Online proctored exams: a checklist for the week, the night before and exam day

A week before

• Read your exam instructions twice and note the name of the platform or proctoring tool.
• Run the system check or practice exam if one is offered. Do it on the device and in the room you will use on the day.
• Confirm your webcam, microphone, browser and operating system meet the requirements.
• Check your internet speed at the same time of day as the exam. If you have a backup connection, find out whether the rules allow it.
• Check which ID is accepted, that it has not expired, and that the name matches your exam registration.
• Find out what is allowed: scratch paper, calculator, water, breaks. Do not guess.

The night before

• Charge your laptop and plan to keep it plugged in.
• Install or update any required browser or lockdown software now, not an hour before the exam.
• Choose a quiet, well-lit room with a door you can close. Clear the desk and walls of anything the rules forbid.
• Tell the people you live with when you will be sitting the exam.
• Turn off notifications and plan to close every other program.

On exam day

• Log in 15 to 30 minutes early with your ID within reach.
• Expect a room check. You may be asked to show your desk and the room slowly on camera.
• Put phones, notes and extra screens out of reach unless your instructions allow them.
• Look at the screen and avoid reading aloud. Unusual movement can be flagged for review. A flag is not an accusation, but staying calm and still helps.
• If something fails, use the platform's support chat or phone line straight away. Note the time, take a screenshot of the error, and tell your school's exams office.

Practise the way you will sit it

The best preparation is a timed paper at the same desk, on the same device, under the same rules. Mark it against the scheme afterwards. Doing this twice before the exam makes the real one feel familiar, and it shows you where your time goes.