General Instructions for Taking the Examination

You will be provided with a laminated note board, dry erase markers, and an eraser. Test center staff will instruct you to write your name and Candidate Identification Number (CIN) on the laminated note board. After you write your name and CIN on the note board, test center staff will collect your permit and escort you to your assigned testing station and provide brief instructions on use of the computer equipment. You must enter your CIN to start the examination. Do not erase your name and CIN from the note board until the end of your test day, as you may need to enter the CIN several times throughout the day. You may then take the optional 15-minute tutorial prior to starting the first block of the examination.

Once you begin a block of 60 items, no authorized breaks are provided during that block. You will have 65 minutes to complete each block. During blocks, the block and daytime clocks continue to run even if you leave the testing room, (e.g., for a personal emergency). If you leave during a block, the test center staff will report that fact as an irregular incident. In addition, the "unauthorized break" screen, described in the examination tutorial, may appear on the monitor at your workstation during a testing block. As explained in the tutorial, the unauthorized break screen will appear after a defined period of inactivity (no mouse click or key entry). Thirty seconds before the appearance of the unauthorized break screen, an "inactivity timeout" warning will appear. If you do not click as instructed on the warning screen, the unauthorized break screen will appear after 30 seconds. You will then have to enter your CIN to continue with the examination.

Each time you leave the testing room, you are required to sign out and sign in when you return. You must present your government-issued photo identification each time you sign in.

Each block ends when its time expires or when you exit from it. The test session ends when you have started and exited all blocks or the total time for the test expires. You will sign out as you leave the test center and receive a Test Completion Notice.

After you start taking the examination, you cannot cancel or reschedule unless a technical problem prevents you from completing your examination. If you experience a computer problem during the test, notify test center staff immediately. The testing software is designed to allow the test to restart at the point it was interrupted. In most cases, your test can be restarted at the point of interruption with no loss of testing time. However, it is possible that a technical problem may occur that does not permit you to complete your examination. In that event, arrangements will be made to allow you to test at a later date at no additional charge.