Personal items must be stowed in a secure storage locker or bag while testing at a test center, or cleared from your testing space while completing an online proctored exam. Some pre-approved personal items are allowed during your exam without requesting an accommodation.

Personal Belongings During Online Proctoring

Your testing space should be kept clear of the following items, including but not limited to:

  • Reference materials, scratch paper, pens/pencils, notepads, or language dictionaries
  • Calculators
  • Tablets, e-readers, laptops not used for testing, or other electronic devices
  • Smart watches, smart glasses, smart jewelry (such as rings or necklaces), fitness trackers, or other wearable technology
  • More than one cell phone
  • Headphones, earbuds, or any in-ear device
  • Baggage, handbags, purses, wallets, or briefcases
  • Food or beverages
  • Tobacco or other smoking products

Learn more about requirements for online proctoring through the ARE Guidelines.

Pre-Approved Personal Items

You DO NOT need to request testing accommodations for the specific items indicated below. Learn more about requirements for pre-approved personal items and requesting accommodations through the ARE Guidelines.

Medicine and Medical Devices

  • Arm/shoulder sling
  • Bandages
  • Braces – neck, back, wrist, leg, or ankle
  • Casts/cervical collar
  • Chapstick
  • Cough drops (must be unwrapped and not in a bottle/container)
  • Earplugs (foam with no strings)
  • EpiPen
  • Eye drops
  • Eye patches
  • Eyeglasses (without a case)
  • Feminine hygiene products
  • Glucose tablets
  • Handheld magnifying glass (non-electric, no case)
  • Ice packs/non-electrical heating pads
  • Inhaler
  • Medical alert bracelet
  • Medical masks
  • Nasal spray
  • Medical rubber gloves
  • Nitroglycerin tablets
  • Pillow/lumbar support
  • Pills (must be unwrapped and not in a bottle/ container). Candidates may bring pills that are still in the packaging if the packaging states they MUST remain in the packaging, such as nitroglycerin pills that cannot be exposed to air.
  • Stool for elevating a limb
  • Surgical facemask
  • Walking boot casts

Medical Devices (Attached to a Person’s Body)

  • Catheter
  • Ostomy bag/appliance
  • Insulin pump
  • Continuous glucose monitor
  • Oxygen tank
  • Spinal cord stimulator
  • TENS units (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) for nerve pain
  • Urine drainage bag

Communication Aids

  • Hearing aid/cochlear implant
  • Vocal cord magnifiers

Mobility Devices

  • Cane
  • Crutches
  • Walker
  • Wheelchair

Other

  • Service animal
  • Tissues/Kleenex

Secondary Camera Support Items

Use a sturdy, adjustable phone stand (preferred) or other stable support item to hold the phone in landscape orientation. Accepted support items include, but are not limited to:

  • Phone stands, including charging stands
  • Tripods
  • Household items such as a mug, clear jar, or unlabeled water bottle

Charging stands may not include a display and may only be used to support and charge the phone. If the stand supports multiple devices, all other devices must be removed and inaccessible during the exam. Examples of support items that are not permitted include:

  • Other electronics
  • Items that contain or conceal materials
  • Items with writing or labels on them, inside or out
  • Reference or study materials
  • Unstable or homemade stands, such as adhesives like tape or putty, or a plastic cup.