The Financial Adviser
Exam
Remote Proctoring Information and
Step-by-Step Guide
July Version 1.3, 2020
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FINANCIAL ADVISER EXAM
REMOTE PROCTORING INFORMATION AND STEP-BY-
STEP GUIDE
This guide is designed to assist candidates in registering for and sitting the Financial
Adviser Exam using Remote Proctoring. It is important that all candidates read this guide
in its entirety and understand fully the processes involved with remote proctoring. All
candidates who choose to sit via remote proctoring must also ensure that they read and
understand the Candidate Information Booklet.
What is Remote Proctoring?
Remote Proctoring involves sitting the exam under live supervision using your own
computer in a suitable location with internet connectivity. An invigilator (proctor) will
supervise you via webcam while you sit the exam. Please watch this short video to have
an understanding of how remote proctoring works.
Remote proctoring for the exam is provided by ProctorU, which is based in the United
States. By nominating to sit the exam by remote proctoring you will be required to provide
personal information to an overseas entity. For further information about how your
Personal Information will be collected, stored and used by ProctorU please review the
Financial Adviser Exam Privacy Statement.
If you have concerns about your personal information being stored outside of Australia,
you should choose to register to sit the exam in one of our exam centres.
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Making sure you are ready to sit the exam
This section will guide you through the steps you will need to complete in order to sit the
exam via Remote Proctoring. There are seven exam preparation tasks in total and
completing each one is essential to a successful exam day experience. Please use the
checklist below to ensure you have completed all steps before your scheduled exam date.
If you are unsure whether your computer will meet ProctorU’s equipment requirements,
Step 4 - Technical Readiness with ProctorU can be completed before registering for the
exam.
Remote Proctoring Checklist
Steps Exam Preparation Tasks
Register and pay for the exam via your ACER candidate
Step 1
registration account
Step 2 Create a ProctorU account
Step 3 Schedule your exam session with ProctorU
Step 4 Complete Technical Readiness with ProctorU
Step 5 Download and check the ACER online exam application
Step 6 Receive Admission Ticket from ACER
Step 7 Receive and read Exam Day Information Guide from ACER
To sit an exam session with ProctorU, please ensure you have the following:
• A private room with an internet connected desktop computer or laptop (with
power cord)
• A webcam, either built-in to your device or externally connected
• A copy of your Admission Ticket (available to download from your candidate
registration account in the week prior to your exam session)
• An appropriate photo-bearing identification document
• A mirror or similar reflective device to show your proctor what is around your
monitor
• A blank sheet of paper and pen/pencil
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Step 1 – Register and pay for the exam via your ACER
candidate registration account
When the registration period for the relevant exam cycle is open, you can register and
make payment for the exam through your ACER candidate registration account.
Creating an ACER candidate registration account for the first time
If you are registering for the exam for the first time and do not have an ACER account,
please create an account by navigating to [Link] and clicking
Register under New users. If you already have an account but have forgotten your
password, you can use the ‘Forgot Password’ link on the website.
Follow the prompts to activate your account and enter your personal details. You will be
issued with an Application ID, which is a unique username needed to log in to your
candidate registration account. The application ID starts with FA and is then proceeded
by numbers (eg, FA123456). Please keep a record of your application ID.
On Step 2, Venue and Date, select Remote Proctoring as your venue option from the drop
down list (figure 1).
Figure 1: ACER account venue selection page
Then select the exam period from the Date drop down list. Finally, review your booking
and complete payment.
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Your exam registration with ACER is only complete when you register for the exam and
submit your exam fee(s). Your exam registration is not complete and you will not be
able to sit the exam if you visit the ProctorU site and schedule your exam session
without first registering for the exam with ACER and submitting your exam fee.
Already have an account and venue booking?
If you have an existing booking at an exam centre you can change your booking to remote
proctoring. Log in to your candidate registration account as a returning user using your
application ID. Navigate to the Change session tab on the left hand side. Select Remote
Proctoring from the Venue drop down list. Then select the exam period from the Date
drop down list. Click the save button.
Please note, some candidates who were previously sent an admission ticket may see
“venue selection closed” when attempting to edit their booking. In this instance, please
contact faexam@[Link] to change your booking.
Step 2 - Create a ProctorU Account
Go to the ProctorU website to create a ProctorU account (Figure 2).
