Pearson Vue Revoked Exam

SteveM

Well-known member
Sep 16, 2020
62
67
London UK
Hi all


Does anyone know what the Appeals Process, for the Online Proctored exams is?
I had an awful experience on Monday. I have taken several exams online in the past but what happened on Monday was completely unacceptable.

I was scheduled to take the TK0-201 exam on Monday. Soon after starting the exam, I scratched below my knee, which meant that my head moved slightly down on the Camera, but NOT away from the webcam view. This must have been for about 1 second or 2. I immediately got a message from the proctor who said “You have moved from webcam view I’m now revoking the exam”. The exam was immediately terminated just like that within 5 Minutes of starting the exam. I then received the email below soon after

“Dear xx,
Thank you for testing with Pearson VUE.
During your recent exam, it was observed and reported that you left the webcam view. In an effort to remind you of this policy, we issued an initial warning to you during your exam. After witnessing this behaviour continue, a supervisor was consulted, who also observed the behaviour. Due to this policy violation, we were unable to continue your testing experience and had to revoke your exam session. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you. In order to track and resolve this situation, I have opened the following case xxxxxx, on your behalf. We do encourage you to review the OP testing policies page to ensure you familiarize yourself with all rules and regulations for future exams. If you have any questions, please contact us. You may visit the link https://home.pearsonvue.com/Contact-Us.aspx to locate your program & country-specific contact details.
Thank you,
Xxx
Customer Support Specialist
Pearson VU”

The shocking thing about all this is that my head and eyes were still on the Camera, I never received any warning, and the exam was just terminated. Over the past few days I have email and called requesting that they review the recording of the session and send me a copy of it as I’m 100% sure that I did not move away from the camera but all this has fallen on deaf ears. I’ve spent a lot of time calling the support centre with no progress. I would hate for any of my students to go through such a situation considering the time and amount of money spent on the exam.

How does one proceed in such a situation? It is a lot of money to lose just like.
 
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Solution
While I understand the criticism, many test centers use small monitors and I've faced long waiting periods while the proctor works through a large number of test candidates before it is my turn.

Rick Butler

Well-known member
  • Aug 8, 2019
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    Colorado Springs, CO
    www.intellitec.edu
    I've heard a lot of stories on Reddit that VUE was doing this - that proctors were just dropping people for "reasons". Again, it's Reddit, so, grain-of-salt, but I can imagine that not every proctor out there on OnVUE actually has the integrity to do their job, unless they, themselves are being observed to make sure they don't disenfranchise the student. Luckily, our school has its own test center, so I don't have to fiddle with OnVUE. I think I feel better that way doing it in a test center, but, not everyone has that option - particularly in covid-world.

    I'm not sure who in CompTIA is the point person for interactions with VUE, but I would imagine there HAS to be some kind of appeal process.

    /r
     
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    Reactions: Tess Sluijter

    Rick Butler

    Well-known member
  • Aug 8, 2019
    1,854
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    www.intellitec.edu
    I have a student whose proctor shut the exam down because her son knocked on the closed, locked door.
    Yeah, it's almost like some of these proctors are looking at one little gig and BAM, they're gone. Almost like the proctor didn't want to be there anyway, or they are so scared that they would get slapped for not calling something out that they have a zero tolerance approach.

    Yep, I'll continue to use the test center and discourage OnVUE unless there is no choice.

    Pity, because OnVUE is a good idea in concept, but if the student has no real recourse for these things, then why take the risk?

    /r
     
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    Reactions: Stephen P
    I am saddened to learn of this. I have taken 2-3 Pearson OnVue online so far. Once, I slouched down in my chair a bit to think and reread the question. I totally forgot that I was on camera. The observer sent a quick chat message which caught my attention and I immediately straightened up in my chair. In the chat window, it said that I moved out of view. I continued on with the exam thank goodness. Another time, I had an external camera attached and it fell forward. I immediately fixed it and no comment from the observer. I am hoping that I am not jinxing myself. I have 2-5- more of these scheduled for this year. But wow, that is terrible. I actually prefer heading to the testing center if it is open. That allows me not to have to break down my setup for each exam. Plus at the center, I get a printed report. I do hope that observers are monitored in some way and there is a way to contact support more efficiently. Thanks for posting this unfortunate story here.
     
