Сomputer-based testing tips and tricks

Inside a testing room
Inside a testing room. Source: Intellectual Point

Problem statement

Meet Sam. Sam is a project manager at a large company. Sam has a goal: to get a sought-after certification to increase his salary at work. Sam has studied a lot to ace the PMP certification. He has learned the ins and outs of the project management discipline and can answer virtually any question his colleagues ask him. Day X came, Sam took the exam and... he failed. What did he do wrong?

Sam failed to realize that knowing the theory well and even practicing most of the concepts is not the same as passing the exam. He learned that you can excel at knowing and still do poorly on the exam.

So to succeed, you need to know not only the material well enough, but also how to manage stress and how to better approach the exam and it's questions. Here are some tips and tricks to help you do just that.

The solution

Note that there are different test versions with slightly different restrictions. Some allow you to go back and forth between questions (like the PMI PMP or AWS SAA exams), some don't (like ISC2 CC exam). You can take the exam online (from home) or offline (at the test center). There are a number of different testing service providers out there. Most of the exams I have taken have been provided by Person VUE, so the following tips are most relevant to that testing provider.

Take a demo. Most likely, when you start the exam simulator, you'll be given the opportunity to take a demo first. Take it and familiarize yourself with the program before the clock starts. You'll also be asked to complete a survey after the exam.

Do a lot of mock tests. Find something on the Internet or even consider buying some recommended materials (as in the case of the PMP Practice Exam, more on it in my guide). But when should you stop taking mock tests? A good rule of thumb is when you've taken <50% of the time allotted for the real exam to complete the practice exam. Or when you get a passing score two or three times in a row. Remember: practice makes perfect.

Read all the answers, even if you have already seen the correct one. There may be another, better answer, even if all the answers are correct. Only one is best, there's always a logic behind it. Also note that if only part of the answer is wrong, the whole answer is wrong.

Read the last sentence first when seeing a long question. Then read the question from the beginning. Most of the time, the question itself is in the last sentence, and all the previous sentences provide the necessary background.

Mark questions for review. During your first run, you should only answer questions that you are 100% sure about, and mark all other questions that you are not sure about, even if you have a little doubt. Note that in some tests (like ISC2 CC, more in my guide) you can't go back and forth between questions, you have to answer the current questions to get to the next one. In such a case, this tip does not apply.

Use a strike-through tool. It's easier to choose from two options instead of four, and when you do your second run, you should only review the marked questions from the previous run. It's like doing two exams in one.

Use a highlighter, especially if you are marking a question for review, to highlight key points in the question. This will help you a lot by reducing the time you spend re-reading the question in future runs.

Practice making diagrams and notes in Windows Paint and doing calculations in Windows Calculator (or their analogues). You'll be given fairly simple tools for drawing, note-taking, and calculations within the exam application, and in case you need to use them, you should be prepared. For example, for the PMP exam, it makes sense to practice creating network diagrams (more tips on PMP preparation).

Practice your timing with the exam simulator. Most exams have a time limit. Even if you had plenty of time during the mock tests, the situation may be different on the real exam. What helped me was knowing how many questions I should have answered at a given time. I've done this by establishing a baseline and introducing some milestones. Let's say you have 100 minutes to answer 100 questions. All questions are scored the same. That means you should spend about 1 minute on each question. So after 30 minutes, you should have answered at least 30 questions. Depending on your exam conditions, you may want to create a chart with multiple milestones in a "Time left -- Questions answered" format. Jot this chart down on paper at the beginning of the exam and return to it periodically so that you don't have to worry about whether you're on schedule.

Dump some useful formulas or other stuff on paper/notes at the beginning of the exam, especially some formulas you have trouble remembering. They will stay there, and you can stop thinking about them and come back to them whenever you need to.

Last but not least, it's usually not necessary to register for the exam too far in advance. In my cases, there were enough free slots to take the online exam within a couple of weeks each time I checked. Also, if you live in a city with the test center and decide to take an offline exam, you should see enough open slots as well. Things may be more complicated if you have to travel to another city, so do your research.

Now that we know a few tips, let's look at a few examples.

Example: PMP online proctored exam

Here are some additional tips for taking the exam online:

  1. Test your system in advance. You should be able to download a special test version of the exam simulator in advance, right after you've registered for the exam. Do this to test your system: camera and microphones, Internet connection, etc. If your firewall blocks access, you'll see it.
  2. Find a quiet, undisturbed place. Ask your family not to make any noise and not to come to your room during the exam, otherwise your attempt may be canceled.
  3. You will be constantly monitored by a proctor and your video and audio will be recorded. You must remain within the camera's field of view throughout the exam.
  4. Clear your surroundings. Before the exam begins, the proctor will ask you to show him your surroundings, what's on your desk, what's behind it, and what's under it. There should be nothing that could be considered cheating.
  5. Disable automatic updates. You don't want your OS to start updating during the exam and force a reboot.
  6. Restart your router just in case and make sure the Wi-Fi level is good enough.
  7. Close all programs that are running on your system. When you start an exam simulator, you may be asked to close Skype or other programs. You should do this.
  8. Bring your ID, a smartphone (to verify your identity), and nothing else: no paper, no calculator, no watches.
  9. You can start preparing half an hour before your scheduled appointment.

During the exam itself, you should do the following:

  1. Download the exam app.
  2. Complete a pre-check within the app.
  3. Wait for your proctor to connect.
  4. Speak with your proctor. Show him your ID and the surroundings.
  5. Take the demo.
  6. Pass the exam.
  7. Complete the survey.

Example: CC offline exam

When you arrive at the test center, you'll be asked to read and sign some forms that describe what you can and cannot do in the test center and during the exam. Pretty straightforward stuff like "raise your hand if you need to take a bathroom break.

You will be photographed before the exam.

Your palm or fingerprints will be scanned before and after the exam.

There are usually some snacks and water/coffee available at the test center.

A locker is available to store your phone and other items during the exam. A key to this locker is also the only item you may take into the testing room.

You will be escorted into the testing room. The staff will show you where to sit. Ask them what you should do after the exam.

You will be constantly recorded (voice and/or video) during the exam.

You will be given a passive noise-cancelling headphones. Consider using them, as there will probably be other people sitting next to you, and you'll hear them.

You will be given a special erasable board and pencil to take notes during the exam.

The monitors are usually 16:9, and the exam simulator takes up the entire screen, so it's a little inconvenient to read the exam questions because the text block is too wide. But now you know, and you can practice reading in these conditions before the exam. There may or may not be an option to change the font size.

Final words

Now you should be better prepared for any exam and know what to expect. If these tips sound easy and straightforward to you, that's a good sign. With his lessons learned, Sam has earned his PMP credential. And so can you!

Feel free to contact me if you need help preparing for the exam.

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