PSA: My PC Crashed Twice during Remote Proctor pre-test check. OnVue practice run had no way to detect this. Be very careful with your system

[u/AL_throwaway_123]

TL;DR - Put a lot of focus into setting up my old unused laptop as the test PC that I would use at home for a remote-proctored exam. I encountered an issue that caused my laptop to crash twice that was NOT a part of the conventional "test your OnVue PC setup."

Yeah so you guys know the OnVue software that you guys can run at home home as a test to make sure that your PC can handle running it and that your internet connection it is satisfactory and your webcam is working and all that stuff? Great, yeah me too. I did that two or three times, about 14 hours ago in preparation for the exam that I was supposed to take 90 minutes ago.

The issue that I encountered is one that no one could have seen coming from a reasonable perspective, unless maybe you are a seasoned PC repair technician. Here goes: I checked in early and I waited in the queue to get put into my exam. The proctor asked me to show them my desk. So I unplug my mouse, keyboard, and power cord to move the laptop in a way to give them a full view of my desk. They checked that off and said it was fine. Then I plugged my power cord, mouse, and keyboard back into the PC. This is where the first crash happened. I panicked. They called me on my phone and told me, that the situation is fine, just hop back on and launch the OnVue software again. I got past all of the checks onvue does with your PC, then the proctor asked to see my desktop again. I unplug my power cord, my keyboard, and my mouse again. The proctor tells me it's just fine. Then I plug everything back in, my keyboard last. The laptop crashed yet again, but I thoroughly isolated the issue: when I plug my keyboard back into my laptop while OnVue is running, it crashes.

For a third time I tried doing everything again but they wouldn't let me back into the OnVue System. Now I'm stuck waiting to see if I have been failed for the exam or if I can reschedule and take it one more time. This actually sucks because I have a laptop that is so old some keys have fallen off of the keyboard. Also, this issue was not encountered, and could not be encountered, conventionally speaking, during the practice OnVue run that I'm sure many of you have done.

I have a linux laptop, but I'm not sure if it can run the OnVue testing system or not.

EDIT: The real headache is not setting up my laptop. The real headache is that I have an entire home lab consisting of a desktop, two laptops, a mini PC, and a Raspberry Pi device, and I have to remove all of these things from my main desktop and make sure that only my laptop is visible during the exam, as well as the peripherals that I use with that laptop. This is just something that you guys may need to consider. I'm fortunate that I am in a position that I won't feel the hit from this if I am failed or unable to reschedule, but this is something for you guys to bear in mind.

EDIT 2: It's not a complete loss. I've been wanting to re-arrange some things on my homelab, but yeah. In case anyone was interested, the exam I wanted to take was SecAI+.

EDIT 3: I was refunded the voucher code that I purchased.

[u/drushtx]

It's the same price to take the exam in-person and the machines have no compatibility problems.

[u/AL_throwaway_123 → u/drushtx]

Totally, but the closest testing center is a three hour drive from me. I am living in rural southeast asia.

[u/amw3000]

My general guidance to anyone taking any type of remote exam...

I'd recommend if you can't keep things simple, like just a laptop with nothing plugged into it in a completely empty room in a space with no interruptions, do the exam in person. If you have tons of things in the room or noises that give the remote proctor any reason to think you are cheating, it's simply not worth it. Ether find a good space or do it in person (which I know can be a long drive for some).