Online exam rules

⏰  At least 3 days before the exam, complete the Mandatory Equipment Check.

The Mandatory Equipment Check must be carried out on the same equipment on which you will subsequently take the exam. This will minimise the likelihood of technical problems on the day of the exam. The mandatory check is not evaluated with regard to regularity, it only serves to check the readiness of your equipment.

If you do not complete the Mandatory Equipment Check 3 days before the exam, we cannot guarantee technical support during the exam. Three days before the exam is also the deadline for cancellation of the exam due to technical problems.

🧹  Carefully prepare your work surface and the room where you will take the exam.

Online exams are conducted under conditions comparable with face-to-face exams. So you have a completely empty table and its immediate surroundings in front of you, only allowed items on it; computer with one monitor / laptop, video camera, keyboard and mouse, mirror and any allowed aids, you are alone in the room and you take the exam without help.

Ensure that all your materials are ready before the start of the initial checks.

📱   Place the phone and smartwatch with the sound and vibration turned off clearly out of your reach and out off your work surface so that it is clear that you cannot use it during the exam.

You can keep a phone in the room throughout the exam in case you need to contact customer support. However, the phone must have its sound and vibration turned off and must be placed completely out of your reach and out off your work surface. The phone can only be used to contact Scio customer support.
When the call is over, you must put the phone away out of your reach so that it is clear that you cannot use it during the exam (the putting away must be clear and distinct on the camera recording).

The phone cannot be used for any purpose other than those specified above, particularly it cannot be used as a camera

🖱️  On the day of the exam, log in to ScioLink using the button on the invitation.

• Take the test in your Chrome user profile. Do not use Guest or Incognito profile.
• Enter the test at the official start time indicated in the invitation.
• At the beginning of each exam, ScioLink checks your webcam, microphone, internet connection speed and the disk space on your computer.
• After checking the minimum technical requirements , you will be prompted to install the Proctoring Desktop extension. This extension monitors running processes and devices on your computer. The extension must be running during the entire exam.

💳   Prepare your personal document (passport, ID in Latin script) and undergo an identity scan.

As with a face-to-face exam, we need to verify that you are taking the exam with your ID.

• Before the exam begins, you will be asked to take a photo of your face and ID and film your room.
• The photo of your face must be clear and the details on your ID card clearly legible.
• You can use your civil ID card, driving licence or passport.
• The app allows you to hide some parts of your ID or passport and save only the necessary data, which are: photo, first name, surname, date of birth and validity of the document.

🎥  Slowly and clearly scan the entire room, including entrances, the work surface, and the space under the desk. Use a mirror to scan the keyboard and monitor. Check the scan.

• In order to prove that you are alone in the room, you need to turn the webcam around your room (360° view). You really need to take a picture of the whole room, not just a partial view. The exam must be taken in a closed room.
• The scan of the room must be complete and clear, including the entire work surface, the space under the desk and a peek behind any potential obstructions. Carefully film all entrances to the room as well, using a mirror, also film the keyboard and monitor. You can find how to do it here.
• Make sure that only permitted objects are on the work surface and in its immediate vicinity and that there are no prohibited objects in your field of vision.
• Scan the table and room slowly and clearly.
• If note papers are allowed on the test, show all the sheets on both sides to the camera to show that they are blank.
• If you are using a laptop stand/pad, scan the space underneath it.
• When you have finished scanning the room, show the camera that you are not wearing headphones (turn your head to either side).
• Always play back and review the recording; if necessary, you can redo the scan.
• Please note: You have 30 minutes for initial checks before the test. Therefore you have to enter the test itself within 30 minutes from starting the initial checks. Late entry into the test may be considered a violation of these rules and your test result may be blocked. If you find a technical or other serious problem during the initial checks, you need to address it immediately and promptly contact Scio’s customer service.

🙍  You must be fully visible and not leave the camera's view during the exam, even between individual test sections.

• You are required to be visible in the camera frame (at least from head to chest). Check the camera view continuously during the test in the camera preview.
• You must sit at a table or other desk for the exam. It is not allowed to take the exam from bed, for example.
• It is forbidden to leave the field of view of the webcam or the room after scanning the room, even between individual test sections. If you have to leave the shot to solve a technical problem, then scan the room and work surface in a similar way to the room scan at the beginning of the exam.
• You may only leave the room or use the phone to contact customer support. These situations will be reviewed.
• It is forbidden to leave the field of view of the webcam after completing the room scan, even between its individual steps. The room scan consists of several consecutive steps (e.g., 360° rotation around the room, scanning the workspace, etc.); between these steps, remain visible in the camera's frame.

🗨️  It is forbidden to communicate in any way with another person during the examination.

• No other person shall be in the room. If a person accidentally enters your room, you must ask them to leave and the record must show that the person has actually left the room.
• It is forbidden to have any communication with any other person in any way.
• No animals are allowed to roam freely in the room.

🖵  During the exam, work with only one monitor, the browser and ScioLink.

• It is forbidden to open any other browser windows or applications besides the ones required to take the exam. Their triggering is detected throughout the exam.
• No electronic sounds that could indicate the presence of another electronic device in operation shall be heard in the room.
• It is forbidden to use multiple monitors (more than one) and to transmit images.
• During the exam, it is forbidden to use text search (e.g. using the shortcut Ctrl+F).
• It is forbidden to use any translator during the exam.
• If the live transcription function starts during the listening, immediately disable it using the close button. If live transcription remains active, it may result in the exam being blocked.

And don’t forget:  you must take the exam properly, meaning by yourself, without any outside assistance and without using any unauthorized sources of information.

😟  If your result is blocked, you can request a review.

The result is blocked whenever there is a violation of the obligation to take the exam properly or any other rule during the exam, because in such a case Scio cannot ensure that the participant has not gained or could not gain an undue advantage over other participants. To detect violations of the rules, the records from the online NCE are used, but also other procedures for evaluating the course of the examination (e.g. analysis of the participant's answers). 

The results of the National Comparative Examinations, as they are transmitted to the faculties and as they are used in the admission procedure, must meet strict criteria for correctness and comparability of the knowledge and skills of the individual participants in the NCE. Scio vouches to the faculty and all participants that the NCE results have these characteristics. And if Scio cannot guarantee that a result has such characteristics, it cannot be used in the admissions process. In such a case Scio will decide on the blocking of the result