Online exam system check. Eight checks, before exam day.
Run the same checks a proctored exam or a video interview will run, on the computer you will use, and get a plain verdict on each with what to fix. Nothing is installed and nothing you show the camera leaves this page.
8 checks · about 4 minutes
- Browser and system
- Webcam
- Microphone
- Speakers
- Internet
- Screen
- Location
- Browser settings
Runs like the stress test: one check after another, with the progress along the top. Nothing you show the camera or say into the microphone leaves this page.
What it measures
Measured here, not assumed.
Browser and system
Which browser and version, the operating system, processor cores, memory where the browser shares it, and whether the laptop is on battery. Compared with what Pearson VUE, PSI, ProctorU and similar vendors list.
Webcam
Opens the camera on this page, reads its real resolution and frame rate, and measures how bright the picture is, because a dark picture fails identity checks.
Microphone
Listens for four seconds, shows a live level, records a clip you can play back, and measures the room's background noise between your words.
Speakers
Plays a tone on the left and then the right, and asks whether you heard both.
Internet
Eight round trips for latency and jitter, a 4 MB download and a 2 MB upload, all to this site, compared with the 1.5 to 3 Mbps most vendors require. Upload is the figure that matters for a proctored exam.
Screen
Resolution and scaling, whether a second display is connected where the browser can tell, and a screen sharing test that closes at once.
Location
Whether the browser can produce a location when asked. The position itself is discarded.
Browser settings
Cookies, site storage and pop-ups, which exam launchers need and private windows often block.
If it fails
The usual failures, and what fixes each.
- The camera or microphone was refused
- Click the camera or microphone icon in the address bar and choose Allow, then run the check again. On Windows, also check Settings, Privacy, Camera and Microphone. On a Mac, System Settings, Privacy and Security.
- The internet check is slow or uneven
- Connect with a cable if you can, move closer to the router, and pause downloads, backups and streaming on every device. Turn off any VPN. Keep a phone hotspot ready as a backup on exam day.
- A second display was found
- Most vendors require exactly one screen. Unplug or disable the other before the exam; some treat a connected but switched-off monitor as a violation.
- Screen sharing was refused or shared only a window
- Run the check again and choose Entire screen. On a Mac the browser also needs Screen Recording permission in System Settings.
Where a browser stops
What it cannot tell you.
- Which exam vendor you will use and their exact rules. The bands here are the common ones; check the vendor's own requirements page for anything stricter.
- Whether your room passes a proctor's scan for other people, notes or a second device. Only a person can judge that.
- How the connection will behave at exam time. Run the check at the same time of day, on the same network, for the most useful result.
- Anything installed on the computer. Some vendors require a lockdown browser or a downloaded app; this check cannot see or install it.
Privacy
Nothing leaves this page.
The camera and microphone are read on this page and stopped as soon as they have been measured. The clip you can play back lives in the browser's memory and is discarded when you leave. The location check discards the position. The internet test sends random bytes to this site and nothing else. The result is stored nowhere unless you ask for it by email, and then only the fact that an email was sent is kept.
Questions
Exam system check, answered
- What does an online exam system check test?
- Browser and operating system, webcam, microphone, speakers, internet speed, screen, location permission and browser settings such as cookies and pop-ups. This check runs all eight in your browser and explains any failure.
- Is this the same as my exam vendor's system check?
- It checks the same things against the common requirements, so it finds most problems in advance. The vendor's own check is still worth running, because some vendors need a lockdown browser or a downloaded app that no web page can see.
- Does the camera picture or my location get sent anywhere?
- No. The camera and microphone are read on this page and stopped; nothing is uploaded. The location check only reports whether the browser could produce a position, and the position is discarded. The internet test talks only to this site.
- What internet speed do I need for a proctored exam?
- Most vendors require at least 1.5 Mbps upload and download and recommend 3 Mbps or more, with a stable connection. Upload matters most, because the exam streams your camera. A cable connection is steadier than Wi-Fi.
- Can I use a phone or tablet for an online exam?
- Rarely. Nearly every vendor requires a laptop or desktop with a webcam. This check flags a phone or tablet as a fail for that reason.
- Can I save or send the result?
- Yes. The result card can be saved as a PDF, printed, or emailed to yourself or an IT desk. Nothing is stored on our side beyond the record that an email was sent.
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