SNSA Exam Check-in 2026: ProctorFree Steps and Rules

There is no appointment, no test center search and no live proctor waiting to greet you. You launch the exam yourself from SonicWall University, and recording software does the supervising. This guide walks through what that means in practice, what is confirmed, and what you should check yourself before exam day.

Exam Tip: Most SNSA check-in advice online is written for Pearson VUE OnVUE or PSI and does not apply here. Treat anything about “arrive 30 minutes early” or “wait for the proctor” as irrelevant unless SonicWall’s own exam page says otherwise.

How This Exam Is Delivered

SonicWall delivers the SNSA online through your SonicWall University account. The exam link sits at the bottom of the eLearning course page and only activates after you finish the eLearning. Your eLearning course key includes one attempt, and a failed attempt means buying an additional attempt key from the same exam page, according to the official SNSA for SonicOS 7 course description.

The proctoring layer is ProctorFree, an automated tool that uses facial recognition to verify identity. That detail comes from an older SonicWall help article, so confirm it is still current on the exam page (confirm on the official page). The course description says your result is reviewed by the proctoring software and a certification review team, which points to recorded, after-the-fact review rather than live supervision.

Item	Detail
Exam	SonicWall Network Security Administrator (SNSA) for SonicOS 7
Duration	180 minutes
Number of questions	60
Passing score	75% or higher (confirm on the official page)
Delivery platform	SonicWall University with ProctorFree
Check-in window	No scheduled appointment documented; you start when you launch the exam (confirm on the official page)
Results	Score shown at the end; final status can take up to four business days
Certification validity	Two years from the pass date

Older SonicWall documents list an 80% passing score and a 48-hour or three-business-day result window. The current course description shows 75% and four business days. Use the current numbers, and check the live exam page because the SonicOS 7.1 version of the course may differ.

Pre-Exam Preparation

Hardware and Network Requirements

SonicWall’s own requirements are short: a single-monitor computer, and a webcam and microphone that keep working for the whole exam. The rest comes from ProctorFree’s technical requirements page, which SonicWall’s help article tells candidates to review.

Use Windows 10 or later, or macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later. Windows in S mode is not supported.
Do not plan on a Chromebook, Linux machine, iPad, tablet or phone. ProctorFree lists them as unsupported.
Have at least 1 GB of free disk space and 2 GB of RAM, with a quad-core processor (Intel 1.8 GHz or AMD 2.0 GHz).
Aim for at least 1 Mbps upload and 2 Mbps download. That figure appears on a university mirror of ProctorFree’s requirements, so verify it (confirm on the official page).
Skip phone hotspots and tethering. The same mirror says they are not supported (confirm on the official page).
Use a wired or strong Wi-Fi connection and close bandwidth hogs such as cloud backups and video calls.
Unplug your second monitor the night before. SonicWall requires a single monitor.
Use Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge, and avoid Brave and Opera, which ProctorFree lists as unsupported.

Corporate firewalls and VPN clients are the usual cause of failed downloads and dropped sessions, so test on a personal machine and home network (confirm on the official page). Headphone rules are also unstated; assume no headphones (confirm on the official page).

Exam Tip: Work laptops are the most common trap. Endpoint security tools and VPN agents can block the ProctorFree installer or its camera access. If your employer manages the device, use a personal computer.

ID Requirements

SonicWall’s course description does not list accepted ID types, a secondary ID rule or name-matching rules. ProctorFree can capture a government-issued ID through the webcam, but whether SonicWall turns that step on is not documented (confirm on the official page).

For a global audience, the safest plan follows from that uncertainty:

Keep a valid, unexpired passport within reach. It is the one document accepted almost everywhere and it carries your full legal name in Latin characters.
Check that the name on your MySonicWall and SonicWall University account matches your ID exactly. Fix it before the exam, because the certificate is issued to the account name.
Write out any differences ahead of time, such as a middle name on the ID but not the account, or a maiden name. Contact SonicWall training support if they differ.
Do not count on a secondary ID being accepted or required; neither is documented.

