Taking the Exam

The staff at Pearson VUE adheres to designated procedures to ensure the testing center's operation meets NSCP's criteria for standardized testing. Review the following information before your examination administration to become familiar with the procedures.

Plan to arrive at the testing center 30 minutes prior to your appointment time. If you arrive at the testing center 15 minutes after your scheduled appointment, you will not be admitted and you will forfeit your testing fee.
When you arrive at the testing center, you will present two forms of identification. You must present your primary and secondary forms of identification. (More information is included in the Identification Requirements section following.)
After your identification has been approved, the Test Center Administrator (TCA) will take your photograph and signature in a digital format. Once check in is completed, you will be directed to the testing room where your digital photograph will be displayed on your computer.
The TCA will provide you with an erasable note board for use during the examination. This erasable note board must be returned to the TCA at the completion of examination or you will not receive a score report.
The seating time for the CSCP examination is 2 hours.

Acceptable forms of primary identification are (photograph and signature required):

All identification must be valid (not expired) and must be an original document (not a photocopy or a fax). Birth certificates, social security cards, student and employee IDs, and marriage certificates are examples of unacceptable forms of identification. You will NOT be admitted to the examination without proper identification, and you will not have an opportunity to reschedule your testing appointment. There will be no refund of your testing fee. There are no exceptions. If you have any questions about the validity of your identification, please contact the Pearson VUE Call Center at 888-269-2219 prior to your appointment date.

To ensure that examination results for all candidates are earned under comparable conditions and represent fair and accurate measurement, it is necessary to maintain a standardized testing environment. Therefore, all candidates must adhere to the following restrictions:

No references or study materials may be brought into the examination room.
Candidates will not be allowed to take anything into the examination room other than those items given to them by the administrator and their identification documents.
Prohibited items will not be allowed into the examination room. Prohibited items include, but are not limited to the following: calculators, pagers, cell phones, electronic digital devices (PDAs, watches), recording or photographic devices, iPods, mp3 players or digital music players, weapons, briefcases, computers or computer bags, and handbags or purses.
Eating, drinking, or smoking is prohibited in the Test Center.
Questions regarding the content of the examination may not be asked of the TCA during the examination.

NSCP and Pearson VUE maintain test administration and test security standards that are designed to ensure that all candidates are provided the same opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and to prevent any candidates from gaining an unfair advantage over others due to testing irregularities or misconduct. Testing centers will be continuously monitored by audio and video surveillance equipment for security purposes.

Individuals who engage in any of the following conduct may be dismissed from the test administration and their scores will not be reported. Examples of misconduct are when a candidate:

Uses electronic communications equipment such as PDAs, calculators, pagers, or cellular phones;
Gives or receives help during the examination or is suspected of doing so;
Attempts to take the examination for someone else;
Uses notes, books, or other aids;
Removes, or attempts to remove scratch paper, or note board from the assessment center; or
Creates a disturbance, is abusive, or otherwise uncooperative.

Testing Irregularities

Unlike cases of individual candidate misconduct, occasionally testing irregularities occur that affect a group of test takers. Such problems include, without limitation, administrative errors, defective equipment or materials, improper access to test content and/or the unauthorized general availability of test content, as well as, other disruptions of test administrations (for example, natural disasters and other emergencies.) When testing irregularities occur, Pearson VUE will conduct an investigation to provide information to NSCP. Based on this information, NSCP may direct either not to score the test or to cancel the test score. When it is appropriate to do so, NSCP will arrange with Pearson VUE to give affected test takers the opportunity to take the test again as soon as possible, without charge. Affected test takers will be notified of the reasons for the cancellation and their options for retaking the test. Any appeal process does not apply to testing irregularities.

Cancellation Due to Inclement Weather or Other Emergencies

In the event of bad weather, natural disasters, or other unforeseen emergencies on the day of the examination, NSCP and Pearson VUE will determine whether circumstances warrant the cancellation, and subsequent rescheduling, of an examination at a particular Testing Center. The examination will usually not be rescheduled if the TCA is able to open the Testing Center. Every attempt will be made to administer all examinations as scheduled. However, should an examination be cancelled at a Testing Center, all scheduled candidates will be contacted about rescheduling their examinations.