AXELOS & PeopleCert Exam Check-in 2026: First-Timer Guide

If you are booked for an AXELOS exam in 2026 (ITIL, PRINCE2 and the rest of the Business & IT portfolio), PeopleCert is the organisation that delivers it. Your exam runs through PeopleCert’s browser-based Web Based Exam Driver, with a live proctor watching you over your webcam. This guide walks you through everything from the system check to the moment your questions unlock, and it is written for people who have never sat an online proctored exam.

The details below were checked against PeopleCert’s Web Based Exam Driver page, its Candidate Guidelines (version 9.0, dated 15 September 2026) and its ID Policy.

How This Exam Is Delivered

AXELOS exams are delivered by PeopleCert, which owns AXELOS. PeopleCert announced that online proctoring would become the only delivery method across its Business & IT portfolio from 1 February 2022, which is why most candidates today sit at home or in an office rather than in a venue (confirm on the official page). The platform you will use is the Web Based Exam Driver, which runs in your browser.

Two housekeeping notes. First, older guides for PeopleCert’s ExamShield app still circulate online, and they give different timings (for example, a system check one hour ahead instead of 24). The current PeopleCert page for Business & IT exams points to the Web Based Exam Driver, so follow that. If your booking email links to ExamShield instead, follow your email and confirm with PeopleCert support (confirm on the official page).

Second, regional availability. PeopleCert describes its online proctoring as available 24/7/365 from the candidate’s preferred location, and I found no official list of excluded countries. If you live somewhere with restrictions on exam services or heavy network filtering, check with PeopleCert before you book (confirm on the official page).

Pre-Exam Preparation

Hardware and Network Requirements

PeopleCert wants you to review these requirements at least 72 hours before the exam. If your computer falls short, contacting support between 72 and 48 hours ahead gets you a free reschedule so you can borrow a better machine.

• Operating system: Windows 10 or 11 (including the S editions), or macOS Mojave (10.14) and later.
• Processor and memory: dual-core 2.4 GHz CPU or faster, with at least 4 GB of RAM.
• Browser: Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Opera. Other browsers do not work with the Exam Driver.
• Internet: at least 4 Mbps, on a connection that stays on for the whole session.
• Screen: at least 15 inches, 1024 x 768 resolution or higher, and only one screen activated.
• Webcam: built-in or external, and you must be able to rotate it through 360 degrees. A mobile phone cannot replace it.
• Audio: speakers and a microphone. Headsets are allowed only during onboarding.
• Keyboard: set to English characters.
• Software: switch off virtualisation tools such as VMware, VirtualBox, Virtual PC or a sandbox, and close chat, remote-desktop, screen-sharing and mail apps. Turn off browser extensions, including translation tools and AI plugins.
• Work computers and networks: corporate laptops, corporate networks and VPNs can block the Exam Driver. PeopleCert suggests a personal computer and network, and if you must use a work machine, your IT department needs to be on hand that day.

Exam Tip: Run the compatibility check on the exact computer, network, camera and screen setup you will use on exam day, and do it in the room where you will sit the exam. The check cannot detect VPN, security-software or virtualisation problems, so those only show up when you actually connect to the exam. Strip them out before you start.

Money matters too. Rescheduling is free up to 48 hours before your start time. Between 48 and 4 hours before, you pay an administrative fee, and after that the fee is higher. Fees depend on your country and currency.

ID Requirements

Name matching is where first-timers lose their exam fee, so spend your time here. The ID you show on exam day must be the same ID you used when you booked. The first, middle and last names on the document must exactly match the names in your booking. A mismatch means you will not be allowed to test and you get no refund, although you can book again.

The names in your booking must be typed in English (Latin) letters. You may add a native-language version as well, but the Latin-letter fields are mandatory. PeopleCert does not pre-approve IDs. The proctor checks yours live, during onboarding.

• Current and valid. Expired documents are refused.
• An original, not a photocopy. Electronic IDs are not accepted.
• Government-issued, with a recognisable photo of you.
• Showing your full date of birth.
• Showing your names in Latin characters (see the exception below).
• A second photo ID close at hand, in case the proctor asks for additional verification.

Which document should you use? The ID Policy lists five acceptable types for online exams: driving licence, national ID card, passport, registration card or certificate, and residence permit or card. The Candidate Guidelines describe the requirement as a government-issued national, state or province identity card. The two documents are worded differently, so for a global audience, it’s recommended to pick the document where the Latin-letter name spelling is clearest and matches your booking character for character. For most candidates that is a passport or a national ID card (confirm on the official page). Candidates in China, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan have extra accepted types, listed in the ID Policy appendix.

