More than 15,000 certifications have been awarded by the National Wireless Safety Alliance, which has enhanced the testing process with its online remote proctoring system. However, strict adherence to location requirements is essential to maintain testing integrity, with non-compliance potentially leading to exam disqualification or other serious consequences. Pictured above are some of the violations that could easily get the candidate disqualified.
As part of its ongoing commitment to maintaining the highest standards of fairness and reliability in online certification testing, the National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) is reinforcing the importance of adhering to exam environment and location requirements. In alignment with ISO/IEC 17024 and ANSI accreditation standards, NWSA conducts regular audits to ensure the integrity of its examination process.
With the recent implementation of Online Remote Proctoring (ORP), NWSA has observed an increase in instances where these essential requirements are not being met. Non-compliance with these standards can result in severe consequences, including the termination of the exam, invalidation of results, barring from retaking the exam, or revocation of certification.
To help candidates avoid these outcomes and ensure a smooth testing experience, NWSA has compiled a list of key exam environment requirements that must be followed during online exams.
Key Exam Environment Requirements:
- Quiet and Private Location: All NWSA ORP exams must be taken in a private, well-lit room without interruptions. Public spaces, shared rooms, or any location where other individuals are present are not permitted.
- Equipment Requirements: Remotely controlled software running on the computer is not permitted during testing and must be disabled or uninstalled prior to the exam being made accessible. Examples of these applications are TeamViewer, GoToMyPC, AnyDesk, etc. If a remote control software is identified after an exam administration has begun, the exam will be terminated immediately, and a new application and payment will need to be submitted in order to re-test (if circumstance permits).
- No Unauthorized Materials: NWSA does not permit any additional material to be present during an exam administration. Any required resources (calculator, whiteboard, etc.) are provided within the exam itself. All other material including notes, books, electronic devices (other than the computer used for the exam), or any other materials that could provide an unfair advantage must be put away prior to the exam.
- Valid Identification: Candidates must present a valid, government-issued ID to verify their identity before beginning the exam.
- No Breaks: Once the exam has started, candidates are not allowed to leave their workstations. All personal needs must be addressed beforehand.
- Camera and Microphone Requirements: Candidates must remain entirely within view of the webcam throughout the entire exam to ensure a secure testing environment. Additionally, the microphone must be enabled and unblocked. Ensure that these devices are functioning properly before your scheduled exam time.
The industry takes the integrity of NWSA’s certification process seriously and expects all candidates to do the same. The above measures are essential to allow for exams to be administered via ORP while maintaining the high standards of safety and professionalism that the NWSA certification represents.
For further information regarding the online proctoring process, visit the NWSA website www.nws-a.org.