Before you start
Preparing for a certification and booking its exam are two separate steps. Alalamia, at Mazzeh Western Villas in Damascus, is an Authorised Test Centre for Pearson VUE and Prometric, so many international certification exams can be sat right here. Candidates sit their exams on secure, individually proctored workstations, under the same international security rules as any test centre worldwide, and results are recorded directly with the awarding body.
Our centre is open to everyone: our own learners, self-taught candidates, university students and staff sent by their employers. You do not need to have trained with us to book a seat.
Step 1: Find your exact exam code
Start with the official page of the awarding body and note the exact exam code and version you need. Tell us the exam code and we will confirm it before you book or pay. This single check saves more time and money than any other step.
Most exams follow one of three routes:
- Pearson VUE, at our centre: CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft role-based exams, PMI, ISC2, The IIA (CIA), AWS, Oracle, EC-Council (through its Pearson VUE route), CertNexus, HRCI, Python Institute and the wider Pearson VUE catalogue.
- Prometric, at our centre: IMA (CMA), ACFE (CFE), SHRM (SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP) and the wider Prometric catalogue.
- Other routes: some awarding bodies deliver their exams online, at official venues or in their own exam sessions. We prepare you and help you register; see the last section of this guide.
Step 2: Create your candidate account
Most awarding bodies ask you to create a candidate profile before you can book. Enter your name exactly as it appears on the identification you will bring on exam day, written in Latin letters. If your passport spells your name a particular way, use that spelling and nothing else.
A mismatch between your profile and your ID is one of the most common reasons candidates are turned away at the door, and fees are rarely refunded in that case. Use an email address you check regularly and keep your login details safe, as this account will also hold your results and certificates.
Step 3: Book your seat at our centre
Once we have confirmed your exam, you schedule it through the official Pearson VUE or Prometric system and choose Alalamia in Mazzeh, Damascus, as your test centre. Pick a date and time that leaves you enough preparation, and we can guide you through the booking screens if you wish.
Some programmes ask for an approval step before you can schedule. PMI, for example, reviews your experience and training hours for the PMP, and SHRM may ask some applicants to complete an extra screening step. Allow time for this; we help you with it. The list of exams we deliver is on our Exams we deliver page.
Step 4: Pay the exam fee
Exam fees are separate from course fees. They are set by the awarding body and paid to the exam provider, not to us. Most providers take payment online when you book, and some candidates are sponsored by an employer who pays on their behalf.
Whatever route you use, keep these points in mind.
- Pay only through the provider's official website or a channel the provider recognises.
- Never share your card details, passwords or account logins with anyone offering to book for you.
- Keep every receipt and confirmation email until your result is issued.
- Read the provider's rescheduling and cancellation rules before you pay; deadlines are usually strict.
Step 5: Prepare your identification
Providers generally require a valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID, and the name must match your booking exactly. A passport is the safest choice because it shows your name in Latin letters. Some exams ask for a second form of ID, so read your confirmation email carefully and prepare both well before the day.
On the day
Arrive at our centre in Mazzeh early; many providers ask you to check in around 30 minutes before your appointment. Expect to show your ID, have your photograph taken and store your phone, watch and personal belongings in a locker. You will then sit at your own individually proctored workstation and agree to the candidate rules on screen before the exam begins.
Stay calm if something unexpected happens, such as a technical fault. Tell the test administrator straight away so it can be recorded; this matters if you later need to request a retake.
Results and digital badges
Many computer-based exams show a provisional result on screen as soon as you finish, and your result is recorded directly with the awarding body, which then issues an official score report in your candidate account. Other awarding bodies release results after a review period. Certificates and digital badges are usually issued online, and you can share badges on professional profiles and with employers. Check whether your certification needs renewal or continuing education, and note the dates.
Exams taken through other routes
Not every awarding body delivers its exams through Pearson VUE or Prometric. For these exams we prepare you thoroughly and help you register through the awarding body's own route:
- Online proctored: PeopleCert ITIL 4 and PRINCE2, IIBA, Scrum Alliance, Scrum.org, PECB, GAFM and the Duolingo English Test, taken online at home.
- IELTS: taken at official IELTS venues in Damascus run by another organisation, not at our centre.
- ACCA: sat in ACCA's own exam sessions.
- Own delivery routes: ISACA through PSI, TOEFL through ETS, GMAT through GMAC, Google Cloud through Kryterion, Red Hat through its own exam service, and MOS, Adobe and IC3 through Certiport.
- CFA Institute and US CPA: delivered by Prometric at test sites chosen by the awarding body, not at our centre; we help you register and choose a site.
More guides
- CMA, CIA, CPA or ACCA: choosing a finance certification
- Starting a cybersecurity career: skills, roles and certifications
- How to choose your first IT certification
- IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo English Test: which English test should you take?
- PMP or CAPM: which project management certification is right for you?
- How to prepare for a certification while working full time