If your ID is not written in Latin characters, you must pick a proctor language matching your ID when you book. If your language is not offered, upload a clear image of the ID to your profile at least 48 hours before the exam and submit the ID Validation Request through PeopleCert’s contact form. Candidates under 16 need a legal guardian present during onboarding, with the guardian’s own ID and consent to recording.

Exam Tip: Do not use a nickname or a shortened first name. PeopleCert states that a preferred name that does not match your ID will not be accepted. If you spot a typo in your booking, email customer service well before exam day. Fixing it at check-in is too late.

Testing Environment Requirements

• One doorway into the room, visible to your webcam for the whole exam.
• A private, quiet room where you are completely alone. No transparent walls such as glass partitions or indoor windows.
• Bare walls and a clear desk: no posters, sticky notes, papers or books.
• No visible screens other than your exam screen. Any TV or monitor you cannot move should be unplugged from your computer and covered, with a towel for example.
• Enough light for the proctor to see you at all times, with no light pointed into the camera.
• A seat where you can stay in the same position, fully visible, until you finish.
• No smartwatches, smart rings, extra headphones, extra keyboards, projectors or additional cameras within reach.

Step-by-Step Check-in Walkthrough

This follows the order in PeopleCert’s Candidate Guidelines. Note that the guidelines do not describe a separate face-photo step. Your face is verified live by the proctor.

1. Read the guidelines at least three days ahead. What to do: download and read the Candidate Guidelines, and set up your room. Sticking point: people skim and then discover a glass wall or a second monitor on the day. Fix: do a full room walk-through three days out and fix everything while you still have time to reschedule for free.
2. Run the compatibility check at least 24 hours before. What to do: open the Web Based Exam Driver through the link in your “Web Proctor Session Link” email, or sign in to your PeopleCert profile, open Overview and click CONNECT. The check covers system integrity, audio (record and play back a 5-second message), camera and your connection to PeopleCert, and it takes about 5 minutes. Sticking point: a red error icon blocks you from continuing. Fix: hover over the icon, follow the on-screen advice, then use the refresh button. A yellow warning icon will not block you but is worth fixing. If a step fails, try whitelisting *.peoplecert.org on your network.
3. Repeat the check about 2 hours before. What to do: run it again from the same room and setup. Sticking point: an operating-system update overnight can change your configuration. Fix: let updates finish before the second check and restart your computer if prompted.
4. Log in when check-in opens, 30 minutes before the start. What to do: click the “Check in to your exam” button. Use the full 30 minutes, because PeopleCert strongly recommends it. Sticking point: the button is not available yet. Fix: it only activates 30 minutes before your slot, so refresh at that time instead of panicking at 40 minutes.
5. Accept the Non-Disclosure Agreement. Sticking point: you cannot continue without it. Fix: if you decline, you cannot take the exam, so read it before check-in day if you have concerns.
6. Read the exam instructions and tick every exam rule. What to do: open each rule and acknowledge it. Sticking point: the Next button stays locked. Fix: scroll through and tick every single rule box.
7. Scan your ID. What to do: capture the front with your camera or upload a photo, then do the back, or choose the skip option if your ID has one side only. Sticking point: glare, a thumb over the text, or a cut-off edge. Fix: hold the whole document steady in good light and keep fingers off the printed areas. If neither capture nor upload works, the proctor will take the photo of your ID on camera.
8. Complete the close-your-apps checklist. What to do: follow the on-screen instructions, close every unrelated app, and confirm that browser extensions (translation tools, AI plugins and similar) are off. Tick both boxes to continue.
9. Listen to the two-minute interface tour, then review the final information screen.
10. Click Start Now, then Start Call, and share your entire screen. What to do: when the browser asks, choose the Entire Screen option and click Share. Sticking point: choosing a single window or tab. Fix: pick Entire Screen. Never close the tab or browser from this point, because that ends the session.
11. Onboard with the proctor. What to do: the proctor checks your audio and video, runs the security checks, and confirms your personal details. Tell the proctor immediately if any detail is wrong. Your exam timer does not run while the proctor checks your ID and your room.
12. Start the exam when the proctor tells you to. If you finish check-in early and have a few minutes left, you can take a short break, but be back at your exact start time so the proctor can connect.

