Your exam-day guide

Read your own programme's rules first

Every certification exam is governed by two sets of rules: those of the test delivery company, such as Prometric or Pearson VUE, and those of the awarding body that owns the exam. They differ in the details, including how early you must arrive, which IDs are accepted, whether breaks are allowed and when results are released.

This guide gives you the general picture so nothing on the day comes as a surprise. Before your exam, read the candidate handbook or test-taker rules published for your own exam and follow them wherever they differ from what you read here. If anything is unclear, ask us and we will check it with you.

Before you book

Start by confirming that your exam is delivered at the centre where you plan to sit it. Alalamia is an Authorised Test Centre for Pearson VUE and Prometric, and the list of exams we deliver on our booking page shows what can be sat at our centre in Mazzeh. Tell us the exact exam code and we will confirm it before you book or pay.

Next, make sure the name on your exam account matches the name on your identity document exactly, written in Latin characters. A missing middle name, a different spelling or a reversed first and last name can be enough for a test centre to turn you away, and the exam fee is usually lost.

• Find your exam in the list of exams we deliver, or send us the exam code and we will confirm it before you pay anything.
• Create your account with the awarding body or exam provider, using your name exactly as it appears on your ID in Latin characters.
• Keep your login details, candidate ID and any eligibility or authorisation number the awarding body sends you.
• If you need testing accommodations for a disability or medical condition, request them from the awarding body before you book, as approval can take several weeks.
• Note the rescheduling and cancellation deadlines for your exam; changes made late usually cost the full fee.

The week before

Find your confirmation email and read it from start to finish. It states the exam name, date, start time, test centre address and the programme rules that apply to your appointment. If any detail is wrong, contact the exam provider or us straight away rather than on the day.

Then check your identification. Most programmes ask for an original, valid, government-issued ID that carries your photo and your signature, such as a passport or national identity card. Expired documents, photocopies and photos of documents on a phone are not accepted. Some programmes ask for two IDs, a primary one with photo and signature and a secondary one that shows at least your name and signature, so check what yours requires.

• Re-read your confirmation email and keep it to hand, printed or saved.
• Check that your ID is valid on the exam date and that the name matches your booking exactly.
• Find out whether your programme needs a second ID, and which documents it accepts.
• Plan your route to the test centre and how long the journey takes at that time of day.
• Read your programme's rules on breaks, permitted items and what happens if you arrive late.

On the day: arrival and check-in

Arrive early. Pearson VUE generally asks candidates to arrive about 15 minutes before their appointment and Prometric about 30 minutes before, but follow the time your own programme states. Candidates who arrive late may be refused entry and can lose their exam fee.

Check-in is thorough, and it is the same for everyone. Staff will check your ID against your booking, take your photo and ask for your signature. Some centres also use a palm vein scan to confirm your identity when you return from a break. You will be asked to put all personal items in a locker, show that your pockets are empty and, at some centres, pass a brief visual or wand check. Glasses and jewellery may be inspected.

Phones, smart watches, ordinary watches, bags, wallets, notes, books, food and drink all stay in the locker, switched off, for the whole exam. Generally you may take only your ID and, where your programme allows, items approved in advance such as medication or medical devices. The test administrator will give you anything else you need.

• Bring your original ID or IDs and your confirmation details.
• Arrive within the time your programme sets, 15 to 30 minutes early as a rule.
• Expect an ID check, a photo, a signature and, at some centres, a palm vein scan.
• Leave everything personal in the locker, including your phone and any watch.
• Wear comfortable clothes in layers; outer layers you remove may also need to go in the locker.

In the exam room

You will be shown to an assigned workstation and given an erasable noteboard or whiteboard with a marker, or another writing material the programme approves. You cannot bring your own paper, and the board stays in the room when you leave. If you fill it, raise your hand and ask for a replacement. Sessions are supervised in person and recorded on video and audio.

Break rules depend on the programme. Some exams include scheduled breaks; others allow unscheduled breaks during which the exam clock keeps running. Leaving your seat without permission, opening your locker or using your phone during a break is usually against the rules unless your programme says otherwise. You will be asked to show your ID, and may be checked again, before you return.

If anything goes wrong, raise your hand and stay seated. This covers a computer problem, a question that will not display properly, noise, feeling unwell or anything else that affects you. The test administrator cannot help you with exam content, but they will deal with the problem and record it.

• Use only the noteboard and marker provided, and hand them back at the end.
• Read your programme's break rules before the day so you know whether the clock stops.
• Do not talk to other candidates or look at their screens.
• Raise your hand for any problem and ask for it to be written down.

After the exam

Many computer-based exams show a provisional result on screen as soon as you finish, and the test centre may give you a printed score report. Other programmes release results only after review, which can take several days or weeks. Your official result, and later your certificate or digital badge, normally arrives through your account with the awarding body, not from the test centre.

If something went wrong during your exam, tell the test administrator before you leave, and make sure it is noted. Then contact the exam provider or the awarding body promptly, within the time limit your programme sets, with your appointment details and a clear description of what happened. We will help you prepare and follow up the request if you tested with us.

• Keep your score report and any appointment or registration numbers.
• Check your awarding body account for your official result, certificate and renewal requirements.
• Report any problem on the day, then follow it up in writing within your programme's deadline.
• If you need to retake, check the waiting period and retake rules before you rebook.

Testing with us in Mazzeh

Alalamia is an Authorised Test Centre for Pearson VUE and Prometric in Damascus, Mazzeh Western Villas. You sit your exam on a secure, individually proctored workstation, under the same international security rules as any test centre worldwide, and your result is recorded directly with the awarding body. We help you book and confirm your exact exam before you pay. Where an exam is taken through another route, such as online proctoring, we prepare you and help you register.

Whatever certification you are aiming for, we can prepare you for it, and our team is happy to talk through your exam day before you arrive. Call or message us on +963 991 099 555 or write to info@alalamia-sy.com.