Overview
Exam day follows a structured, chronological flow. Each phase builds on the one before it, and small issues early in the process can create larger disruptions if not addressed.
The goal of the administration team is to maintain a testing environment that is organized, consistent, and responsive. This requires coordination across roles, awareness of both examinee behavior and system status, and timely escalation when needed.
This section is designed to support real-time administration. It outlines what should be happening at each stage of the exam and how staff should respond when things do not go as expected.
Check-In and Room Entry
Check-in is where exam-day control begins. When this phase is organized and consistent, the rest of the administration is much easier to manage.
As examinees arrive, proctors should focus on confirming that each person is authorized to test and prepared to begin. Identity must be verified using approved photo identification, and each examinee must have a laptop and power cord.
Proctors should also ensure that prohibited items are collected or secured before entry, and that only authorized individuals enter the testing room.
Once admitted, examinees are directed to their assigned seats. Seating should already be determined, and movement into the room should be managed to avoid confusion or delays. Jurisdictions are permitted to use seating cards or similar tools as they deem appropriate for their administration.
After seating, examinees should
- plug their device into an electrical outlet;
- power on their device;
- connect to Wi-Fi; and
- launch the secure browser.
During this time, proctors should circulate and observe. If setup issues arise, early identification allows them to be resolved before the exam begins.
Any irregularities—such as missing ID or equipment—should be documented and escalated as appropriate.
Pre-Launch: System and Examinee Readiness
The pre-launch period is focused on setting up the Exam Day Portal and ensuring that all examinees are ready before the exam begins.
Exam Day Portal Set Up
Prior to exam day, jurisdiction staff who will need access to the Exam Day Portal will receive an email with log-in credentials and a link to the portal to set up their accounts. To finish the account setup, they should log in using the provided credentials and create a new password. Exam Day Portal account setup must be completed before exam day.
On exam day:
Navigate to ncbe.programworkshop.com and log in using the established password.
Create a unique session name using the following format:
LastName + RoomName/Number + ExamSectionNumber
Example: SmithMainHallSection1
From the Test drop-down, select the appropriate exam section for the session being created.
Select Create Session.
The session number will appear in the top left of the screen. This number must remain confidential and must not be shared with examinees prior to the section start time.
Examinee Readiness
All examinees should be seated, connected, and at the “Waiting for Proctor Approval” screen by the scheduled start time.
Proctors should continue circulating and monitoring progress. If an examinee is delayed or unsure what to do, early assistance prevents larger delays later.
Technical proctors are responsible for resolving any device or system issues. Most issues can be addressed quickly by
- verifying Wi-Fi connection;
- restarting the device;
- relaunching the secure browser; and
- providing a backup device if needed.
The room lead should maintain awareness of the room as a whole, ensuring that readiness is progressing and that the administration remains on schedule.
Minor delays can be expected. However, if multiple examinees are experiencing the same issue, this may indicate a broader problem and should be escalated per the escalation guidelines.
Starting the Exam
All examinees will log in to the secure browser by entering their last name and NCBE Number.
The Room Lead will share the session number with all examinees and they will enter it.
Room Leads will begin to see the Exam Day Portal populating.
As examinees log in, they will see the “Waiting for Proctor Approval” screen.
The Room Lead will confirm that the physical count of examinees in the room matches the count listed in the Exam Day Portal.
Once all examinees are successfully on the “Waiting for Proctor Approval” screen, the Room Lead will admit all.
Once the Room Lead admits all, all examinees will see a five second countdown on their screen. At the end of those five seconds the exam instructions will display.
All examinees will move through the Candidate Agreement and instructions before beginning the exam.
This phase should feel controlled and consistent. Proctors should remain attentive to ensure that all examinees move through the process without confusion. Room Leads should continually monitor the Exam Day Portal.
If issues arise at launch, the response depends on scope. Individual issues should be handled by the technical proctor. If multiple examinees are impacted (e.g., more than five examinees with the same technical issue), the issue should be treated as systemic and escalated immediately.
During any delay, examinees should remain seated and quiet, and staff should provide clear and periodic updates.
Monitoring the Exam
Once the exam begins, the focus shifts to maintaining a stable and controlled testing environment.
- Proctors should circulate regularly and remain attentive to both examinee behavior and the overall environment. This includes watching for compliance with exam rules, identifying potential issues, and responding to routine needs such as restroom requests.