Exam Tip: When the screen-sharing pop-up appears, choose Entire Screen. If you pick a single window by mistake, the proctor will make you redo it, and you will lose calm minutes you would rather spend focused.

What the Proctor Looks For During the Room Scan

Your exam will not start until the proctor is satisfied that the rules can be met. PeopleCert says the checks may include the following, and that the list is not exhaustive.

• Your identity: you show your ID to the camera.
• A 360-degree sweep of the room, with close views under the desk and in or around areas that could hide something.
• Your desk surface and anything on it.
• Your computer monitor, shown with the cameras available.
• Requests to move or remove items. If a phone is involved, the proctor tells you where to put it and what it should capture.
• A close-up of your sleeves, glasses, ears and hair, to rule out hidden devices. You may be asked to remove headwear briefly.
• That you are alone, that no screens other than the exam screen are visible, and that you and the door are both in the camera’s view.

If you need a female proctor for the personal-appearance check, submit the request through PeopleCert’s contact form at least three business days before your exam. Security checks can be repeated during the exam, they do not reduce your exam time, and you must respond to them reasonably and promptly.

Rules During the Exam

PeopleCert does not publish a line-by-line list that sorts every behaviour into “warning” or “termination”. What it does describe is a two-stage approach, and the examples below are my reading of that approach (confirm on the official page).

Tier 1: Fix-It Requests From the Proctor

For minor infringements, the proctor tells you what to correct, and you correct it right away. Things that plausibly fall here:

• A stray paper, sticky note or object on your desk or wall.
• A visible screen that is not covered.
• Poor lighting, or a light shining into the camera.
• Drifting out of the camera’s frame or away from your seat.
• Being asked to repeat a security check.

Tier 2: Suspension, Termination and Post-Exam Review

If you do not act in time, or if the proctor sees a significant risk to the exam’s integrity, the exam is suspended and the session is terminated. Disruptive or inappropriate behaviour, such as offensive language, can also lead to suspension. Closing the tab or browser during the session terminates it as well.

• Any exam can be sent for a post-exam security review or investigation.
• Outcomes, depending on the findings: a delay in releasing your results, a requirement to re-sit under correct conditions, annulment of results, or deactivation of your PeopleCert profile.
• Actions are meant to be proportionate to the non-compliance found.
• If you disagree with a final decision, PeopleCert has a published Appeals Policy you can follow.

A name mismatch or an invalid ID can end your session with no refund, but you can re-book through the normal process.

Rules on Breaks, Scratch Paper, Drinks and Other Small Items

This is the section where PeopleCert’s published guidance is thinnest. The Candidate Guidelines say you must stay seated in full view of the proctor for the whole exam and keep your microphone on, but they do not spell out a break policy (confirm on the official page). Training providers report that no breaks are allowed for exams under two hours (confirm on the official page). The safe plan: use the bathroom before check-in starts, and treat the exam as one continuous sitting. If you have a medical need, request a reasonable adjustment well ahead. Requests for up to 25% extra time, a reader or a scribe are due at least 5 business days before the exam, and all other adjustments at least 10 business days before.

Do not put paper, a pen or a drink on your desk until the exam rules you tick during check-in, or the proctor, say it is fine. Older third-party guides mention blank paper being allowed, but those predate the current guidelines.

Two items that are officially covered:

• Open-book exams: you may use the hard-copy Official Book, or your official eBook on a second device through VitalSource with that device in airplane mode. Annotations in the book are fine, but loose-leaf notes and unofficial copies are not. The proctor will ask you to flip through the pages on camera. Check your exam’s syllabus to see whether it is open book.
• Language support: for AXELOS and DevOps exams taken in English by non-native speakers, a hard-copy bilingual dictionary (not a thesaurus) is allowed.

Online Proctored vs. Test Center

For the AXELOS portfolio, online proctoring is the main route. PeopleCert’s ID Policy does still describe classroom-based exams, where a centre may register you or ask you to self-register, so some classroom delivery exists, but I could not confirm that it is open to individual candidates for AXELOS exams (confirm on the official page). Treat the right-hand column as a general guide and ask your training organisation or centre for its specifics.

Who Each Option Suits

Online proctoring suits you if you have a quiet private room, a reliable personal computer with a rotating webcam, and a stable connection. It saves travel and lets you pick a slot that suits you. It is a poor fit if you share a small flat with no private space, rely on a locked-down work laptop, or have an unstable connection.

