Nokia Written Exam Check-in Guide (OnVUE) 2026

If you are about to take a Nokia certification exam from home, you will not be checking in with Nokia. You will be checking in with Pearson VUE’s OnVUE system, and the rules you have to meet are mostly Pearson’s, with a small number of Nokia-specific exceptions. This guide covers Nokia’s written exams across its certification programs, such as Service Routing (SRC), Optical Network, Data Center Fabric and Fixed Networks. It does not cover Nokia’s practical lab exams, which are held virtually and run directly by Nokia, with their own cancellation and retake rules.

How This Exam Is Delivered

Nokia says its written exams are delivered through Pearson VUE, which now trades as Pearson Professional Assessments. You can sit them at a Pearson test center or online with an off-site proctor. All Nokia exams are offered in English only. You register through the Nokia Student Portal, which hands you off to Pearson for the actual booking. The portal is also where you reschedule, cancel and request accommodations.

Nokia says the SRC program is being updated for 2026/27, the 4A0-108 exam was retired on 8 September 2026, and the 4A0-100 exam will be unavailable from 9 February to 8 March 2027 while it is updated.

On regions: Pearson’s online delivery does not work everywhere. IDs from Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria and restricted regions of Ukraine are on Pearson’s prohibited list, because OnVUE delivery is restricted there.

Pre-Exam Preparation

Hardware and Network Requirements

These come from Pearson’s Nokia OnVUE page. Nokia does not publish its own technical rules, so Pearson’s defaults apply.

• Operating system: Windows 10 or macOS 14, or higher. Beta operating systems are prohibited.
• Display: one screen only. Multi-monitor setups are not permitted, and secondary or touchscreen displays must be disconnected, or covered if you cannot remove them.
• Camera, microphone and speaker: all three must work. Headphones and headsets are not allowed.
• Internet: at least 6 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload, with nobody else streaming or downloading on the network.
• Networks: VPNs, corporate networks and public or shared networks are prohibited.
• Virtual machines: prohibited.
• Software: you must be able to close every application except OnVUE.
• Other devices: phones, tablets, earbuds, styluses, watches, smart speakers and smart glasses are all prohibited. Your phone is only for the check-in photos, and then it goes out of reach.

Run Pearson’s OnVUE system test for Nokia on the same computer and network you will use on exam day, and do it before you book. Pearson says that failing to meet the requirements on exam day can mean immediate cancellation and a forfeited fee. Then restart the computer before exam day.

Exam Tip: Work laptops fail this check more than any other device. A company VPN, a managed firewall or locked-down admin rights can each stop OnVUE from launching, and Pearson lists VPNs and corporate networks as prohibited. If your only computer belongs to your employer, book a test center instead.

ID Requirements

Pearson requires one valid, government-issued ID with a recognizable photo, and the name on it must exactly match the name on your exam booking. Accepted IDs include an international passport, a plastic driver’s license, a national, state, provincial or EU ID card, an alien registration card, approved Aadhaar cards, and a non-US military ID. Expired, digital, damaged, copied or privately issued IDs are not accepted, and neither are birth certificates and several secure-access IDs. Paper IDs are accepted only in Algeria, Brazil, Cameroon and the Dominican Republic.

Name matching is the main trap. Your booking name comes from your Nokia Student Portal and Pearson profile, so check both against your ID, letter by letter, including middle names, accents and the order of your names. Fix any mismatch before you book rather than on exam day.

Exam Tip: Compare the name in your Nokia Student Portal, the name in your Pearson account and the name printed on your ID. If any of them differ, even by an accent or a missing middle name, contact Nokia Learning Services and fix it before the day, because a proctor cannot change it for you at check-in.

Testing Environment

• Use a quiet room, not a bathroom, office, library or coffee shop, and be fully dressed.
• Stay alone for the whole session. No one else may view your screen, even from a distance.
• Clear everything on, under and within arm’s reach of the desk: electronics, books, notes, paper, pens, tissue boxes, makeup, food, bags, wallets, coats and glasses cases.
• Keep only the testing computer and a drink in an unmarked container on the desk.
• Wipe any whiteboards and note boards in the room before you start.
• Use good light, so your face is clear in the check-in photo.

Step-by-Step Check-in Walkthrough

Pearson publishes three check-in stages for OnVUE: technology checks, photos of you and your ID, and a 360-degree room scan. The exact screens can vary by program, so treat the order below as typical (confirm on the official page).

