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Where do I go and what do I need to take an exam?

Exams are delivered online and can be taken from anywhere in the world. Candidates need to make sure they meet system and identification requirements. Please review the Candidate Handbook for full details. Please note that the Linux Foundation has a zero tolerance rule in regards to anyone who engages in exam misconduct. Our exams are monitored very carefully through a variety of methods - both during the live exam and after the exam is completed. Any suspicious activity will be addressed and could result in consequences including, but not limited to, revoking your passing score and restricting your ability to take the exam again.  

Can I use an internal or built-in webcam for the exam?

You are welcome to use a webcam that is built-in to your laptop/computer. Just remember that you will be asked to do a full pan of your room and physical surroundings with your webcam (sometimes, this can include panning the area beneath your desk). While many candidates are able to satisfy this request with their laptop's built-in webcam, if you believe this could present an issue for the webcam that is built-in to your computer, then you may need to look into getting an external webcam for use during the exam. 

What are the system requirements? How can I test my machine?

Please review the Candidate Requirements published in our Candidate Handbook. If you already registered for an Exam, you can login to My Portal and click on the Check System Requirements step to be directed to the system check tool, provided by our Proctoring partners.

Can I use my browser bookmarks during my exam?

Personal bookmarks are NOT permitted during our exams. Resources allowed for all Linux Foundation Certification Programs are published here: https://docs.linuxfoundation.org/tc-docs/certification/certification-resources-allowed Links to documentation, considered most helpful to complete your work, have been added to a Quick Reference box within each item’s instructions. Access to published Resources Allowed will still be permitted within the Exam Environment. For Kubernetes Exams - we have worked closely with the CNCF team to ensure that YAML files included in the CNCF documentation are accurate. The Linux Foundation has a zero tolerance rule in regards to anyone who engages in exam misconduct. Our exams are monitored very carefully through a variety of methods - both during the live exam and after the exam is completed. Any suspicious activity will be addressed and could result in consequences including, but not limited to, revoking your passing score and restricting your ability to take the exam again.  

What are the identification requirements?

Please review the Candidate Identification and Authentication Policy, published in our candidate handbook. The name on your Primary ID must exactly match the verified name on your exam checklist

Do I need to take my exam from a Linux machine?

Candidates must provide their own computer, with a supported OS (a Linux Machine is NOT a requirement).

Please review the System Requirements published in our Candidate handbook If you already purchased the exam, please run the System check tool provided by the Exam Proctoring Partner to verify that their hardware meets the minimum requirements.

Which platform will my exam be provisioned on, and can I choose a platform for my exam?

Please review the Platform Selection information published in our candidate handbook, for details of the platform(s) available for our exams, and how to choose a platform (if that option is available).

How soon should I expect my exam results?

Upon completion, exams are scored automatically and barring any exceptions or technical difficulties, a score report will be sent to the candidate via email within 24 hours from the time that the exam was completed.

Results are also made available on the Portal.

If more than 24 hours have passed since you completed your exam and you have not yet received your score report and you have checked your spam/promotions folder of your email, please login to trainingsupport.linuxfoundation.org for assistance.

How do I schedule, reschedule, or cancel exam reservations?

Once you purchase an exam registration, you will have 12 months to take the exam. That means you may schedule a reservation date to occur within 12 months of purchase only. After 12 months, your exam registration expires and you will no longer have eligibility to schedule or sit for the exam.

  • To schedule an exam, just login to My Portal and click on Start Certification/Resume for the exam you purchased, to load the Exam Preparation Checklist.
  • Clicking "Schedule" will take you to the Exam Proctoring Partner’s scheduling site where you can select a preferred date/time for your exam.
  • You may cancel or reschedule an existing exam reservation when there are more than 24 hours before the scheduled start time of a reservation. At 24 hours or less, no changes will be allowed and you must either take the exam or forfeit the exam.
Additional notes on scheduling:
  • Timeslots are subject to availability. We recommend going through the scheduling process at least 3 weeks before a desired Exam date.
  • Exam reservations require a 24-hour lead time and the earliest date you will be able to select for your Exam reservation will be the next day.
  • The latest possible date in the scheduling calendar is ninety (90) days out. If a later reservation is desired, you will need to wait to schedule until your desired date is within 60 days.

What score is needed to pass the exam?

Please review the FAQ section of all our programs, to determine the score required to pass each exam. https://docs.linuxfoundation.org/tc-docs/certification

Are there any exam pre-requisites?

There are no prerequisites to take our certification exams with the exception of our Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS) exam.   Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS) candidates must have taken and passed the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) exam prior to attempting the CKS exam.

What resources or tools are allowed or forbidden during the exam?

The following resources are allowed during the exam as long as they are used by Candidate to work independently on exam objectives (i.e. not used for 3rd party assistance or research) and are accessed from within the exam console on which the exam is delivered (resources that cannot be accessed from within the console are not allowed):

  • Man pages
  • Documents installed by the distribution (i.e. /usr/share/doc/)
  • Packages that are part of the distribution. (May also be installed by Candidate if not available by default.)
As long as it fits the above description of allowable resources, Candidates may choose to install and use any tool to complete an objective. The following resources are forbidden during the exam:
  • External web pages
  • Text-based email clients
  • Browsing the Internet using installed tools such as Vim and Emacs
  • Communications with other Candidates or outside resources
  • Use of devices other than the exam desktop
  • Notes
  • Documentation
  • Notepads
  • Course manuals
  • Devices external to computer on which they are taking the exam, including but not limited to: mobile phones, PDAs, wearable computers, smart glasses, smart watches

Why is proctoring so strict?

