Online Exams
Certification
Overview
At Technical Safety BC, online exams are completed through our digital exam platform and monitored using ProctorTrack, a secure online proctoring tool that uses video, audio, and screen monitoring to help ensure exams are conducted fairly and with integrity. Review the information below to understand what to bring and to familiarize yourself with the exam rules before writing.
Required Materials
To take your exam online, you must have the following items in working condition. You will not be permitted to take an online exam without these items. If you are not fully prepared, your exam session may be forfeited, and a complimentary rewrite will not be offered.
- A desktop or laptop computer (smartphones, tablets, and Chromebooks are not supported)
- A reliable internet connection
- A webcam
- A built-in microphone (headsets and external mics are not allowed)
- A smartphone to complete the pre-exam ID and room scan (this will be locked away during the exam)
- ProctorTrack application installed on your smartphone before your exam day. Download ProctorTrack for Smartphone: Google Play | App Store
- ProctorTrack application installed on your computer before your exam day.
Download ProctorTrack for Desktop
- Valid government-issued photo ID (name must match your exam application)
Avoiding Exam Rewrites
Online exam rewrites often occur due to preventative setup issues. These include missing key software, lacking acceptable photo ID, or terminating the exam before the session video has been fully uploaded.
Before writing your exam, please review our Online Exam Guide and the information below to ensure your equipment, software, and exam environment are ready.
For a comprehensive overview of the setup process, refer to our step-by-step technical manual.
Additional Information
Software
You will be writing your exam using our online exam platform and it will be digitally monitored through ProctorTrack. Please ensure you download ProctorTrack on your phone and computer prior to the exam day. After booking your exam, your exam link, username, and password will be provided in the My Messages section of your Online Services account. You will also receive an email booking confirmation with instructions on how to access My Messages.
- Download ProctorTrack for Smartphone: Google Play | App Store
On exam day, follow the steps below to access your exam.
If ProctorTrack is already installed on your computer:
- Visit our ProctorTrack page and select “Open ProctorTrack.”
- Copy and paste your username and password from your My Messages confirmation.
If ProctorTrack is not installed on your computer:
- Visit our ProctorTrack page and click “Download ProctorTrack.”
- Once the download is complete, return to the same page and select
- When prompted, copy and paste the username and password from your My Messages confirmation.
Note: The function of Right-click on your mouse may be disabled on the exam login page. To paste your details, use CTRL+V.
Valid and Current Government-Issued Photo Identification
Acceptable IDs are:
- Driver’s License (issued by a Canadian province or territory)
- Provincial Identification Card (for example, BC Identification card, Alberta Identification card)
- BC Services card
- Combination Driver's License and BC Services card
- Passport
- Indian Status card
- Canadian Permanent Residency card
Please note your ID must be original, legible, and not torn or altered. Copies or certified copies are not accepted. Expired IDs or IDs with no expiry date are also not accepted. You cannot write your exam without proper identification. This will result in having to reschedule your exam and paying any necessary rescheduling fees.
Permitted items
You may use the following items during your exam:
- Two blank sheets of paper and a pen for writing your own notes or calculations. Notebooks or more than two sheets are not allowed
- A non-programmable calculator. Programmable calculators are not allowed
- Permitted code books and other reference materials
The following items are provided by us during an exam:
- A link to the dictionary
- A link to the Safety Standards Act
- A link to the Safety Standards General Regulation
- Links to safety orders, directives, and information bulletins
Process for Writing an Online Exam
- Access your exam using the exam link, username, and password that was provided in the My Messages section of your Technical Safety BC Online Services account.
- When you launch the exam, ProctorTrack will guide you through a short setup using your smartphone. You’ll be asked to take a photo of your face, show your ID, and record a brief video of your exam space to confirm it’s clear of prohibited items. Once the exam begins, your smartphone will be locked for the duration of the exam.
- After you finish your exam, ProctorTrack will upload a recording of your exam session. It’s important to wait until the upload is complete before closing the application. If the recording does not fully upload, you may be required to rewrite the exam.
- Once your exam has been submitted and the upload is complete, tap “End Proctoring” on your phone to unlock it.
Exam Rules
Any breaches of the following rules may result in the termination of your exam session, cancellation of your exam and result in a prohibition of six months before you may be allowed to write future exams or obtain qualifications. Depending on the severity of the breach, further actions may be considered, including, but not limited to, assessment of pre-existing qualifications, remedial training, and suspension or revocation of existing qualifications.
E-proctored sessions may be recorded for later review in the event of a breach of exam rules and irregularities. Information captured for these purposes may include:
- Real-time video and audio recordings of the examinee, their ID and their activities (including surrounding environment) during the exam session.
- Screenshots of the examinee’s computer desktop during the exam session.
- Detection of the number of computer monitors connected to the examinee’s computer.
- Records of web traffic on the examinee’s computer only while an examinee is taking the online exam.
- Records of attempts to execute other routines or processes, open additional browser tabs, etc. considered indicative of potential anomalies.
Before starting your exam, you will be prompted to verify your identity by showing an acceptable government issued ID. Failure to provide an acceptable ID will result in an automatic investigation where a Technical Safety BC employee will contact you to review the verification requirements and to assess if a breach of the rules had occurred.
