When signing up for a cert exam from Oracle (via PearsonVUE), you now get asked whether you want to take it “at a local test center” or “at my home or office.”
The online option sounded interesting so I clicked on it and went to the Online Proctored exam page. The gist is that if you can meet certain requirements, you can take the exam from home.
Computer requirements
Computer requirements are pretty standard. Any modern computer with Mac/Windows/Linux should be fine. Don’t take it over the corporate network though; it doesn’t play well with corporate firewalls.
Room requirements
The room requirements are where this falls apart for me. You have to be a walled room with a door. I live in New York City.; apartments are small. My apartment has two doors – one to get into the apartment and one for the bathroom. Everything else is one big room.
You also have to use your webcam to show that you aren’t in arm’s reach of books/notepads/post-its/papers/pens/pencils/etc. Additional monitors must be unplugged. Looking around, I have *a lot* of stuff within arms length. It would take a while to move things even if I had a room with a door.
Privacy
You have to be alone in the room. So prepare your family/roommates.
No Breaks
Ou are not allowed to take a bathroom break. I’ve never needed one during the exam. But it is three hours and some people do. In an exam center, you are allowed to go to the bathroom. It counts against your time, but you can go.
No writing
You aren’t allowed to write anything down. At the exam center, you can trace variables, write down questions to go back to etc. You have to return the paper at the end. Since this can’t be done at home, I understand why they can’t let you write anything down. However, I think it would be really hard to take a Java cert without writing anything down.
My thoughts
While I can’t do this, I think it is a good option for folks who have more space and/or live further away from a testing center. The not writing things down limitation would be hard though!
This thread explains the experience of a coderanch member taking the exam from his office:
https://coderanch.com/t/717803/certification/Passed-exam-today-office#3353862
My test is scheduled for this Friday in a test center, but its going to be cancelled because of the virus, I was thinking about taking the test at home, my apartment is also small, just the living-room / kitchen and 1 bedroom , but the bedroom has 2 doors, 1 to get in to the bedroom and the other to get in to the closet, do you think my bedroom fulfills the requirement?
@Armando I think so. A closet door doesn’t count. So your bedroom has one door (which is good; that makes it a room). I live in a studio where everything is one room. My situation is more problematic. You should be able to move all study materials to the living room to show the online proctor your bedroom doesn’t have books/notes.
I recommend confirming with PearsonVUE that they are still able to offer online tests. (In case the proctor has to go somewhere.) That way you know before sitting the test!
Hi,
Is there a link where I can see which oracle certification exams are available via online proctoring?
I’m interested in the Java SE8 course (1Z0-808)
Abhishek: That would be on Pearson VUE’s site.
This thread says:
* The whiteboard is like MS Paint (hard to use)
* No bathroom break
* Got called out for covering mouth/mumbling
* Uses Flash so hard to get working
https://coderanch.com/t/732269/certification/Online-home-based-exam-PearsonVue
And I know someone else who got called out repeatedly for looking away from the screen. I look away from the screen a lot. (Hard to stare at the screen for long without getting a headache/dizzy).
Did you happen to take the exam even when you have a studio apartment? I have the same scenario. My exam schedule is in 4 hours. Hope you can answer my question.
@Christine: I think I’m seeing this after your exam, but I have not taken any exams from home and I will not be doing so. (Aside from the logistics of being in a studio, I also don’t stare at the screen constantly. At a testing center, that’s fine. At home, not so much.) Testing centers in my neighborhood are open again.
Hello… My Oracle exam was schedule at 8AM today -22nd DEC 2020. I did all checking process almost 4-5 times but still Proctor didn’t appear and I had to reschedule my exam tomorrow.. but still I am not sure where it would seamless.
Hello Jeanne/Scott,
Thank you for your books, they are really helpful in preparation.
Is there ebook version of your books that I can buy? I know there is one for ProgrammerI. I am looking for
Java OCP 11 Practice Tests
and
OCP Oracle Certified Professional Java SE 11 Programmer II Study Guide
@Marina: Amazon sells a Kindle version of the Programmer II book.. The practice tests book hasn’t printed yet. (It’s at the printer now.) My understanding is that the e-book becomes available once it prints.
Hi – Is there any person monitor the oracle certification exam or it will be monitored by software?