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Tosa Certification Exam Technical Requirements

For a full list of the technical requirements required to take a Tosa certification exam, please consult our downloadable PDF.

Tosa Certification Exam Technical Requirements (PDF)

Tosa Certification General Exam Rules

Tosa certification tests follow strict rules to ensure the safety and integrity of the exam as well as the validity of the results. Therefore, a Tosa certification exam must be proctored at all times.

Tosa certification tests can take place at a Tosa Approved Testing Center location or remotely, via one of our online proctoring options.

    The general exam rules are listed below:
  • Test-takers identity must be verified prior to the exam.
  • The exam must take place in a suitable, isolated room, under the supervision of an authorized proctor, in person or remotely.
  • Candidates are not allowed to communicate with anybody except with the proctor in case of troubleshooting.
  • Test takers are strictly prohibited from accessing cellphones, tablets, earphones, or paper documents for the duration of the exam.
  • All applications must be closed on the exam computer except the test window.
  • No pause or interruption may occur during the test, including breaks.

The adaptive nature of the tests - the system selects questions along the test based on the candidates’ previous answers within a large question bank – makes each test sequence unique, the likelihood of having two identical question sets being close to zero. This allows for limiting the risks of cheating and preserving the integrity of the exam.

Tosa Approved Test Centers and authorized proctors

An organization willing to administer the test becomes a Tosa-Approved Test Center by signing a Testing Center Agreement in which they commit to abide to the Tosa exam policies and guidelines.

An authorized proctor is an employee, or a contractor, appointed by an organization that has signed up at a Tosa Approved Test Center to administer the exam. Instructors for the content areas related to the certification are not allowed to proctor the exam.

    Proctors must attend a dedicated training session provided by Isograd. Following the training, proctors are provided with an official document that describes and explains the exam rules and proctoring requirements, including but not limited to the following:
  • Proctor must be appointed by the Tosa Approved Test Center
  • Proctor must attend the proctor training session provided by Isograd
  • Proctor must read the exam rules and policy documents provided by Isograd
  • Proctor must be registered on the account by an administrator of the Tosa Approved Test Center
    Proctors should possess the following skills and aptitudes:
  • Be knowledgeable about test administration
  • Be detail-oriented and able to monitor a group of students
  • Be capable of speaking and reading instructions clearly and audibly
  • Be tech savvy and understand the technical specifications of the computer-based test
  • Be familiar with the computer lab setup and have access to on-site technical support for assistance
    Before each session, proctors must complete an acknowledgment form which affirms they understand and abide to the test administration guidelines, and that they will enforce the exam rules, including but not limited to:
  • Verifying the identity of all the candidates of the test session
  • Remaining in the testing room for the whole duration of the test session
  • Doing their best effort to prevent any fraud or cheating attempts
  • Providing information about potential anomalies when prompted by Isograd

On-Site Tosa Certification Exam Testing Requirements

On-site Tosa certification exam testing must take place in a Tosa Approved Test Center location under the supervision of an authorized proctor.

On-site exam rules

    The Tosa on-site exam rules include the following requirements:
  • The exam must be administered in an appropriate and isolated environment (classroom or testing lab).
  • The exam must be proctored by an authorized proctor appointed by the Tosa Approved Test Center.
  • Test-takers identity must be verified prior to the exam.
  • Electronic devices including headphones, and documents are not permitted during the exam.
  • No pauses, breaks or interruptions are permitted during the exam.
  • The browser’s full screen mode must be activated prior to starting the test.

Internet browser’s full screen mode

The full screen mode must be activated on the web browser before starting the exam. This allows for locking the candidate on the test tab, thus preventing them from searching the web and accessing prohibited resources or applications during the exam.

    The test is automatically interrupted if the candidate:
  • exits the full screen mode
  • opens a new tab in the browser
  • opens another program or application

The test can be resumed, but all interruptions are flagged, and the information is logged in the system.

Oath form

    Once logged into their account and before they can access the certification exam, candidates must complete an oath form to confirm:
  • Their first and last name.
  • That an authorized proctor from the Tosa Approved Test Center is in the exam room.

Any false declaration may result in the cancellation of the certification exam result.

Once the candidate has accepted the oath, they will be allowed to access the certification exam.

Once the test is started, the proctor is not allowed to communicate with the candidates, except in the event of a technical issue or to remind them of appropriate behavior during the test.

Remote Proctoring Testing requirements

Isograd offers two options for remote proctoring: the asynchronous remote proctoring solution, and the video conference remote proctoring solution.

Asynchronous Remote Proctoring

Tosa certifications can be taken through an asynchronous remote proctoring solution integrated with Isograd’s testing platform. The proctoring is performed through the recording of the student’s computer webcam, screen, and microphone. The recording is automatically transmitted to Isograd for review at the end of the test and reviewed by Isograd in order to validate the exam score and diploma.

