Pearson VUE Identification and Test Rules

Delivery and Identification

The CAMS exam is administered by Pearson VUE, ACAMS's testing vendor, in two modes: a physical test center or OnVUE online proctoring from your home or office. Both enforce a strict identity and security protocol, and the single most common avoidable failure is an identification problem at check-in.

The ID rule is specific. Bring two forms of current, valid, government-issued identification:

If the name on your ACAMS/Pearson VUE registration does not match your IDs (for example, after a legal name change), correct it through ACAMS before scheduling - the center staff cannot waive the mismatch on the day.

Test-Center Rules

• Arrive about 30 minutes early. Late arrival can forfeit your appointment and fee.
• You will store all personal items in a locker: phone, watch, wallet, notes, bags. Nothing goes to the seat.
• Check-in includes a photograph, signature capture, and often a palm-vein or biometric scan; you may be scanned with a metal detector and asked to turn out pockets.
• The proctor issues an erasable noteboard or laminated sheet - no personal scratch paper.
• You must not talk, leave without permission, or access any device. Unscheduled breaks may be allowed but the clock keeps running.

OnVUE Online Rules

OnVUE has extra requirements because the proctor watches by webcam:

• Run the system test on the exact machine and network days ahead; OnVUE blocks most corporate VPNs and dual-monitor setups.
• Check in up to 30 minutes early through the OnVUE app, then photograph your IDs and your testing room (a 360-degree sweep).
• The room must be private, quiet, and clear of all papers, books, phones, and second screens; no one may enter.
• Your webcam and microphone record continuously. Looking away repeatedly, talking, or leaving the camera frame can trigger a warning or termination.
• No physical or digital notes are permitted; an on-screen notepad is provided.

Common Traps

• Bringing only one ID, or an ID whose name differs from registration (e.g., 'Bob' vs. 'Robert') - this stops you at the door.
• Forgetting that watches and phones are banned at the seat in both modes.
• For OnVUE, testing in a shared space or leaving a notebook on the desk; either can void the session. A worked example: a candidate keeps a water bottle with a paper label and a sticky note on the monitor; the proctor flags the note as unauthorized material and pauses the exam, costing time and stress. Strip the desk to nothing but the computer and a clear drink container, and you remove the risk entirely.

Choosing Test Center vs. OnVUE

Both modes deliver the identical CAMS exam and scoring; the choice is about your environment, not difficulty. Weigh the tradeoffs:

If you choose OnVUE, do the system test on the actual machine and network at least a day ahead and have a backup plan, because a failed connection mid-exam can suspend the session and force a reschedule.

Check-In Day-Of Sequence

Whether center or online, expect the same identity-first flow:

1. Present and verify two valid IDs (name match exact).
2. Photograph and signature capture; biometric or room scan.
3. Acceptance of the ACAMS non-disclosure agreement and code of conduct on screen.
4. Secure personal items (center) or final room sweep (OnVUE).
5. Brief tutorial on the testing interface, then the 3.5-hour exam begins.

A Worked Admission-Failure Scenario

A candidate arrives at the center with a valid passport but only a phone photo of a second ID. The proctor rejects the digital image - photocopies and digital IDs are not accepted - and without a second physical ID the candidate is turned away and forfeits the fee. The fix costs nothing: confirm two physical, unexpired IDs the night before, lay them out, and double-check the registration name spelling against them. The lesson generalizes - the most expensive exam-day mistakes are administrative, not academic, so treat the ID and rules checklist with the same seriousness as the content review.

Night-Before Logistics Checklist

Reduce day-of variables to near zero with a short pre-flight list. For a test center: confirm the address and parking, set out two physical unexpired IDs with names matching registration, plan to arrive 30 minutes early, and leave non-essentials at home since lockers are small. For OnVUE: re-run the system test on the exact machine, charge or plug in the laptop, clear the room and desk, position the webcam, silence other devices, and notify household members not to enter. In both cases, sleep takes priority over last-minute cramming - fatigue costs more accuracy across 120 questions than one extra hour of review can add.

The candidates who fail on logistics almost always skipped this five-minute checklist.