Exam and assessment lab security policy

About exam and assessment lab security

We make every attempt to ensure the security of our credentials and testing process. As part of this, we will take actions such as banning candidates, revoking scores and credentials, and asking candidates to retake exams and assessment labs if we suspect fraudulent activity.

Ethical Conduct

The purpose of the Microsoft Credentials Program is to determine a person’s ability to perform a specific job role or a set of tasks. Accordingly, all candidates are expected to pass the exam or assessment lab on their own merit without assistance from another person or entity (BOT, AI assistance) and are expected to maintain confidentiality of the validation content. Candidates are expected to abide by these ethical standards and to read, understand, and comply with our security rules. The obligation to abide by these ethical standards includes a commitment to honesty, truthfulness, full disclosure, accuracy, fairness, and integrity in all matters pertaining to the exam or assessment lab.

Microsoft Candidate Agreements

The Microsoft Certification Program requires candidates to accept the terms of a Microsoft Certification Exam Candidate Agreement before taking an exam, and the Microsoft Applied Skills Program requires candidates to accept the terms of a Microsoft Applied Skills Assessment Lab Candidate Agreement before attempting an Applied Skills assessment lab.

These agreements legally require candidates to keep information related to exam or assessment lab content confidential. Requiring the acceptance of the Agreement helps protect the security of Microsoft Certification exams, Applied Skills assessment labs, and the integrity of the Microsoft Credentials Program by legally discouraging piracy and/or unauthorized use of exam content.

Confidentiality of exam and assessment lab content

All content on exams and assessment labs represents confidential intellectual property of Microsoft. Obtaining, using, or distributing this content is strictly prohibited, regardless of the method employed (memorization, recording, copying, or other means). This prohibition includes discussion, distribution, or online posting of remembered assessment topics or solutions, in whole or in part. The use or sharing of any exam or assessment lab content violates the rules of conduct of the Microsoft Credentials Program. Such activities could provide an unfair advantage and threaten the validity and credibility of the program.

Microsoft Certification exam testing center security

Staff at testing centers are provided with security policies that must be enforced to acquire and maintain testing center status. Ongoing inspections ensure that each testing center maintains the security outlined by Microsoft and the exam delivery provider. In addition, proctors at testing centers are authorized to immediately take appropriate measures against candidates who violate testing rules. If you have concerns about the security of your exam experience, complete this form.

To ensure the security of Microsoft Certification exams, testing center administrators ensure that the identification provided is appropriate and verify that it is the ID of the person who appeared to take the exam; walk through the testing area periodically; keep partitions between testing stations; remove crib sheets, electronic devices, and other unauthorized materials, and prevent the removal of exam content in any shape or form. In addition, test center administrators and proctors cannot provide any type of aid regarding any exam question. They can help resolve technical issues but cannot assist in the understanding or answering of any exam question.

Microsoft may suspend testing at any test center where security problems are suspected, including any test centers that might be affiliated with those under suspicion.

Testing center appeal process

Testing center owners can appeal a site closure by submitting an appeal to [email protected].

Certification exam unscheduled breaks security

You may take unscheduled breaks during all exams, except Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) exams, without requesting them in advance through the accommodation request process. However, Microsoft’s security policies apply while you are on break. This means that you cannot access any unauthorized materials during your break. If the proctor sees you doing so, your exam will be revoked. To learn more about prohibited behaviors during exams, review the OnVUE guide.

Identification (ID) requirements for taking Microsoft exams

All test takers are required to present one form of original (no photocopies), valid (unexpired) government issued ID with name, photo, and signature. The first and the last name that the test taker uses to register must match exactly the first and last name on the ID that is presented on test day.

For additional information, refer to the Pearson VUE ID Policy.

Microsoft Certification exam out-of-country/region testing

To sit for a Microsoft Certification exam at a testing center in India, China, or Pakistan, you must be a legitimate resident of that country. If you are a legitimate resident of one of these countries, testing centers are required to confirm and record that you have shown documented proof that you are a legitimate resident of that specific country. To verify country of residence status, you are required to present one form of an original (no photocopies), valid (unexpired) government issued ID with your name, photo, and signature.

If you are not a legitimate resident of India, China, or Pakistan, you will not be allowed to sit for a Microsoft Certification exam within that country.

If you do not have an ID that meets the requirements of the ID policy and would like to request an exception, or if you are a candidate testing outside your home country/region, please contact Pearson VUE support. Any candidate exceptions to the ID or out of country/region policy must be pre-approved by the Pearson VUE customer service center at least three business days before the scheduled exam appointment.

