Guide to Online Exams
Contents
Questionmark Secure. . . 2
Logging In and Exam Access. . . 4
MSN Messenger Users. . . 6
Exam Introductory Screen. . . 7
Question Presentation. . . .8
Flagging Questions for Review. . . 9
Proceeding to Next Section. . . 10
Completing the Exam. . . .11
Exam Results. . . 12
Test Taking Suggestions. . . 13
Questionmark Secure
Candidates taking exams online must first
Install Questionmark Secure on the computer
that will be used for testing. This is a free
program that provides a secure environment
for internet testing and helps maintain the
integrity of our academic and certification
programs. The download is quick and needs
to be performed only once on any computer
that will be used for the delivery of online tests.
•
Access the Questionmark Secure
Participant Guide
here
(right click and select
‘Open Weblink in Browser’).
What You Can’t Do
When a participant uses Questionmark Secure, most
key-presses and mouse-clicks (except those appropriate
to answering questions) are not permitted. In particular,
the following actions are
disabled
:
•
Navigation
–
Tabbing forward or backwards
–
Moving backwards
•
Control functions
–
Escape
–
Refresh
•
Screen
–
Print whole screen or active window
•
System Key Combinations
–
Exit and close window
–
Start menu
–
Next Window and cycle windows
Logging In
• Click
here
to view
the exam login
page.
• Only your proctor
has the ID and
password needed
to access your
exam.
enter your ID
and password
and click the
Accessing your exam
be sure to close
other applications
running at this time
after login, you’ll
see the exam you
are scheduled to
take
click
Start
to launch
your exam
MSN Messenger Users
• Some versions of MSN
Messenger do not
close completely when
exited from the
desktop.
• To turn of completely,
click
Ctrl+Alt+Delete
and select
Task
Manager
.
• In the
Processes
tab,
highlight
msmsgs.exe
in the
Image Name
list
and click
End
Process
.
highlight
msmsgs.exe
click
end
process
Agreement Forms
• Be sure to complete
the Proctor and
Candidate
Agreement Forms.
• The questions and
timer will appear
once these forms
have been read and
completed.
enter name in text box
One Question at a Time
• Once you start,
the questions
appear one at a
time.
• Answers save
automatically
every 5 minutes.
Click the ‘
Save
’
button at
anytime to save
responses.
use scrollbar
proceed to
‘jump’ to any
question by clicking
saves answers in
case internet
connection is lost
Flagging Questions
answered questions
are shaded blue
Flag
questions you might
Moving Right Along…
• Remember to
answer all
questions in
each section
before
proceeding.
• Questions from
previous sections
are no longer
accessible and
cannot be
answered or
changed.
make sure you have answered all
questions before moving to the next
Completing Your Exam
• Attempt
every
question before
submitting the
exam.
click here to score exam
and receive results
How Did You Do?
• An email will be
sent containing
your pass/fail
status for the
exam.
close secure browser
by clicking here
A Few Suggestions. . .
Prepare your computer prior to your exam session
•
Make sure to install Questionmark Secure and try the sample secure exam in advance of your
scheduled test date. Waiting until the last minute can add to the stress that accompanies exams.
Attempt to answer every question
•
Unanswered questions are scored as incorrect and, unlike some exams, there is no additional
penalty for answering a question incorrectly. If you are unsure of the answer, guess at the answer
and flag the question for later review.
Remember the 60 second rule
•
Initially, try to limit the time spent on each question to 1 minute. Time permitting, give flagged
questions a second look once you have answered all of the questions in the section.
Choose the BEST answer
•
Although some distracters might seem correct under certain circumstances, each question has
only one best answer. Additionally, do not read more into the question than what is stated. Answer
each question based on the information stated.
Save your answers
•
Exam answers are saved automatically at 5-minute intervals and upon completion of a section.
You might want to click the ‘Save’ button after answering several questions. If you lose your
internet connection, you’ll be able to resume your exam at the point from when answers were last
saved. Also, be sure to save your answers if you are about to run out of time. Unsaved answers
are scored as incorrect once the time limit is reached.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to use Perception?
• In order to use Perception you will need:
• A computer with an internet connection - This includes Macs
• A web browser - Internet Explorer or Firefox are recommended but any browser should work • Javascript enabled in the "internet settings“
What happens if I lose my connection to the internet?
• If you lose your connection, you’ll need to press Alt +F4 in order to close Questionmark Secure. Once a connection to the internet has been reestablished, access the login screen and enter the I.D. and password. By checking the ‘Show list of any unfinished assessments’ box, candidates will be able to resume the exam at the point from when answers were last saved. The timer continues to run so be sure to resume your exam as quickly as possible.
I keep getting 'Access denied' messages when I try to open Questionmark Secure...
• When opening Questionmark Secure, the date/time settings on your machine must be roughly correct. If they are more than 12 hours fast or slow, you will encounter an 'Access denied' (or similar) error
message. You should correct your date/time settings and try to open Questionmark Secure again.
Why do I get a .qmsb - unknown file type error when I open a secure assessment?
• When security on a computer is set to a high level, the Questionmark Secure installation process may not be able to configure all of the necessary files. This linkwill take you through the steps required to manually configure the file associations so that Questionmark Secure opens up secure assessments when required.
How do I close MSN Messenger?
• This issue is addressed on page 6.