[Link]
Please note that this is a separate account from your ACER candidate registration account.
!
When you create your account with ProctorU, you MUST use the same email address
that you used to register and pay for the exam with ACER. This will ensure that your
exam booking and identity can be verified when you sit the exam by remote
proctoring.
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Figure 2: ProctorU Create Account page
When entering your details to set up your account:
• Please ensure that ’***Financial Adviser Exam – ACER***’ has been selected as
your institution under ‘Enrollments’
• You enter the same email address that you used with your ACER candidate
registration account
• Please also select the correct time zone for your location.
If you have an existing ProctorU account and previously selected an institution other than
ACER, you can log into your account, navigate to the account settings page, and add
’***Financial Adviser Exam – ACER***‘ under your enrollments.
Note: if you decide to sit the exam via Remote Proctoring, you will need to acknowledge
that any personal information that you provide to ProctorU, as well as video recordings
and still images captured during your exam session, will be stored in a server located
outside of Australia. Please see the Financial Adviser Exam Privacy Statement for more
information.
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Step 3 - Schedule your Exam Session
To sit the exam via remote proctoring you must schedule an exam session with ProctorU.
Exam scheduling closes 72 hours before the start of the exam period. Last minute exam
scheduling will incur a fee from ProctorU. Exam sessions are available on a first-come,
first-served basis and it is therefore recommended that you complete this step as early
as possible. Scheduling for each exam cycle on ProctorU will open after the completion of
the previous cycle, ie sessions for October will become available after the August cycle is
complete.
!
The session time you schedule with ProctorU is not the time your exam will begin.
Once your session starts you will be connected to an exam proctor and required to
go through pre-exam administrative and technical checks which typically take at
least 30 minutes to complete. Your 3½ hours of exam time will not start until you
begin viewing exam questions. The entire exam process will take between 4-5 hours,
and this should be considered when selecting a suitable exam session time.
While you are logged in to your ProctorU account, select “Schedule New Session”.
Figure 3: ProctorU home page
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Then make selections in each of the three drop-down boxes (see below) and select “Find
Sessions”.
Figure 4: ProctorU Schedule New Session page
On the “Schedule Session” page, enter a preferred date and time on the left hand side,
and then select “Find Available Times”.
Note that:
1. The calendar will only allow you to select dates within the relevant exam cycle
2. Exam sessions are available 24 hours a day.
3. The time search will default to AM. Please toggle this to PM if you wish to book an
afternoon session
Figure 5: ProctorU Select Session page
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The available session times closest to your inputted time will be shown. To search
additional times, change the selections on the left hand side panel and select “Find
Available Times” again. From the offered range of available times, hit “Select” on your
preferred time-slot.
Double check the time and date (including the AM/PM selection) and then select
“Schedule” to confirm the booking.
Figure 6: ProctorU confirm booking
ProctorU will send you an automated email with details of your booking. Once you have
scheduled your session with ProctorU, you can change your session day/time if required.
Exam sessions can be rescheduled up to 72 hours before your existing booking.
Step 4 – Technical Readiness
To ensure your computer is ready technically to run the proctoring application please
complete the below technical readiness steps.
Please note: If you would like to test your equipment prior to registering for the exam you
can create a ProctorU account and complete technical readiness without scheduling an
exam.
1. Log in to your ProctorU account and on the home screen select “Test your
Equipment”. Follow the prompts to allow access to your microphone and camera.
It is important you complete the equipment test using the computer you plan to
sit the exam with at the location from which you will be undertaking the exam.
Further information on your equipment checks can be found in the “System
Details” dropdown. If any of your equipment does not pass the automatic test,
you can find assistance on the ProctorU Help Centre Page or by connecting to a
live technician.
2. Regardless of whether your computer has passed or failed the first check you
MUST also 'connect to a live technician' on the following page ([Link]
[Link]/?minimal=true) to request a full check of your equipment. Click
the 'Allow' button when a message requesting access to your camera and
microphone appears in order to allow the technician to connect to your computer.
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!
