Virtual Proctoring

Knowledge-based virtual exams include the General Knowledge Exam and one Supplemental Exam for each certification sought. Candidates do not have to retake the General Knowledge exam for each certification sought but must take it once for initial certification and again for recertification.

Going forward, all CIC knowledge-based exams will be offered online through the CIC Test Portal created by Gauge/Testcom, with exam proctoring done by live, virtual proctors with MonitorEDU.

MonitorEDU FAQ

MonitorEDU and the CIC Testing vendor, Gauge/Testcom, have worked collaboratively to integrate their services to serve the online, knowledge-based testing and live, virtual proctoring needs of CIC’s certification programs. Through this integration, candidates will be able to complete and submit all eligibility application documents, pay for, and take their Virtual Exams.  Both Knowledge-Based Virual Exams and the hands-on Practical Exams will be graded through Gauge/Testcom and candidates will receive exam results digitally. Gauge/Testcom will continue to work with CIC on the electronic administration of exams, digital exam storage, and will also provide digital credentialing.

The live, virtually proctored exam model closely replicates the traditional proctoring environment in which a live proctor is on-site to monitor both the integrity of the test session and the testing area itself. Any deviation from CIC test requirements will be flagged for review by MonitorEDU and CIC exam administrators and may result in invalidation of the candidate’s test scores and possible legal action at the discretion of the CIC Governing Council.

The test area candidates choose to take their exams must meet all the following requirements:

• Test in an Uninterrupted, Quiet Space. The testing environment must be in a quiet, private, uninterrupted room. It should have a door that can be closed during testing. No television or radio should be playing in the background. No other people should be in the room.
• Indoors. All testing must take place indoors (not, for example, in an outdoor park, sports venue, coffee shop, beach, etc.).
• Desk or Table. Sit in a chair at a clean desk or table (not on a bed, couch, or floor). The desk or table should be clear of all other materials.
• Lighting. Test area lighting should be well lit and bright enough for the candidate and the testing area to be clearly visible.  If overhead lighting is not possible, the light source should not be behind the candidate.
• Camera View. must be free from any obstruction or distraction that limits or inhibits the virtual proctor’s view of the candidate’s exam session.
• Permitted Resources. The only resources or other items allowed in the testing room with CIC certification candidates are two sharpened pencils, 2 pieces of blank paper (blank front and back as confirmed by the virtual proctor), printed applicable Load Charts, a clear ruler, and a cell phone or mirror for the proctor to perform a 360-room scan of the test environment. Once the test area scan is complete, the cell phone or mirror must be put out of reach. The virtual proctor will also direct the candidate to show the front and back of both pieces of paper prior to the exam to confirm that there is nothing written on either side. At the end of the exam, the candidate will be asked to shred the paper into small pieces and dispose of it.

Note: A basic calculator and all applicable load charts will also be available on the on the test portal for candidate use

• No Written Material should be visible on the desk, table, walls, floors, ceiling or anywhere in the room.
• No Virtual Machines or Remote access software running on the machine. These machines and software can be detected through the pre-exam system check and are not permitted.
• One Monitor – One Computer: Only one monitor attached to one computer is allowed to be in the test area during the exam.
• No Watches of any kind may be worn during the testing period or in the testing environment.
• No Audio Devices. Headsets, ear plugs, Bluetooth ear buds (or similar audio devices) are not permitted.

Candidates will receive virtual exam results within minutes after completing each exam online. Simultaneously, an email will be sent to the candidate and to the candidate’s manager, with exam scores listed by test domain.

It is important to know that the CIC Governing Council reserves the right to invalidate test scores and take additional steps at their discretion for any candidate whose actions or behavior are investigated and deemed to be consistent with cheating, copying test materials, or otherwise violating CIC certification policies. 

• Flagging, Reporting of Violations. Any testing anomalies identified by the virtual proctor system will be flagged at the time on the video the event(s) occurred, and an incident report will be filed by MonitorEDU. CIC Test Administrators will be notified that the report and the exam session video are available for review, within 24-48 hours of testing.
• Reviewing and Responding to Possible Violations. If after reviewing the incident report and exam session video, the Administrator determines the candidate’s actions were clearly not indicative of a violation of exam policy, no further action will be taken other than to log the incident and the findings, and to file the report under the candidate’s name and candidate ID number.

However, if the review questions remain, the CIC Test Administrator will forward the incident report and the video link to the Governing Council for further review. The Governing Council will review and make their determination, and the candidate will be notified of the Governing Council’s decision and any related consequences. Information detailing the violation, incident report, and the final disposition will be kept in the candidate’s file for future reference.

• Consequences for Exam Policy Violations may result in corrective actions ranging from immediate correction by the virtual proctor to more serious consequences such as invalidation of test results, suspension of credentials, and/or potential civil legal action.