an ADA accommodation; can I still apply for one with Compass Cloud?
A: Yes. ADA accommodations are supported in the Compass Cloud solution in the form of extended testing time for pre-approved candidates. However, accessibility tools such as JAWS and other screen readers are not supported. Certiport’s Compass for Windows and Compass for Mac locally installed solutions still support all forms of accommodations detailed on our ADA page.

Note: With Compass Cloud, there is nothing additional that needs to be performed for ADA that must be selected when scheduling an exam session for a Test Candidate with an accommodation. Simply schedule a Test Candidate that is already approved for an accommodation, and they will have extended time when they launch their exam. If a Test Candidate does not have extended time but has been approved, please contact Customer Service (it can take up to 10 days after submitting an ADA request and all supporting documentation to be approved).

Q: Can we schedule a mix of ADA-approved Test Candidates along with regular-time Test Candidates in one scheduled exam session event?
A: Yes. Since the accommodation approval “flag” comes from the Test Candidate’s user account profile, Compass Cloud will adapt to the different types of exam lengths and stay active as long as required (or until the exam time runs out). It is imperative that ADA Test Candidates that are taking Live-in-the-Application exams do not start their exam late or they may run out of session time.

Q: Our CATC employs the use of both Compass Cloud and Compass for Windows. Can a Test Candidate begin their exam in one system and then resume it in another system?
A: No. You must resume the exam in the same system in which is was started, and preferably on the exact same testing workstation.

Q: Our CATC just started using Compass Cloud but we also use Compass for Windows still; do we have to schedule sessions in the calendar when using Compass for Windows?
A: No. Only Compass Cloud requires the scheduling of exam sessions using the online calendar in the Certiport Portal.