    Sorry to hear about the experience. Earlier this week while taking an exam, I was unaware of the fact that I like to talk to myself while answering questions. The chatbox opened and the proctor warned me to stop mumbling. I quickly apologized, letting her know that I often talk to myself while trying to navigate through answers. Later during the exam I did ask and was given permission to "yell" at my wife who was talking on her cell phone to a friend and having her phone's speaker blaring. Glad to have the test over and I'm moving on to take another new test later this month.
     

    SteveM

    Well-known member
    Sep 16, 2020
    62
    67
    London UK
    It sounds like it depends on the mood of the proctor:(:( I must admit i've never had such an awful experience as what i had on Monday.

    So sad because it is a brilliant idea that is being ruined by the shocking customer service with no consideration to the prep time and money candidates lose
     

    Rick Butler

    Well-known member
  • Aug 8, 2019
    1,854
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    Colorado Springs, CO
    www.intellitec.edu
    I've been lucky in my OnVue experiences so far. No 1.5h waits, no terrifying proctors, just down-to-business and polite help.

    I'm not discounting the Reddit horror stories. I'm just counting my lucky stars.
    To be honest, I haven't taken a single exam using OnVUE. so everything that I know is, at best, second-hand knowledge. For me personally, having our own internal test center in the college makes life much easier.
     

    Tess Sluijter

    Well-known member
    Apr 1, 2020
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    the Netherlands
    www.kilala.nl
    I think timezone and/or timing may also be key. I'm in EUW and usually take my tests really early: 1000 am CET at the latest. That's like 14:30 in India and still the middle of night in the US, so I've had very little waiting time, plus proctors who are in their afternoon shift.

    So far I've had four OnVue tests, with one or two more on short term.
     
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    SteveM

    Well-known member
    Sep 16, 2020
    62
    67
    London UK
    Hi all

    After several emails and phone calls asking for a copy of the recording and threatening legal action I finally received the email below.
    Dear xx
    We are writing to you in regards to your CompTIA Certification exam through the online proctoring method with Pearson VUE on May 3, 2021.
    We have reviewed the situation and approved your request. Our team would like to offer you a customer service voucher code that can be used to schedule your next exam at no additional charge to you. We strongly encourage customers who are looking to take an exam via our  OnVUE platform to review the minimum system requirements and complete the system test found on our website.
    Your voucher code details can be found below – please note, you must schedule and take your exam on or before the expiration date.
    Voucher: xxxxxxxx Expiration Date: xxxxx
    Before scheduling your next CompTIA exam, we strongly suggest you click here to review the system requirements, complete the required system test, and exam simulation to ensure your system can successfully run the online proctored software.
    Once completed, you can then navigate to the CompTIA website to schedule your next exam. If you have any further questions or issues with scheduling online, please call your local Pearson VUE contact center. You may find the contact phone number for your region by visiting our CompTIA landing page.
    Our goal is to provide candidates with a world-class testing experience when taking CompTIA Certification exams.
    Thank you for your continued interest in CompTIA's Certification Program, and good luck on your next exam.
    From this experience I will try to stay away from the online proctored exams in future, it's not worth the hassle I’ve wasted a lot of time on what should have been a 90 minutes exam
     
    I took the CEH practical at home. My dog was barking at the door and I turned around for a second and looked at the door. The proctor literally about freaked out. Told me not to communicate with anyone. I told him my dog barked and my instinct was to look at the door. It was a horrible experience for sure. I also don't like them poking around on my computer, having my mouse move without warning. Never again.