    The candidate must comply with the following requirements:
  • Testing environment - the candidate must:
    • Be alone in a quiet room for the duration of the test
    • Have photo ID ready
    • Confirm their identity by taking a picture of their ID with the webcam
    • Show their testing environment by moving their webcam around the room.
    • Follow the instructions to lock the computer on the test screen
    • Remain within the camera’s field of view for the duration of the test
    • Remain on the test’s webpage only
  • Prohibited actions during the exam:
    • Accessing third-party websites, applications, and any messaging services
    • The use of earphones/headphones
    • The use of any documents or electronic devices
    • Communicating with other people
    • Pauses, breaks or interruptions

    • The Asynchronous Remote Proctoring option allows for candidates to take their certification test at the time and location of their choice. Isograd takes responsibility of proctoring the exam on behalf of the organization delivering the test. This option comes with an additional cost per exam.

    Video Conference Remote Proctoring

    Isograd also provides the option to proctor a Tosa certification remotely through video conferencing. Unlike the asynchronous remote proctoring, this solution consists of live remote proctoring performed by an authorized proctor of a Tosa Approved Test Center through a video conference software.

      The proctor may use the videoconference software of their choice, as long as it allows for recording the entire session and for displaying two windows simultaneously: the test screen and the webcam of the test taker.
    • The test session must comply with the following conditions:
      • The candidate must be alone in a quiet room and have photo ID ready.
      • The candidate’s identity must be verified prior to the exam.
      • Electronic devices including headphones, and any documentation are not permitted during the exam.
      • No pauses, breaks or interruptions are permitted during the exam.
      • Browser’s full screen mode must be activated prior to starting the test.
      Before the test is launched, the proctor must verify:
    • The candidate's work environment (ask the candidate to show their desk/table and the surroundings of their workspace) using the webcam
    • The identity of the candidate (ask the candidate to show their photo ID on the webcam)
    • That only one internet browser is opened with a single tab displaying the page for connecting to the candidate account on the Isograd site

    All these steps must be filmed and recorded.

    During the exam, the proctor must pay attention to the candidate to ensure they behave appropriately. Once the test is started, the proctor is not allowed to communicate with the candidates, except in the event of a technical issue or to remind them of appropriate behavior during the test.

    Procedure for Validating a Tosa Certification Exam

      After a certification is completed, the Isograd team reviews all the exam parameters, including but not limited to:
    • Identifier of the question
    • Answer (right/wrong)
    • Selected answers (MCQ)
    • Time spent on the question
    • Time at which the answer was provided
    • Any interruptions during the test
    • Keyboard strokes
    • Exit of full screen mode with time and duration (on-site and video conference proctoring)
    • Picture of candidate and candidate’s ID (asynchronous remote proctoring)
    • Video of candidates’ environment (asynchronous and video conference proctoring)
    • Video of candidate during the testing session (asynchronous and video conference proctoring)
    • Audio of the candidate while testing (asynchronous and video conference proctoring)
    • Video capture of the candidates’ screen (asynchronous remote proctoring)
    • Any feedback that the candidate provides at the end of the test

    On-Site

    After a certification exam is completed, Isograd reviews all the parameters and track potential testing anomalies, breaches in the exam protocol, suspicious behavior, and cheating attempts. The decision to validate the score and issue the diploma is based on this analysis.

      For on-site proctored exams, the following parameters are reviewed:
    • Date and time of the exam (suspicious = outside of business days/hours)
    • Full screen mode exits (suspicious = multiple exits, exits of more than 15 sec)

    In case of suspicious activity, the proctor is asked to provide a detailed explanation via the Test Center’s admin portal. Isograd may contact the Approved Test Center’s administrator to further investigate any technical issue, suspicious activity, or cheating attempt before making the final decision.

    If an irregularity or a cheating attempt is confirmed, Isograd invalidates the corresponding exam result(s). Scores and diplomas are canceled and removed from the database. Possible consequences include proctor revocation, testing site restriction or suspension, candidate prohibited to retake the exam.

    In the absence of such an anomaly, diplomas are issued within 5 business days.

    Asynchronous Remote Proctoring

    After the certification exam, the recording of the test is reviewed following a two-step verification process by two separate human reviewers: a first review is performed to flag any suspicious or prohibited activity. These flags are then analyzed by a second person before validating the exam results and issuing the diploma.

    Isograd may contact the candidate to further investigate any technical issue, suspicious activity, or cheating attempt before making the final decision.

    If an irregularity or a cheating attempt is confirmed, Isograd invalidates the corresponding exam result(s). Scores and diplomas are canceled and removed from the database. Possible consequences include candidate prohibited to retake the exam.

    In the absence of such an irregularity, diplomas are issued within 10 business days.

    Video Conferencing Remote Proctoring

    After the certification exam, the proctor must transmit the videoconference recording of the test to Isograd within 24 hours. The recording is reviewed by an Isograd reviewer before validating the exam results and issuing the diploma.

    In case of suspicious activity, the proctor is asked to provide a detailed explanation via the Test Center’s admin portal. Isograd may contact the Approved Test Center’s administrator to investigate further any technical issue, suspicious activity, or cheating attempt before making the final decision.

    If an irregularity or a cheating attempt is confirmed, Isograd invalidates the corresponding exam result(s). Scores and diplomas are canceled and removed from the database. Possible consequences include proctor revocation, testing site restriction or suspension, candidate prohibited to retake the exam.

    In the absence of such an anomaly, diplomas are issued within 10 business days.