Testing Environment

ProctorFree’s support material says to sit in a well-lit area with your face in view of the camera for the whole session. SonicWall adds that you may only use one default browser window, and that no other applications may run except Google Translate.

Sit with a lamp or window in front of you, not behind you. Backlighting is the most common reason face detection fails.
Close every application before launch: chat tools, email, remote desktop clients, screen recorders, note apps.
Open exactly one browser window with no extra tabs.
Silence your phone and put it out of reach.
Clear your desk, and tell anyone at home not to walk into the room.

SonicWall’s documents do not list prohibited items such as notes, phones, watches or smart devices. Assume everything that is not your computer is off limits (confirm on the official page).

Step-by-Step Check-in Walkthrough

The sequence below combines SonicWall’s course description, its older help article and ProctorFree’s support pages. The order of the middle steps is inferred, so follow whatever the on-screen prompts say (confirm on the official page).

Log in to SonicWall University and open the exam page. Use the link at the bottom of the eLearning course page. If the link is missing, you have not completed the eLearning; go back and finish every module. If it still does not appear, open a ticket with SonicWall training support.
Download and install the ProctorFree desktop application. First-time users must install it. If the installer is blocked, you are probably on a managed laptop or running security software; switch devices rather than fighting it.
Run the System Check. It tests your camera, audio recorder, internet speed and processor. A failure here is a fixable hardware or bandwidth problem. Reconnect to a stronger network, close background apps and retry before you contact anyone.
Capture your profile photo. ProctorFree uses facial detection to authenticate you. If the camera cannot find your face, add front lighting, remove hats and glasses with glare, and center yourself in the frame. If you have a dual-camera device, pick the camera you actually want ProctorFree to use.
Capture your ID if prompted. Typically you hold the ID up and fit it inside a green outline on screen. Glare is the usual problem, so tilt the card slightly and use even light.
Confirm the proctoring terms. SonicWall’s help article describes a button labeled “Confirm and Start Proctored Session.” Read what you are agreeing to. After this, one stray app can cost you the attempt.
Return to SonicWall University and start the exam. ProctorFree redirects your browser back when you can begin. Do not open a second browser window at this point; SonicWall says that triggers re-authentication.
Submit and watch your email. You see your score right away, but the final status can take up to four business days while the recording is reviewed. A passing result is followed by an emailed certificate.

Exam Tip: Do the System Check at least a day before the exam if your portal lets you, then do it again on exam day. A passing check on Tuesday tells you nothing about Wednesday’s Wi-Fi.

What Gets Checked Before and During the Exam

You will not face a live proctor asking you to sweep the room with your webcam. Some ProctorFree deployments do ask for a slow pan around your desk, so be ready in case yours does.

What the software does check is clearer:

Your face: facial recognition verifies who you are and flags you if you leave the frame.
Your screen: the system watches for other applications. SonicWall’s help article says it records access to other apps and can invalidate the attempt.
Your audio and video: both must stay functional, per the course description.
Your browser: only one default browser window may be open.

Because a certification review team looks at flagged sessions afterward, behavior that looks odd on video can matter even if the exam never stopped you. Stay centered, keep your eyes on the screen and avoid reading questions aloud.

Rules During the Exam

SonicWall does not publish a tiered discipline policy. The split below separates what its sources state from what is reasonable to expect from automated proctoring. Treat the second tier as a caution, not a quote.

Confirmed to Risk Invalidation

Accessing other applications during the exam. SonicWall’s help article says the system records this and can invalidate the attempt.
Using any outside resource besides Google Translate. The course description says additional resources are not allowed.
Using a second monitor. SonicWall requires a single-monitor computer.