1. Run the system test before booking. What to do: run the Nokia OnVUE test on your exam computer and network. Sticking point: a pass at home does not help if you test at work. Fix: test where you will actually sit the exam.
2. Prepare the room and computer. What to do: clear the desk, disconnect extra screens, restart the computer, and close everything but OnVUE. Sticking point: background software that blocks the launch. Fix: close it before you sign in rather than during check-in.
3. Sign in and start check-in 30 minutes before your appointment. What to do: sign in and begin the exam from your Pearson account. Sticking point: signing in too late. Fix: set an alarm for 30 minutes before the start, and treat your appointment time as the deadline.
4. Complete the technology checks. What to do: let OnVUE test your camera, microphone and connection. Sticking point: a blocked camera or microphone permission. Fix: on a Mac, grant OnVUE access in the system privacy settings before launching.
5. Take your check-in photos. What to do: photograph yourself and your ID. Pearson says a mobile phone works best for this, though a webcam works too. Sticking point: glare and blur on the ID. Fix: lay the ID flat in even light and retake it until the name and photo are sharp.
6. Photograph your testing space. What to do: take the environment photos Pearson asks for. Sticking point: a cluttered shot that gets rejected. Fix: clear the desk first and check each photo before you upload it.
7. Complete the 360-degree room scan. What to do: show every part of the room, the desk, and the floor around you. Sticking point: a short webcam cable. Fix: plan your seat so the camera can turn freely.
8. Wait for the proctor, then put your phone away. What to do: a greeter or proctor reviews your photos, and Pearson’s older FAQ says most candidates are launched within 15 minutes. Sticking point: a long wait. Fix: stay in your seat and in camera view, and use the in-exam chat if you need help (confirm on the official page).
9. Read the introduction and start. What to do: for many Nokia exams the appointment includes a 20-minute introductory survey before the timed portion. Sticking point: panicking about the clock. Fix: remember the timed exam itself is 90 minutes for a standard single exam.

What the Proctor Looks For During the Room Scan

The scan is meant to prove that nobody and nothing can help you. These are the things to have cleared before you start:

• Phones, tablets, smart speakers, smart glasses and any second screen, including a touchscreen you could not disconnect.
• Books, notes, loose paper, pens and any writing tools. Nokia allows a digital whiteboard only, not physical paper (see the breaks section).
• Anything within arm’s reach of the desk: bags, wallets, coats, glasses cases, tissues, makeup, food and smoking products.
• Written notes on whiteboards or note boards anywhere in the room.
• Other people in the room or visible through a door or window.
• Watches, earbuds and headphones on your body.

Pearson records your whole exam session for security, quality and training purposes, so assume the scan is never really over.

Rules During the Exam

Nokia’s own pages do not publish a list of violations or a warning system. Pearson’s OnVUE rules say that violations will result in your exam being revoked and your fee forfeited. They also say you must follow the proctor’s guidance, and that proctors cannot pause or extend the exam.

Tier 1: Behaviors a Proctor May Correct Through Chat

• Looking away from the screen repeatedly.
• Covering your mouth or moving your hands near your face.
• Drifting partly out of camera view.
• An item left in view that the proctor asks you to move.

Tier 2: Violations That End the Exam and Forfeit the Fee

Pearson says violations will result in the exam being revoked and the fee forfeited. These are the behaviors it names:

• Cheating, or letting another person take your exam.
• Recording or sharing exam content, or letting anyone else view your screen, even if you are having technical issues.
• Leaving the webcam’s view unless your exam confirms you are on an approved break.
• Speaking or reading aloud, unless instructed.
• Accessing your phone unless a proctor explicitly permits it.

Breaks, Scratch Paper, Drinks and Calculators

Breaks. Pearson says you must not leave the webcam’s view unless your exam confirms an approved break, and that not all exams offer breaks.

Scratch paper. This is Nokia’s one published exception to Pearson’s default. Candidates get access to a digital whiteboard during the exam. That does not permit a physical whiteboard, paper or writing materials of any kind. Open Pearson’s digital whiteboard page beforehand and practice sketching with your mouse, since routing and subnet diagrams are awkward without a pen.

Drinks. A beverage in an unmarked container is allowed on the desk. Food and smoking products are not.

Calculators. Pearson lists writing tools and electronics as prohibited by default (confirm on the official page). Do not bring a calculator without written confirmation.

Exam Tip: Your appointment is longer than your exam. A standard single Nokia exam is 90 minutes inside a 110-minute appointment, because the appointment includes a 20-minute introductory survey. Do not book a meeting 95 minutes after your start time, and do not assume the clock starts when check-in does.

