The World According to Mitch

As I rode the train recently I read the unfortunate story of a fellow Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) who had received an email from the Microsoft Learning Security Team:

Dear Learner,

You were identified as having violated exam rules. As a result, Microsoft has placed a restriction on your ability to register for and schedule Microsoft exams.

This restriction will stay in place for 6 months at which point the ban will be partially lifted and you can take exams at test centres but not through online proctoring. After one year, the online proctoring ban will be lifted. These bans are automatically lifted, and Microsoft does not notify you of the change in status.

I felt terrible for my peer. I also felt that he wrote a post blaming Pearson Vue because it had been over a month since Microsoft accepted his appeal and told him that his account would be restored within 5-7 days but it still had not been. As trainers sometimes we must pass exams quickly so that we can teach a new course.

With that said: There are strict rules to taking exams from home using the online proctoring system. When we register for exams these rules are made clear to us, both in the portal as we register, and in at least two emails that we will receive from Pearson Vue. They include:

Technical Requirements

To test with OnVUE, you must provide a suitable device and network to test with, including:

• A computer running Windows 10, MacOS 13, or higher. Virtual machines and beta versions are not allowed.
• A webcam, microphone, and speaker. Do not use phones, tablets, or wearable devices such as headphones, earbuds, and watches. *
• One display screen only. Secondary displays must be disconnected, and touch screens are not permitted.
• A consistent 6 Mbps down/up internet speed. Do not use corporate networks to test; VPNs are prohibited.
• An ability to close all other running applications except for OnVUE.

Restart your computer just before you begin check-in. This helps to ensure there are enough resources to stream and record video throughout your test.

Admission Rules

To be admitted into an OnVUE exam, you must prepare a testing environment that meets strict test conditions:

• You will need to ensure that you can remain alone, quiet, comfortable, and free from distraction. Do not test in public spaces such as offices, libraries, and schools.
• Ensure there are no uncovered windows, doorways or partitions that might allow someone else to see your exam, even from a distance. – Your testing environment must be tidy and free from electronics, clutter, paper materials, and writing utensils, unless explicitly allowed for testing. *
• You can bring a drink, gum, and other Approved Comfort Aids. All other food and smoking products are not permitted.
• You must remain fully clothed throughout your exam, but you cannot wear a coat, wristwatch, sunglasses, headphones or headsets. *

When you check in for your exam, you will also need to confirm your identity: Bring a valid, government-issued photo ID matching the name on your booking exactly.

The trainer in question was observed using a touch screen. In point 3 of the Technical Requirement section it clearly states that touch screens are not permitted.

While I truly hope the trainer in question gets this issue resolved, I am also surprised that he did not know these rules and follow them. His claim is that midway through the exam his mouse stopped working, and while he tried to get the proctor’s attention he was unable to do so, and he felt that using the touch screen was the only way he could complete the exam. That sounds like a reasonable thought process… but it also sounds like the candidate violated the rules – whether or not he had any alternative.

You may notice that in the last paragraph I referred to the MCT as ‘the candidate.’ That is because while trainers have certain advantages and recognitions, when we sit down at the exam computer we are candidates, just like everyone else who sits an exam. We may (or may not) get discounts when paying, and if we pass an exam we maybe qualified to teach the course connected to it… but when we sit down to take the test we are treated exactly as anyone else – not better, not worse. We have no status in the exam.

It is for that reason that I responded to his less than flattering post about the ‘Horrible customer service’ that he was receiving from Pearson. We do not have a special phone number or email address to contact at Pearson. We are candidates… and if we are caught violating the rules we are treated exactly as would be anyone else… as we should be.

At this point I want to clarify that I see a huge difference between ‘violating the rules’ and ‘cheating.’ I do not think for a minute that there was cheating involved. However, rules are rules, and they must be followed. The candidate defended his choice by saying that the rules are generic. To me, this rule sounds very specific. Touch screens are not permitted.

I do not know how this situation will play out, but it reminded me that I need to explain these rules to my students when I teach. Whether we agree with rules or not, they must be followed… or there will be consequences!

Epilogue:

I got off the train and got home in time to prepare my environment to take an exam. I was just about ready to go on my Dell laptop when I realized that it has a touch screen! For my last (many) exams I had been using a Lenovo laptop that did not have a touch screen, but I gave it away when I left Canada. I scrambled to set up my MacBook for the exam – something I had never done before. It took some doing, but I got it to work. While I have always known that touch screens are not allowed, I wonder if I would have noticed had I not read about the issue on the train? If I had not realized I was on a touch screen would they have said something? I suppose if I was not poking my screen they wouldn’t have noticed… but with the system checks you need to pass before starting the exam, would it be too difficult to check for that too?

Conclusion

Caesar’s wife must be above reproach. While trainers sitting exams are simply candidates, it is incumbent upon us to know and to follow the rules. We should be teaching them to our students, and we most certainly should be following them ourselves. There is no ‘…but I’m a trainer!’ get-out-of-jail-free card. We must know.

As another colleague pointed out in the thread, incidental and unknowing rules violations is a main reason why he recommends his students take their exams at in-person exam centres rather than online. I give my student the option… and explain the good and the bad of both.