Exam Rules - BEWARE!

I used to post similar posts on Reddit. I got tired of getting downvoted and insulted. All newbies want to do is cut corners and cheat. I finally deleted my Reddit account.

Mitch Garvis said:

In the Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) Forums recently a trainer too us through the saga of his breaking the exam rules and being blocked from testing for a period of time (possibly two years). While this specific case was about Microsoft exams, I feel it is important that we all know the importance of following the exam rules... especially when we are taking Remote-Proctored exams instead of going into an testing centre.

I wrote this article about the incident: https://garvis.ca/2026/06/29/exam-rules/

Folks, the rules are clear, and when you register you will be told what they are. Whether this is your first or your hundredth exam, take the time to review the rules and make sure you can abide by them. For instance (a big one, and in this case the reason behind the issue): Touch screens are forbidden. Your proctor will see second monitors and make sure you disconnect them, but they will not see that your screen is a touch screen. That is on you to know.

I am happy that I have never been accused of breaking the rules... but I confess, when I heard about this incident I went back and reread the rules to be sure I did not accidentally do so. I have not taken a CompTIA exam since, but will do the same... every single time.

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Just read the article, it's a very well written reminder.

I remember the last exam I took from home, I had to unplug 3 of my 4 monitors before I could sit it, that's a royal faff, but it's something we know we need to do

Testing on a laptop without a touchscreen is going to get harder as time goes on. Seems like that is more the norm now. I guess I will start testing at a center when my old laptop finally dies.

Jim

Mitch Garvis said:

In the Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) Forums recently a trainer too us through the saga of his breaking the exam rules and being blocked from testing for a period of time (possibly two years). While this specific case was about Microsoft exams, I feel it is important that we all know the importance of following the exam rules... especially when we are taking Remote-Proctored exams instead of going into an testing centre.

I wrote this article about the incident: https://garvis.ca/2026/06/29/exam-rules/

Folks, the rules are clear, and when you register you will be told what they are. Whether this is your first or your hundredth exam, take the time to review the rules and make sure you can abide by them. For instance (a big one, and in this case the reason behind the issue): Touch screens are forbidden. Your proctor will see second monitors and make sure you disconnect them, but they will not see that your screen is a touch screen. That is on you to know.

I am happy that I have never been accused of breaking the rules... but I confess, when I heard about this incident I went back and reread the rules to be sure I did not accidentally do so. I have not taken a CompTIA exam since, but will do the same... every single time.

Click to expand...

I looked for this MCT Post:
He was banned for 6 Months initially, before the Appeal. What his Problem was, is not mentioned.
If he violated again after the 6 Months, he would be banned for 2 Years.

that is the reason, i like to use Testcenter, and not testing from Home..

James Turner said:

Testing on a laptop without a touchscreen is going to get harder as time goes on. Seems like that is more the norm now. I guess I will start testing at a center when my old laptop finally dies.

Jim

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Why do you say that? Laptops are predominantly built without touchscreen technology and testing centers don't allow the use of smartphones or tablets.

Mitch Garvis said:

I think the main issue is that he USED the touch screen. The issue, as I recall, was that his mouse stopped working in the middle of his exam, so he used the touch screen. I am going to make a note to ask Pearson Vue if that is a thing... can we use a screen that has touch if we do not actually touch it.

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If I remember correctly, Pearson Vue does not allow the use of touch screens at all.

Gregory Childers said:

I used to post similar posts on Reddit. I got tired of getting downvoted and insulted. All newbies want to do is cut corners and cheat. I finally deleted my Reddit account.

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Yeah, I don't post on the CompTIA reddit anymore, either. Like Greg mentioned, it's basically a sub full of whiny entitled cheaters, dumpers, and thieves. Even with aggressive moderating, they'll still squirm out of the woodwork. Not worth the time anymore.

Michael Schmitz said:

I looked for this MCT Post:
He was banned for 6 Months initially, before the Appeal. What his Problem was, is not mentioned.
If he violated again after the 6 Months, he would be banned for 2 Years.

that is the reason, i like to use Testcenter, and not testing from Home..

Click to expand...

I've said this before and I know others will disagree, but I don't believe OnVUE is worth the aggravation if you have a test center in close proximity. I know, for some, it's an 'only' option to allow for folks to test, but all the horror stories I've heard over the years, for me, it's not worth it.

Again, might be worth it for others, but the ones that run my nearby test center are friends of mine anyway - they run a good operation, so I happily will give them the business.

