⚡️ ♈️ 🤵 Microsoft online certification - you, your space, and your computer 🚶🏻 👭 🚣🏽

At the time of this writing (April 2020), most of the world is at home to contain the spread of COVID-19. In this regard, most testing centers were closed, which violated the plans of many people for Microsoft certification. Fortunately, you still have the opportunity to pass the exam in a comfortable environment, without leaving your home or other place of your stay using the Internet and proctoring.

The Microsoft Developer Support team has prepared some tips on how to prepare for one of these exams, what to look for before the exam, and what to expect during the exam.

The purpose of this article is not to tell you what certification you should pass or how to prepare for it. If you are looking for just such a guide, you should check outAn article by our colleague at Developer Support, Greg Roe. Greg is a super-certified tester who has passed 17 exams in the last 12 months.

When can I pass the exam?

There are many time options available for you to take exams - proctors (hereinafter referred to as testing assistants) are located in different time zones around the world and often are in different time zones from you.

Make sure your computer is ready.

Perform a system test . The test is here , and you must run it on your computer long before the start of testing. You will also have to run it right before testing in case of any changes. The test consists of checking your webcam, Internet connection, and also that you can hear and speak with the proctor at the beginning and during the exam. Do not plan to use headphones as they are prohibited.

Make sure you have a working webcam- A webcam is used throughout the exam so that the proctor can monitor your actions. Make sure that the camera lens is clean and that a good, clear image is visible through it. Consider using the camera application on your OS to see what your camera sees. When setting up the exam, you will need to scan the entire room using a webcam, so if you use an external webcam, make sure that it has a sufficiently long wire. If you use the built-in webcam on your laptop, make sure that you can freely move the laptop screen around to scan the area.

Make sure your speakers and microphone are working.. Before the exam, you will talk with the proctor and listen to the pre-examination instructions from him. They will also be used to communicate with the proctor during the exam.

Use a wired connection if possible . This is very important if you have any laboratory work to be done through the Azure or Office 365 portals. If you have a sufficiently “strong” and reliable wireless connection, you should not have any problems, but wired communication is still preferable.

Consider using a larger screen if possible.. It is not allowed to have multiple monitors in your test area, so if you have a small monitor or a small laptop, consider closing the cover and using a larger external screen. This is especially important during laboratory work.

Make sure your room is ready

Warn your household about the upcoming exam . Be sure to tell them when you will take the exam and that you will not be disturbed during this time. It may be worth hanging a sign to serve as a reminder. Also, if there are forgetful people among your household, share with them information that your exam will be canceled if they enter at least for a moment. It can be difficult to negotiate with a 6-year-old child, so if you have small children, be sure to think about a good strategy.

Make sure the room temperature is comfortable. Try to feel as comfortable as possible by wearing clothes that are appropriate for the temperature of your workplace. Eliminate any need for temperature changes by turning on / off fans or other devices.

Remove all unnecessary . Well, maybe not quite all. Make sure that posters, books (books should not be located within reach, and their placement should not seem suspicious), electronic devices with text / graphic displays or making sounds, devices with voice assistants (Google Home, Alexa, etc. ), smart watches, wireless speakers, books, notebooks / paper, stickers for notes, writing instruments, removable mirrors and whiteboards removed from the testing area.

Professional advice: Do not take your mobile phone far, as you will need it to enter the exam. You will remove it immediately after entering.

If you have pets that may interfere . Be sure to restrict their access to your testing area. If you have automatic pet-feeding devices that play audio recordings, temporarily disable them.

Make sure you're ready

No breaks, including food or drink . A clean unlabelled bottle of water is allowed, but do not plan to have any other edible or drinkable items in your testing area, including coffee or tea. Chewing gum is no exception.

Bio break - be sure to take care of this before you start the test. Unlike passing the exam in many testing centers, here you are not allowed to take a break or leave the test area after the exam begins.

Do not touch your face- We all learned a lot about this moment thanks to COVID-19, but it also applies to these exams. For many of us, touching or covering our mouths when we think about something is normal. However, such actions are disapprovingly perceived by the proctors during the exam. Try to avoid this. This also applies to touching your beard.

Registration for the test

Keep your phone on hand . The proctor will ask you for a phone number to contact you during registration. After completing the registration process, you will be prompted to remove the phone.

Carry a state-issued ID . For example, a driver’s license or passport.

Photos of the workspace . Before talking with the proctor, you will be asked to provide photographs of your immediate exam area. You will need to take 4 photos: front, back, left and right.

Professional tip: wait until you get close to testing time to use the workspace photo app. The application has a relatively short timeout, and you will need to take a few shots again if you take them too soon.

During the test

Waiting for the proctor . Once the exam requirements are met and you begin the exam, the proctorcam interface initiates a session with the proctor. At this time, all applications except proctorcam should be closed, so do not be tempted to open something while waiting. As a rule, within 10 minutes a proctor will appear and begin to familiarize you with the pre-examination instructions, identify your personality and examine the test area. As soon as the proctor makes sure that everything is in order, he will start testing you in the exam interface.

Exam interface - you can expect the same exam interface that you would get if you took the test in the testing center.

Talk with the proctor if necessary.- if you need to contact the proctor to ask a question or warn him about something, you can use the chat function in proctorcam, which will allow you to do this.

Virtual board - on many exams in proctorcam there will be an opportunity to open a virtual board on the screen. It can be used to keep various notes, as if you were writing on paper. In our experience, this board was useful, although sometimes a bit buggy.

Finally, be sure to check out the test session protocol , which describes test procedures in detail, and which is a great addition to this article. In general, many of us are satisfied with the experience of passing online testing and are likely to continue to be tested in this way.

Happy testing and good luck!