7.3 Exam-Day Checklist

7.3 Exam-Day Checklist

SnowPro Core is administered by Pearson VUE. When you register through your Snowflake/SnowPro certification account, you choose one of two delivery modes:

• Online proctored (OnVUE): taken at home or office via your own computer with a live remote proctor watching through your webcam.
• Test center: taken at a physical Pearson VUE testing center on their equipment, supervised on-site.

Both modes enforce the same closed-book, single-attempt conditions. The difference is where the strict environment rules apply — at home, you are responsible for creating a compliant space.

Before exam day

• Run the OnVUE system test (online mode) days ahead: it checks your webcam, microphone, browser, and internet. Do this on the exact machine and network you will use.
• Confirm the exam name (SnowPro Core), date, time, and time zone in your confirmation email.
• Ensure your registration name exactly matches your photo ID — a mismatch is the most common cause of a denied, forfeited appointment.

Identification and check-in

You must present a valid, non-expired, government-issued photo ID (passport, driver's license, or national ID). The first and last name on the ID must exactly match the name on your exam registration. A single, unexpired ID is required; bring a second form if your confirmation requests it.

Plan to check in 15–30 minutes early. Online check-in includes:

1. Photographing your ID and your face.
2. Capturing a 360° webcam scan of the room and your desk surface.
3. Sometimes a brief wait for a proctor to admit you.

The 115-minute timer does not start until the actual exam begins, after check-in — but a late or failed check-in can cost you the appointment and the fee. At a test center, arrive early, store belongings in a locker, and present ID at the desk.

Environment and conduct rules

For online proctoring, your space must be a private, quiet, well-lit room where you are alone. Specifically:

• Clear the desk of all papers, books, notes, electronics, and clutter. Only your testing computer is allowed.
• No second monitor. Disconnect extra displays; you must use a single screen.
• No phone, smartwatch, headphones/earbuds, or notes. Phones must be out of reach.
• No one else may enter the room, and you may not leave the camera's view. Talking, reading aloud, or looking off-screen can flag you.
• No unscheduled breaks — for a ~115-minute exam, breaks are generally not offered; leaving may end the session.

The exam is closed-book: no external resources, no scratch paper unless your center explicitly provides an erasable board, and no copying questions.

Final-hours logistics

• Eat and hydrate beforehand; you may not be able to step away mid-exam.
• For online: restart your computer, close all other apps (VPN, chat, screen-sharing — these can block OnVUE), and connect to stable internet (wired preferred).
• Have your ID in hand and your phone available only to receive the proctor's check-in instructions, then placed out of reach.
• Read each stem carefully — note NOT/EXCEPT wording and the required count on multiple-select items.
• Pace to your checkpoints, flag-and-return, and leave no blanks.

When you submit, you typically receive a preliminary pass/fail indication on screen, with the official scaled result and digital badge following through your SnowPro account.

Online proctoring: what to expect minute by minute

Knowing the OnVUE flow removes test-day surprise:

1. Log in early through your Pearson VUE/SnowPro account and launch the secure browser. It closes other applications and locks your machine.
2. Photo capture: you photograph your face, your photo ID (front, sometimes back), and your immediate workspace from four angles.
3. Greeter/proctor review: a proctor verifies your identity and your environment. They may ask you to pan the webcam slowly around the room, show under the desk, and roll up sleeves if smartwatches are suspected.
4. Admission: once cleared, the exam loads and the 115-minute timer starts. You are watched and recorded for the full session.

Common avoidable failures: a background app (Zoom, VPN, corporate security agent) blocks the secure browser; a phone or smartwatch is within reach; a second monitor is still connected; someone walks into the room; or the candidate reads questions aloud. Any of these can pause or terminate the exam.

Test-center mode and accommodations

At a physical Pearson VUE center, staff handle check-in: you present ID, get photographed, store everything in a locker, and are escorted to a workstation. The environment rules are enforced by the center, so you avoid the home-setup burden — a good choice if your internet is unreliable or your space is hard to clear.

Accommodations (for example, extended time for a documented need) must be requested and approved in advance through Snowflake/Pearson VUE before scheduling — they cannot be granted on the day. If English is a second language and an extended-time accommodation is available for your locale, apply early.

One-page day-of checklist

• Valid government photo ID, name matching registration — in hand.
• Quiet, private, well-lit room; desk cleared; single monitor; phone/watch out of reach.
• Computer restarted; VPN, chat, and screen-share apps fully closed; stable (ideally wired) internet.
• Logged in 15–30 minutes early; OnVUE system test already passed days ago.
• Hydrated and fed; bathroom visited beforehand (no mid-exam breaks).
• Mindset: read for NOT/EXCEPT and select-count, pace to checkpoints, flag-and-return, leave no blanks.