Right of exclusion

Based on security and integrity concerns, Microsoft reserves the right to exclude specific regions, countries, and testing centers from the Microsoft Credentials Program altogether.

Data forensics

Microsoft will use data forensics (statistical evidence improper activity during an exam) to cancel exam scores, revoke Certifications, ban candidates, close test centers, and take any other appropriate action to protect the integrity of the Microsoft Credentials Program.

Candidate retesting at request of Microsoft

Microsoft reserves the right to ask any candidate to retest for any suspected fraudulent activity or anomalous testing patterns at any time.

Revoking Credentials and Candidate Bans

If a candidate violates any rule, policy, or term within the Microsoft Certification Exam Candidate Agreement or the Microsoft Applied Skills Assessment Lab Candidate Agreement, or engages in any misconduct that diminishes the security and integrity of the Microsoft Credentials Program in any way, the candidate may be permanently prohibited from taking any future credentials and may be banned from Microsoft’s Credential Program. In addition, the candidate may have any credentials (Certifications or Applied Skills) and scores revoked.

Examples of such misconduct, misuse, and fraud include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Using AI in any way during the exam or assessment lab.
• Falsifying modifying, and/or altering the original results/score reports for any exam or assessment lab record.
• Using unauthorized material in attempting to satisfy credential requirements (this includes using brain dump material and/or unauthorized publication of exam questions or assessment lab tasks with or without answers).
• Providing or accepting improper assistance.
• Falsifying identity or impersonating another individual to gain access to or attempt an exam or assessment lab.
• Copying, publishing, disclosing, transmitting, selling, offering to sell, posting, downloading, distributing in any way, or otherwise transferring, modifying, making derivative works of, reverse engineering, decompiling, disassembling, or translating any lab material in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, verbal or written, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose.
• Disclosing Microsoft intellectual property (IP).
• Disseminating actual exam or assessment lab content.
• Using the exam or assessment lab content or platform in any manner that violates applicable law or does not align with the requirements of the exam or assessment lab.
• Violating the retake policy.
• Cheating during the exam (such as looking at the monitors of other exam takers, using an unauthorized device, or looking at notes).
• Bringing non-authorized items into the testing center during an exam session (such as notes or unauthorized materials and electronic devices, such as cell phones).
• Violating the Microsoft Certification Exam Candidate Agreement or the Microsoft Applied Skills Assessment Lab Candidate Agreement in any way.

Candidate appeal process

Candidates may appeal their ban by submitting an appeal to [email protected] within 14 calendar days of receiving notice from Microsoft (as established by the date the notification was sent by Microsoft). Any appeal requests submitted after that time will not be reviewed or granted.

The Microsoft Worldwide Learning Security Team will review all submitted appeal requests, conduct a thorough investigation of each specific case, and will communicate directly with the candidate regarding the conclusion of the investigation and final appeal decision.

A candidate may appeal a ban for falsifying a score report by submitting the original report (no scans or electronic copies) to:

Microsoft Worldwide Learning Security Team
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052

Examples of fraudulent activity

Fraudulent activity is anything that enables an unqualified candidate to pass an exam or assessment lab. This type of egregious misconduct negatively affects the integrity of the Microsoft Credentials Program. Examples of fraudulent activity include, but are not limited to using AI to assist you during the exam or assessment lab, proxy testing, using brain dump sites to prepare for the exam or assessment lab, stealing content to share with others, falsifying score reports, etc.

Proxy testing is when someone takes an exam or assessment lab for another candidate. Some companies offer proxy testing, guaranteeing that you will pass the exam or assessment lab without having to take it. This is fraudulent activity.

A brain dump is a source, such as a website, that contains exam questions or assessment lab content that has been fraudulently obtained with the intention to share it with or sell it to other candidates. The content included in brain dumps is exactly the same or substantially similar to what appears on the exam or assessment lab. Because the exam or assessment lab content was fraudulently obtained, using this type of material to prepare for or during an exam or assessment lab constitutes cheating. Brain dump providers are in violation of Microsoft intellectual property rights and candidate agreements. If you think you have discovered a brain dump site with Microsoft content, please complete this form.

Falsified score reports are reports that Microsoft deems to be inauthentic or that deceive or defraud others in any way. If Microsoft determines that a candidate has falsified a score report, the candidate will be ineligible to take any future Microsoft exams and/or assessment labs and his or her credentials may be revoked.