- Technical proctors should remain available to address technical issues as they arise, but should not take on non-technical responsibilities.
- The room lead should monitor the exam delivery system and maintain awareness of overall progress. If patterns begin to emerge—such as multiple examinees experiencing similar issues—this should be addressed quickly.
Throughout the session, the room should remain quiet and orderly. Examinees should not access prohibited items, and should switch to the security screen in the exam delivery platform if they leave their seat.
Monitoring the Exam Outside of the Testing Site
In addition to in-room monitoring, jurisdictions have the ability to monitor exam administration remotely through the Jurisdiction Portal. This provides centralized visibility across testing locations and supports coordination beyond individual rooms.
Authorized jurisdiction staff may use the portal to monitor a single testing location or multiple locations simultaneously, depending on their roles and responsibilities.
This view allows staff to
- track exam progress in real time;
- confirm that sections have started and are progressing as expected;
- identify locations or rooms experiencing delays;
- monitor examinee counts and overall activity levels; and
- detect potential patterns of technical issues or irregularities across locations.
Remote monitoring is particularly valuable for
- maintaining awareness across multiple testing sites;
- supporting consistent administration across locations; and
- identifying issues that may not be visible within a single room.
Jurisdiction staff monitoring remotely should remain in close communication with the NCBE site lead, who will not be on-site, but rather managing from a central location. If a potential issue is identified through the portal, it should be confirmed with on-site staff before action is taken.
Action should be taken when
- a location appears materially delayed relative to the expected schedule;
- multiple locations are experiencing similar technical issues;
- examinee counts or system activity do not align with expectations; or
- an issue may impact exam timing, integrity, or consistency across sites.
As with in-room monitoring, the goal is not to intervene unnecessarily, but to maintain awareness, identify issues early, and support a timely and coordinated response when needed.
Remote monitoring does not replace the responsibilities of on-site staff. Rather, it provides an additional layer of visibility that supports a stable and consistent administration across all locations.
Managing Technical Issues
Technical issues are not expected but could arise in any digital administration. The goal is to resolve them quickly while minimizing disruption to other examinees.
Most issues will be individual and can be handled by the technical proctor. These may include log-in problems, connectivity issues, or device malfunctions. In most cases, restarting the device or relaunching the secure browser resolves the issue.
If a backup device is required, it should be provided promptly so the examinee can continue testing.
If multiple examinees are affected or the issue appears to be system-wide, it should be escalated immediately through the room lead to the NCBE site lead. While the issue is being addressed, examinees should remain seated and staff should provide clear communication.
Irregularities and Incidents
An irregularity is any event that may affect testing conditions, examinee performance, or the integrity of the exam.
These may include disruptions in the room, suspected misconduct, or technical issues that meaningfully impact an examinee’s ability to test.
When an irregularity occurs, staff should remain calm and avoid disrupting the exam unless necessary. The priority is to maintain a stable testing environment while ensuring the issue is properly documented.
All irregularities should be recorded clearly and submitted according to established procedures. If there is uncertainty about how to handle a situation, it should be escalated.
Breaks and Movement
Examinees may leave the room for restroom breaks with permission. Before leaving, they must activate the security screen in the exam delivery platform.
Time is not paused during breaks, and examinees may not access prohibited items at any point.
Proctors should monitor movement in and out of the room and ensure that examinees return promptly and without disruption to others.
Final Minutes and Completion
As the end of a section approaches, the room lead should manage the final phase carefully to ensure consistency across examinees.
A 10-minute warning should be provided. During the final 10 minutes, examinees should not be permitted to leave the room.
If some examinees continue testing due to technical delays, all examinees should remain seated quietly to allow for completion.
Exam Completion and Dismissal
At the conclusion of a section, it is important to confirm that all responses have been successfully submitted before dismissing examinees.
Each examinee should reach the “Section Submitted” screen and raise their hand. A proctor should verify the screen before the examinee closes their device or leaves their seat.
If an examinee closes their device before having their submission validated, the proctor should ask that examinee to go to the front of the room and ask the room lead to confirm on the Exam Day Portal that their data have been submitted.
| Examinees should not be dismissed until submission has been confirmed. |
Once all examinees have completed the section and submission is verified, dismissal should be conducted in an orderly and controlled manner to maintain the integrity of the testing environment.