Likely to Be Flagged for Review

Leaving the camera frame, or someone else appearing in it (confirm on the official page).
Covering the camera or muting the microphone (confirm on the official page).
Opening a second browser window, which prompts re-authentication at minimum.
Unusual audio, such as talking or a second voice (confirm on the official page).

If your attempt is invalidated, contact SonicWall training support through the help center straight away, keep your account email, and ask what the review process is (confirm on the official page).

Exam Tip: Google Translate is the only tool SonicWall names as permitted. If you need it, test that it opens in the same browser window or as an approved element before the clock starts, because a second window can force re-authentication.

Breaks, Scratch Paper and Drinks

SonicWall does not document break rules, scratch paper, a digital whiteboard or drinks (confirm on the official page). With 180 minutes for 60 questions you have about three minutes per question, so most people finish with time to spare. Plan accordingly:

Use the restroom immediately before you launch.
Do not plan on leaving your seat; leaving the camera frame is a likely flag.
Do not assume paper and pen are allowed. If the exam page does not permit them, work configuration questions out on screen.
Keep a clear, unlabeled water bottle off the desk unless the exam page allows drinks.

Online Proctored vs. Test Center

Factor	SNSA online (ProctorFree)	Typical test center exam
Availability for SNSA	Yes, through SonicWall University	Not documented (confirm on the official page)
Scheduling	Launch when you are ready after finishing eLearning	Book a fixed appointment
Supervision	Recorded and reviewed afterward	Live proctor on site
Equipment	Your own single-monitor computer, webcam and microphone	Center-supplied computer
Main risk	Technical failure or an app flagged on your own machine	Travel, late arrival, locker rules
Result timing	Score on screen, final status up to four business days	Varies by vendor

Online suits people with a stable home setup who want to test the day they feel ready. If your home internet is unreliable or you share a small space, ask SonicWall training support whether any alternative exists before you spend your single included attempt.

Exam Day Checklist

The Night Before

Unplug your second monitor and any docking station you do not need.
Match your SonicWall University account name against your ID.
Run the ProctorFree System Check on the machine and network you will use.
Install pending operating system updates now, not tomorrow morning.
Confirm the exam link is active on your SonicWall University exam page.

60 Minutes Before

Restart your computer and close every non-essential application.
Plug the machine into power and switch to a wired connection if you can.
Pause cloud sync, backups and automatic updates.
Clear the desk and tell others in the house you cannot be interrupted.

30 Minutes Before

Open one browser window and log in to SonicWall University.
Set up lighting so your face is clearly visible with nothing behind you but a wall.
Have your passport or national ID within reach.
Use the restroom and silence your phone.

During the Exam

Stay centered in the camera frame and keep your face visible.
Do not open other applications or extra browser windows.
Answer every question; flag the hard ones and return if time allows.
Submit, then check your email over the next four business days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Most Common Questions

What happens if my internet drops mid-exam?

SonicWall does not publish a reconnection policy (confirm on the official page). ProctorFree has an article for sessions that abort, so reconnect, relaunch from the exam page and contact SonicWall training support right away if the exam does not resume.

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

Yes, as far as the sources show. The requirement is a working webcam and microphone, and Gigamon’s ProctorFree instructions suggest the embedded camera. Make sure it is not blocked by another application.

What if the exam link does not appear?

SonicWall says you must complete the eLearning to activate the exam access link. Finish all modules, refresh the page and then open a ticket with training support if it is still missing.

Can I use two monitors if the second is turned off?

Do not risk it. SonicWall requires a single-monitor computer, so physically disconnect the extra display.

Can I use Google Translate?

Yes, it is the only exception named in the official course description. Test how it behaves in your browser first.

How many attempts do I get?

One attempt comes with your eLearning course key. After that you buy an additional attempt key from the exam page in SonicWall University. Any waiting period between attempts is not documented (confirm on the official page).

When do I get my result?

You see your score at the end. The final status can take up to four business days while the proctoring software and a review team check the session.

References

Official and Platform Sources

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