Please review our explanation of the proctoring process here.

How are exams scored and how soon will I get my results?

Upon completion, exams are scored automatically and barring any exceptions or technical difficulties, a score report will be sent to the candidate via email within 24 hours from the time that the exam was completed.
Results will also be made available on the Portal.
Exams are graded for results.
For performance based exams (non multiple choice exams) there may be more than one way to perform a task on an Exam and unless otherwise specified, the candidate can pick any available path to perform the task as long as it produces the correct result.
Exam items have different point-values. For example, some questions may be multi-part and so tend to be worth more in points. Additionally, some questions will involve tasks or skills that are considered more difficult and/or more time-intensive; such questions will be weighted more than a question that is simpler and/or involves basic skills only to complete. In addition, please note that the Linux Foundation has a zero tolerance rule in regards to anyone who engages in exam misconduct. Our exams are monitored very carefully through a variety of methods - both during the live exam and after the exam is completed. Any suspicious activity will be addressed and could result in consequences including, but not limited to, revoking your passing score and restricting your ability to take the exam again.  

How can I submit a request for Test Accommodations during my exam session?

We provide Test Accommodations to individuals who demonstrate a documented need. Test accommodations are individualized, so we consider them on a case-by-case basis.

What data/information is made available about my Certification? Can you verify if someone has active Certification?

The Linux Foundation provides a verification tool on its website that allows individuals with active Certification(s) to market their Certified status to potential employers or clients. To submit a query on this verification tool, a user must enter the Certificate ID number and the corresponding Last Name as listed on the Certificate of a successfully Certified individual. (The Last Name must be entered exactly as listed on the Certificate, including any special characters.) The results for a successfully submitted query will include the full name of Candidate, Certification title, status of Certification, and the date that the Certification was achieved.

I’m ready to take my certification exam. Where is my THRIVE-ONE exam coupon?

If you have a monthly subscription, your first exam coupon will be sent via email, after ten months (and every 10 months thereafter) that your monthly subscription remains active. If you are an annual subscriber, you will receive your exam coupon via email, within 30 days of purchase and again when your annual subscription renews.

How can I renew my certification and keep it active?

Candidates may keep Certification valid by Retaking the Certification Exam prior to the expiration of the certification.completing one of the renewal requirement options below. Renewal requirements must be completed prior to the expiration of the Certification.

Is there a waiting period before I can re-take my exam?

If you are eligible for a retake, the deadline to complete the retake is 12 months from the original purchase date.   There is no enforced wait period for retakes currently. However, the following factors affect how quickly you can get and schedule a retake: - A retake can only be issued if the first attempt has been graded as a No Pass, and exams are scored 24 hours from the time an exam is completed. (That means it's at least 1 days before eligibility for a retake can be determined.) - There is a 24-hour lead time needed for exam reservations, meaning the earliest possible reservation would be 24 hours ahead. If you are wanting to ensure you have enough time to fit a retake in before the retake deadline, then we recommend that you schedule your first attempt at least 2 weeks before the expiration date of your exam.

How do I change my exam platform?

Please review the Platform Selection information published in our candidate handbook, for details of the platform(s) available for our exams, and how to choose a platform (if that option is available).

Will my ID be acceptable for the exam?

Candidates are required to provide a non-expired Primary ID that meets the requirements outlined in our Identification and Authentication policy, published in our Candidate Handbook. The name on your Primary ID must exactly match the verified name on your exam checklist.   If you need to update the name associated to your exam so that it matches the ID that you will be presenting for the exam, login to the portal (portal.linuxfoundation.org/portal) and look for the Verify Name step in the Exam Prep Checklist. The "Verify Name" step allows you to verify if the name listed on your account matches the name on your government photo ID. This is a required step that all candidates must complete before taking the exam

I have an ID with name listed in non-Latin characters. Is it possible to take the exam with this?

Candidates are required to provide a non-expired Primary ID that meets the requirements outlined in our Identification and Authentication policy, published in our Candidate Handbook. The name on your Primary ID must exactly match the verified name on your exam checklist.

Where do I upload or provide my ID for the exam?

The certification exams are proctored remotely via webcam and desktop streaming. During the check-in process for the exam, the proctor will ask you to present your ID in order to confirm your identity.    Please review our Identification and Authentication policy, published in our Candidate Handbook

Can I attach an external monitor to my computer or laptop for the exam?

Only 1 monitor/display may be used during your exam.  The monitor/display can be an external monitor connected to a laptop computer, however, you must choose which display to use for the exam; you cannot use both. You can check the system requirements for the display by clicking the Check System Requirements step in the Exam Prep Checklist in the portal. Please also keep in mind that the proctor will ask you to pan your physical surroundings with your webcam, so if your webcam is built-in on your laptop, you may want to test whether you can do this successfully while hooked up to an external monitor.  Most candidates seem to be able to do this without issue, but if for any reason this presents an issue for your setup (i.e. too short of cables or maybe laptop is quite large), you may need to consider an external webcam that you can move independently.

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