Rick Butler said:

I've said this before and I know others will disagree, but I don't believe OnVUE is worth the aggravation if you have a test center in close proximity. I know, for some, it's an 'only' option to allow for folks to test, but all the horror stories I've heard over the years, for me, it's not worth it.

Again, might be worth it for others, but the ones that run my nearby test center are friends of mine anyway - they run a good operation, so I happily will give them the business.

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The vast majority of horror stories I've heard could be chalked up to not reading the rules, not testing the system properly, or trying to do something that is explicitly prohibited. I take exams from my home office all the time without a hiccup.

Gregory Childers said:

The vast majority of horror stories I've heard could be chalked up to not reading the rules, not testing the system properly, or trying to do something that is explicitly prohibited. I take exams from my home office all the time without a hiccup.

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I agree with Rick
When I teach my courses, I am very explicit with the explanation that if you don't have a home office or space with a locked door, don't do it. I also stress the computer angle adnauseam. I'm pretty sure most of them don't do it. Can't say for sure though.

Gregory Childers said:

The vast majority of horror stories I've heard could be chalked up to not reading the rules, not testing the system properly, or trying to do something that is explicitly prohibited. I take exams from my home office all the time without a hiccup.

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Well, I'm glad it's working for you. As for me, I won't trust it for myself. My biggest problem is the stories that I've heard about the lack of grace that happens. I'm sure it's not that way in every situation, but I won't roll the dice like that when it comes to a cert. And again, it's more convenient to use our school's test center or the one down the street for me.

Tika said:

I agree with Rick
When I teach my courses, I am very explicit with the explanation that if you don't have a home office or space with a locked door, don't do it. I also stress the computer angle adnauseam. I'm pretty sure most of them don't do it. Can't say for sure though.

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Thanks for the props. I mean, OnVUE can work in situations where a test center may be far too inconvenient, but it's not for everyone (and I'm not an ardent supporter of it, to be honest)

Your welcome . I am with you 100%. Not a fan either. Never done it, most likely, never will.

Rick Butler said:

Well, I'm glad it's working for you. As for me, I won't trust it for myself. My biggest problem is the stories that I've heard about the lack of grace that happens. I'm sure it's not that way in every situation, but I won't roll the dice like that when it comes to a cert. And again, it's more convenient to use our school's test center or the one down the street for me.

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That is a strong reason why I prefer remote testing. The nearest test center to my house is eight miles from the house.


It's much easier to walk into my home office and close the door and take an exam. I've tested remotely from home since 2020 with no issues. The only exams I take at a testing center are ISC2 exams, like the CISSP and CCSP because they don't offer the option of online testing. ISACA, Microsoft, AWS, and the PMI all offer online exams.

DougBrooks said:

Just read the article, it's a very well written reminder.

I remember the last exam I took from home, I had to unplug 3 of my 4 monitors before I could sit it, that's a royal faff, but it's something we know we need to do

Click to expand...

Just took Linux+ today from home and with Pearson's (probably updated AI system) it was flagging crazy things in my exam room that didn't exist. And of course the process is done on your phone before you even talk to a human. I eventually ended up covering everything with blankets and ripped a small clean, dry-erase whiteboard off the wall to be able to pass the check and eventually sit the exam. Taking and passing the exam was the least stressful part of the experience. Mind you, this is my cert exams room and I have carefully structured it to make the process as easy as possible with a desk in the middle of the room away from everything, other items covered, etc. I have taken several exams with the same setup without any problems over the past 3 years. However, I noticed over the past three months that Pearson's system was getting stricter and stricter (it's seem to me like a poorly-trained or still-in-tuning AI model that is overfitting data and generating lots of false positives) ad started complaining about things that didn't exist. By the way, if you have any framed certs in your exam room, they might also get flagged. It kept identifying them as tablets, so I took them off the wall. If it continues in this trend, I will probably return to driving to testing centers. It's kinda ironic because up until 3 or 4 years ago I preferred testing centers and was reluctant to take exams online, but after trying one or two and organizing this room for that purpose, I have gotten used to taking exams online. Oh well I guess it all goes in cycles. -Moez

Mitch Garvis said:

I think the main issue is that he USED the touch screen. The issue, as I recall, was that his mouse stopped working in the middle of his exam, so he used the touch screen. I am going to make a note to ask Pearson Vue if that is a thing... can we use a screen that has touch if we do not actually touch it.

Click to expand...

It's fresh on my mind since I took the exam today. The proctor explicitly asked a question about whether my screen is a touch screen. So, I suspect Pearson Vue will not allow you to test with a touch screen even if you don't touch it. -Moez