A classroom or centre option, if your training provider offers one, suits people who would rather hand the technical and room-control burden to someone else. Ask your provider whether that is available for your specific exam before planning around it.

Exam Day Checklist

The Night Before

• Confirm you completed the compatibility check at least 24 hours ahead, on the same computer, network and room.
• Unplug your second monitor, set your preferred screen as primary, and cover any other screen you cannot disconnect.
• Disable virtualisation software and uninstall or switch off browser extensions you do not need.
• Lay out the exact ID you used to book, plus a second photo ID.
• Check that your PeopleCert profile has your mobile number with country code.
• Clear the desk and walls of papers, notes and books.

60 Minutes Before

• Save your work and close every program, including chat, remote-desktop and mail apps.
• If you are on a work laptop, confirm your IT contact is reachable.
• Disconnect from any VPN.
• Use the bathroom and get anything you need now.
• Ask everyone in the building not to interrupt you, and move pets out.

30 Minutes Before

• Log in as soon as the “Check in to your exam” button activates.
• Run the compatibility check again if you have not done so in the last two hours, or if your computer updated.
• Accept the NDA, read the rules, scan your ID, and close apps as instructed.
• Click Start Now, then Start Call, and share your entire screen.
• Have your ID in hand for the proctor.

During the Exam

• Keep your face, the desk and the door in view, and stay in your seat.
• Keep your microphone on, and keep headsets off after onboarding.
• Do not close the tab or browser for any reason.
• Answer every question. Unanswered questions are marked incorrect when you end the exam.
• Use the flag button to mark questions you want to revisit.
• Watch for the pop-up warning that appears 15 minutes before time runs out.
• When you finish, click End Exam, confirm, and wait for the proctor to confirm the session is complete before you exit. Your on-screen result is provisional and subject to verification by PeopleCert.

FAQ

Questions Candidates Ask Most

What happens if my internet drops mid-exam?

If communication is lost, the proctor pauses your exam timer, and when the connection returns you resume with the same time remaining. Make sure your PeopleCert profile has a working mobile number, because it helps PeopleCert reach you if something goes wrong. If you cannot reconnect, contact PeopleCert support, which operates 24/7/365.

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

Yes. The webcam can be built in or external. The catch is that you must rotate it through a full 360 degrees, high and low, including under your desk. With a laptop, that means picking it up or turning it, so practise during your compatibility check. A mobile phone cannot replace the webcam.

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

The safe approach is to start check-in the moment the button activates 30 minutes before your slot, and to contact support immediately if you get stuck. Rescheduling is free until 48 hours before the exam and carries fees after that.

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

No. The first, middle and last names must match exactly. If the names differ, you will not be allowed to test and you will not be refunded, although you can book again. If you realise the booking contains a mistake before exam day, contact PeopleCert customer service to correct it.

My ID is not written in English letters. What do I do?

Choose a proctor language that matches your ID when you book. If your language is not offered, upload a clear image of the ID to your profile at least 48 hours before the exam and submit the ID Validation Request form, and wait for PeopleCert to confirm the ID is valid. Expect the validation checks to occasionally delay your start or require a reschedule.

Can I use my work laptop, VPN or company network?

You can try, but PeopleCert warns that work computers often have restrictions that block the Exam Driver, and that corporate networks and VPNs can interfere with delivery. If you go this route, talk to your IT department beforehand and make sure someone is available on exam day, because you will need to share your screen, microphone and camera.

Can I use a second monitor, or a larger external screen?

Only one screen may be active. If you want an external display, set it as primary and disconnect and cover every other screen before the compatibility check. The simplest route is to use a single screen and unplug everything else.

I need an accommodation. What is the deadline?

Requests for extra time of up to 25%, a reader or a scribe must be submitted at least 5 business days before the exam. All other reasonable adjustments need at least 10 business days. Check PeopleCert’s Reasonable Adjustment policy for the process.

References

Official PeopleCert Sources

References

• PeopleCert: Web Based Exam Driver Guidelines
• PeopleCert: Web Based Online Proctored Exams Candidate Guidelines, version 9.0 (September 2026)
• PeopleCert: Identification Policy
• PeopleCert: Important changes re. AXELOS examinations (online proctoring as sole delivery method)
• PeopleCert: How to register for your exam
• PeopleCert: Help and Support

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