Penalties for Breaching Exam Rules
| Exam Rule | Breach Penalty |
|---|---|
| Examinee’s desk or exam area must not contain any unauthorized documents or materials (e.g. formula sheets or training material). | Six-month suspension from attempting the exam again. |
| Examinee must close all other programs or windows on the computer being used before the exam begins. |
Six-month suspension from attempting the exam again. Next exam attempt must be in person. |
| No other person is allowed to enter the room while taking the exam. | Six-month suspension from attempting the exam again. |
| Examinee must not communicate or attempt to communicate with anyone during the exam. |
Six-month suspension from attempting the exam again. Next exam attempt must be in-person. |
| Each examinee is limited to one five-minute washroom break. Any washroom break that exceeds the permitted five minutes will be in violation of this rule. | One-month suspension from attempting the exam again. |
| Examinees must remain in view and on camera during the testing period (with the exception of one five-minute washroom break) and must not leave the exam environment until the exam is completed and submitted. | Three-month suspension from attempting the exam again. |
| Examinees must not copy, record, or share exam questions and diagrams through any means. |
Six-month suspension from attempting the exam again. Next exam attempt must be in-person. |
Prohibited Items
The following items must not be worn or used by the examinee during the exam. These include, but are not limited to:
- Hats or caps.
- Earpieces or other listening devices, including headphones.
- Recording devices, including cameras, cellphones, digital watches, electronic pens, google glasses, video recorders, and electronic notepads.
- Secondary digital devices, including laptops, desktop computers, and tablets.
- Programmable calculator. You may use a non-programmable calculator only.
- Your own dictionary. You are allowed to use the online English dictionary (translating a single language) provided through Reference Materials during the exam. Access or use of any other dictionary is prohibited during the exam.
- Digital copies of reference materials, including permitted reference materials.
Standard Exam Behaviour
- Exams will start and end on time. You are allowed the full time to write your exam.
- You must remain in view of the camera at all times for the duration of the exam and should not leave the exam environment until after you are done, or after the time has run out, whichever comes first, except to use the washroom. A washroom break is allowed, but only to a maximum of five minutes. If you are away for longer than five minutes, your exam will result in an automatic fail.
- The reference material you can bring and use differs depending on the exam you are writing. Refer to Use of Code Books for Exams for more information. You may use four blank sheets of paper for notes and calculations. You must not write down the exam questions.
- It is an offence to copy, record, or share exam questions or diagrams through any means.
Test Environment
- You must take the exam in a private, quiet space. Sounds such as music or from the television are not allowed and may trigger flags for review.
- No other person is allowed to enter the room while you are taking the exam.
- The lighting in the room must be bright enough to be considered "daylight" quality. Overhead lighting is preferred. If overhead lighting is not available, the source of light must not be behind you.
- You must sit at a clean desk or table. The desk or walls around you must not have any writing.
- The exam room must be free of recording or listening devices, whiteboards, easels, flipcharts, or any other medium that could be used to record or project information.
- You will be asked to do a room scan which will need to clearly show the desk or work surface. You will need to show that the frame of your computer is clear. You will also need to show your calculator and the four sheets of blank paper. The video recording is used to confirm that there are no unauthorized materials on and under your desk, or around your computer and within sight. You must complete a scan of the room using your webcam each time you take an online exam. You may be randomly selected to do this during an exam as well.
System Rules
- You must take the exam on a desktop or laptop computer (Windows/Mac computer or laptop). You cannot take the exam from a mobile device such as an iPhone, iPad, or Android device.
- You must close all other programs or windows on your computer before you begin the exam. You must not use programs such as Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Skype, or Zoom, or any webpage other than the one for the exam window.
- You will be asked to do a room scan using your smartphone which will need to clearly show the desk or work surface. You will need to show that the frame of your computer is clear. You will also need to show your calculator and the four sheets of blank paper. The video recording is used to confirm that there are no unauthorized materials on and under your desk, or around your computer and within sight. You must complete a scan of the room each time you take an online exam. You may be randomly selected to do this during an exam as well.
Please note: Using translation software or browser plugins is not permitted and will invalidate the exam results.
Getting Your Exam Results
Your exam results will be made available in the Online Services for Certification portal. Click on the Exams tab, then click View on your exam to see your score.
Privacy
Please be advised that support staff conducting the ID verification and live e-proctoring are located outside of Canada and your personal information will be temporarily accessed and stored outside of Canada. Any personal information collected is handled in accordance with the British Columbia Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The proctored sessions are authorized under the authority of section 26(c) of FIPPA. If you have questions about the collection, use, or disclosure of this information, contact the Records, Information and Privacy Senior Analyst for Technical Safety BC at 1 866 566 7233.
Proctortrack Cybersecurity Incident
On October 14, 2020, Proctortrack, our remote proctoring online exam service provider, notified us of a cybersecurity breach. Clients impacted by the disruption in service were immediately notified by phone and email. Technical Safety BC has since received confirmation that none of its clients’ data was compromised. Further information about the incident is available on ProctorTrack’s website.
At Technical Safety BC, the privacy and security of our client data is of utmost importance to us and we continue to be vigilant in safeguarding their information. For any questions or concerns about our privacy practices, please contact the Records, Information and Privacy Analyst at 1 866 566 7233 or foi@technicalsafetybc.ca or take a look at our privacy policy.
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