The ability to take a CLEP at home is a great NEW advantage to many in our community. No more scheduling with an outside testing center and driving there. Now you can take one in your own home! Recently, I took a CLEP myself just to see how smooth the process is. I’ll share my experience and a few tips at the end.
You can read all of the pertinent information at the College Board website. Here are the highlights:
Are these tests similar to the ones taken in the test center?
Each CLEP exam taken with remote proctoring has the same timing, content, format, and on-screen experience as the test you would take at a CLEP test center. You will be proctored remotely by a human proctor.
How does remote proctoring work?
Remote proctoring is provided by a third-party company called Verificient Technologies, Inc., which operates Proctortrack by Verificient, an identity verification and remote proctoring system.
To participate in remote proctoring, you must have:
- A computer (PC only, no Macs)
- A webcam
- A speaker
- A microphone
- A white board or one sheet of paper in a transparent sheet protector and a dry erase marker for note taking
- A quiet, secure testing environment
What are the technical requirements for my computer?
OPERATING SYSTEM PC: Windows 10 or higher
PROCESSOR/RAM: PC: Dual-core 2.4 Ghz CPU, 8 GB RAM or better
REQUIRED WEB BROWSERS Google Chrome v80.0 or higher
PLUG-INS Javascript enabled & Third Party Cookies enabled
CAMERA RESOLUTION 800 x 600 resolution or better
MICROPHONE REQUIRED An internal or external microphone is required.
INTERNET CONNECTION Cable Modem, DSL or better (1.5 MBPS download, 1 MBPS upload)
Note: Chromebooks and MacBooks are not allowed for live proctoring
Who is eligible for remote proctoring?
- Be 13 years old or older.
- Be located in the U.S. (excludes U.S. territories) or be DANTES-funded.*
- Your computer and testing room must meet equipment and environment requirements as well as Proctortrack technical requirements for remote proctoring.
What was my experience like?
I was surprised (and pleased) with how well the experience went. I communicated with the proctor via a chat box and was instructed what to do to begin the exam. The actual exam screens were exactly what you see at the testing center. Very smooth!
The only problem I encountered was that my test did not end as I had anticipated. I typed my concern into the chat box and the proctor responded promptly giving me instructions on what to do. Being a little flustered at this point (and having not used a windows computer in a LONG time), I accidentally closed EVERYTHING including my proctor chat. However, my score showed up on my CLEP account within a couple of days, so everything worked out.
A few tips if your teen takes a CLEP at home:
- Make sure the lighting is properly adjusted so they can take a picture of themselves, their ID and do a room scan. I took the test at night and was scrambling to turn on proper lighting while the proctor waited.
- They need their ID for the test even though they submitted a picture of it when they registered.
- Read everything here, here, and here. Or, better yet, have your teen read it. Don’t worry about remembering everything. The proctor will walk you through it.
- The score will show up on their CLEP account within a day or two. You won’t get a paper copy to print like you do at a test center.
More HS4CC Community Feedback
HS4CC Florida teen John shares “You had to download all the proctoring apps when prompted. There was a nice person in the chat part that walked me through the details with room scan, not having an extra monitor showing, no smart wristwatch, etc. I’d do it again at home if I needed to take another CLEP. It wasn’t hard to use.”
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