PSI delivers a variety of exams for many organizations—not just NCARB—and some requirements may vary by testing program. In addition to PSI’s requirements, NCARB has specific policies and technical requirements for the ARE. In instances where PSI’s and NCARB requirements do not align, please adhere to the most stringent requirements. Carefully review the information on this page and in the ARE Guidelines before testing.

Operating System

Note: New operating systems will be supported within 30 days of their official release date. Beta versions of new operating systems are not supported.

To test via online proctoring, you must use a device with a native (OEM) Windows Operating System (i.e., not a Mac device running Windows). MacOS and Ubuntu are not acceptable.

Supported Windows Operating Systems

  • Windows 10 (64-bit only)
  • Windows 11 (64-bit only)

Unsupported Operating Systems

  • Windows with Snapdragon
  • Windows 10s
  • Windows 10 in S-Mode
  • Windows 11 in S-Mode
  • Windows Education
  • Windows Enterprise (all versions)

Other Unsupported devices

  • Tablets 
  • Most tablet/laptop hybrids (Online Surface Pro is supported, but it must have a forward-facing camera)
  • Touchscreen monitors
  • Mobile devices
  • Chromebooks
  • Virtual machines

The latest version of Google Chrome is recommended to ensure compatibility with the PSI Proctoring Platform.

Supported Secondary Camera Devices

  • iOS 12 or later
  • Android 8 or later

Secondary camera devices must be mobile phones. Tablets are not allowed.

General Requirements

Screen Resolution

  • Minimum Resolution: 1024 x 768 in 16-bit color
  • Recommended Resolution: 1920 x 1080 or higher in 32-bit color
  • Monitor setup: single monitor
  • Monitor size: 19-inch or larger (recommended)

RAM

16 GB is recommended; 8 GB minimum.

Disk Storage

The secure browser requires 500 MB of available disk storage to download and install.

Internet Connection

Broadband (DSL, cable, fiber optic, or LAN/WAN) with a minimum of 3 Mbps or higher.

Learn more about NCARB’s technical requirements for online proctored exams—such as audio requirements, primary and secondary camera requirements, network and computer settings, and VPN usage—through the ARE Guidelines.

PSI Proctoring Platform Troubleshooting Tips

For performance issues or trouble launching your exam: Try disabling active antivirus scanning while taking an exam. Some antivirus software can cause performance issues.

If the PSI Proctoring Platform’s secure browser reports that you do not have enough internet bandwidth: The minimum upload and download speed is 3 Mbps. Check your connection speed using speed.cloudflare.com.

If the secure browser cannot detect your microphone: Functionality can be tested through onlinemictest.com. Also, be sure to check whether the microphone has features such as 2 in 1 or 3 in 1. To turn it off, change your settings to the default microphone.

If the secure browser cannot detect your camera: Go to webcamtests.com to run an online camera test.

For technical issues with your Windows device:

  • For Surface Pro 6/7 with 2 cameras, disable the rear camera so that the front camera is the only active camera.
  • HP/Dell/Acer devices purchased before 2015, make sure the camera drivers are up to date. For releases 2018-2020, please ensure the auto-update driver function is active.
  • Lenovo devices, check the Lenovo Vantage application for software updates. Lenovo ThinkPad and IdeaPad, disable the touch capability.

For technical issues with your Windows desktop: Ensure no extra peripherals are connected to the desktop, such as extra monitors, microphones, or cameras.