Online Proctored vs. Test Center

Who Online Proctoring Suits

Choose it if you own a personal Windows or Mac computer on a home network, have a private room you can fully clear, and live far from a test center.

Who the Test Center Suits

Choose it if your only computer is from work, your home network uses a VPN or is shared, your room is noisy, or you want to avoid the system test and room scan. Pearson’s network covers nearly 7,500 test centers in more than 180 countries.

Exam Day Checklist

The Night Before

• Confirm your appointment date, time and time zone in your Pearson account and the Student Portal.
• Compare your booking name with your ID.
• Put your passport or other accepted government photo ID where you can reach it.
• Disconnect your second monitor and any extra cameras, and unplug the speakers you do not need.
• Rerun the system test if anything on your computer has changed.
• Clear the desk and the area around it.

60 Minutes Before

• Switch off your VPN and stay off any work network.
• Take off your watch, earbuds and headphones.
• Put your phone, notes and pens in another room, keeping the phone only if you will use it for check-in photos.
• Pour a drink into an unmarked container.
• Tell everyone in the house not to enter the room.

30 Minutes Before

• Restart the computer and close every program except what OnVUE needs.
• Check that your internet is stable.
• Sign in to Pearson and begin check-in the minute the window opens.
• Take your ID, face and room photos in good light.

During the Exam

• Stay seated and in camera view with your eyes on the screen.
• Do not speak, read aloud or touch your phone.
• Use the digital whiteboard for any sketching, and nothing physical.
• Use the in-exam chat if you need the proctor.
• If your computer freezes or disconnects, close and relaunch OnVUE from your downloads folder.

FAQ

Technical Problems

What happens if my internet drops during the exam?

Pearson says that if your computer has frozen or disconnected, you should close and relaunch OnVUE from your downloads folder, and that proctors cannot pause or extend your exam or troubleshoot your device or network. If problems persist, contact Pearson customer service for your program.

Can I use my laptop’s built-in webcam?

Pearson’s requirement is a working webcam, microphone and speaker. You will need to move the camera or laptop to show your room during the scan.

Can I use a work laptop, a VPN or a virtual machine?

No. Pearson lists virtual machines, VPNs and corporate networks as prohibited, and managed work computers often block OnVUE. Use a personal computer on a home network, or choose a test center.

Timing, ID and Rescheduling

What if I am late or check-in times out?

Pearson says to begin check-in 30 minutes before your appointment, and that if any requirement is not met you cannot test and your fee is forfeited. Pearson’s online testing guide describes check-in as open until 15 minutes after the appointment time. Treat your appointment time as the deadline, and contact Pearson immediately if check-in stalls.

My ID name does not match my booking. Can I still test?

Do not count on it. Pearson requires an exact match with your booking, so the safe move is to fix any mismatch before test day. Contact Nokia Learning Services at learning.services@nokia.com so your Student Portal record is corrected, then check your Pearson profile.

How do I reschedule, cancel or request an accommodation?

Use the Student Portal for rescheduling and cancelling. For an accommodation, submit the request in the portal’s Exam Registration section. Nokia Learning Services replies within one to two business days, and you then book by calling Pearson on 1-800-466-0450, since these exams cannot be scheduled online.

Results and Retakes

What happens if I fail, and when do I get my result?

On the SRC and Fixed Networks pages, Nokia says there is no waiting period and no limit on retakes for written exams. Nokia can take up to five business days to receive your result from the test center, and then emails you and posts it to the Student Portal. Check your own program’s page for its policy (confirm on the official page).

References and Sources

Where the Facts in This Guide Come From

Exam durations, question counts, prices, language and retake policy come from Nokia’s SRC exam pages and the individual exam pages. Delivery, check-in, ID, equipment, testing-space and exam-conduct rules come from Pearson VUE’s OnVUE requirements and its Nokia pages. The one Nokia-specific allowance, the digital whiteboard, comes from Pearson’s Nokia OnVUE page.

References

• Pearson VUE: Nokia certification examinations
• Pearson VUE: Nokia online exams with OnVUE (requirements and allowances)
• Pearson VUE: Testing requirements for OnVUE online exams
• Pearson VUE: Online testing guide (older PDF, used for the 15-minute late window)
• Nokia: Service Routing Certification (SRC) exams
• Nokia: IP Networks and Services Fundamentals exam (4A0-100)
• Nokia: SRA composite exam (4A0-C02)
• Nokia: NRS II composite exam, IS-IS version (4A0-C03)
• Nokia: Fixed Networks Certification exams
• Nokia: Learning Services written exam registration guide
• Pearson VUE: OnVUE digital whiteboard

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