Sophisticated network firewalls at public locations, such as an office building, a
university or a library, may prevent access to ProctorU on the day of your exam. The
automatic equipment test may not detect these firewalls so it is advised these locations
be avoided when selecting a location to sit your exam. Work computers or laptops may
also prevent the installation or running of the software needed for remote proctoring if
they have been issued to you by a company that maintains administration rights to the
device settings. If you have any concerns regarding your network firewalls or security
then it is advised that you sit the exam using a personal computer connected to your
home network.
Unpermitted programs such as remote controlling software (TeamViewer, Remote
Desktop etc) will be detected by the ACER online exam application. You will not be able
to continue the exam if such programs are detected during your exam session, so please
ensure that any such programs have been disabled or uninstalled on your computer
before you sit the exam. The ProctorU equipment checks will not identify these
programs. Contact faexam@[Link] if you have any concerns about applications
installed on your computer.
!
TeamViewer allows remote control of your computer and will be detected by the ACER
online exam application. You will not be able to sit the exam if it is running in the
background of your computer.
A desktop device with a webcam will usually be a superior option to a laptop. If you decide
to use a laptop, it should be one with a 15” screen or larger.
It is important that you complete the equipment test using the computer with which you
plan to sit the exam AND at the location where you will sit the exam, and connect to a live
technician to do a full equipment check.
If your equipment does not pass the technical readiness checks and the issues cannot be
resolved by ProctorU’s live technicians, you have two options:
A. You can source another exam location and/or equipment and complete the
technical readiness checks again. If you can meet the technical requirements, you
may proceed to sit the exam by remote proctoring.
B. You can defer your exam to a physical exam centre.
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Step 5 – Download the ACER online exam application
To sit the exam by remote proctoring, you are required to download and install the ACER
online exam application. This application is what you will use on the day to access the
exam. You will find Windows and Mac versions of the app by following this secure link to
MyCloud: [Link]
The password for this link is: FArp1119
For Windows 7 or higher, select: ACERTestApp Setup [Link]
For Mac OS X 10.9 or higher, select: [Link].
If you have previously downloaded the application, please ensure you have the latest
version. You must install the application on the computer that you intend to sit the exam
with. It is important that you download and install the application prior to your exam
session, as you will not be able to sit the exam without having the application ready to use
on your exam day.
To check that the installation was successful, launch the application.
Note: MAC users may receiving the below message when opening the application (figure
7).
Figure 7: Mac error upon opening app
If this occurs, please follow the Apple Support instructions in the below link to open the
application.
[Link]
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Once the application has opened, you should see the ACER assessments home page
(Figure 8).
Figure 8: ACER application home page
Click the FASEA Financial Adviser Exam button. You should then see the FA Exam log in
page (Figure 9).
Figure 9: FA Exam login page
You will not be able to log in to the exam application until your exam session. To test
that you can view the open-book resources, select Open-book resources (Figure 10) from
the menu bar at the top of the window and click on one of the resources from the list that
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appears. 1 Note: if you are using a Mac, the Open-book resources tab will appear in your
top toolbar and will only be visible when the app is active.
Figure 10: FA Exam Open Book Resource menu
After a few moments, a second window should open and display the selected resource
(figure 11). Do this check for each resource on the list to make sure you will be able to
access them during your exam.
Figure 11: Open-book resource in new window
1
Note that the list of Open Book Resources is subject to change, meaning that the list shown in Figure 10 may
not be current
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You should then close the ACER online exam application and all open-book resources and
access it only during your scheduled exam session.
!
Please note that you are neither required nor able to log in to the ACER online
exam application until your scheduled exam session. Your username to enter the
exam will be your Application ID. The exam proctor will have the password.
If you are unable to install the application on your computer, you will not be able to sit
the exam via Remote Proctoring. You can instead register to sit the exam at an exam
centre.
Step 6 - Receive Admission Ticket from ACER
You will receive an email at least four (4) business days prior to the date of your exam
confirming that your Admission Ticket is available to download from your Candidate
Registration Account.
This admission ticket must be presented to your exam proctor at the beginning of your
exam session. This ticket can be shown as either a physical printout or a digital copy on
your screen. If you do not present a copy of the Admission Ticket, you will not be able to
commence the exam.
Your admission ticket contains your Application ID, which is also the username you will be
required to enter to log in to your exam.
If you are unable to download your ticket it is your responsibility to advise the FA Exam
Team at faexam@[Link]
Step 7 - Receive and read Exam Day Information Guide from
ACER
In the week leading up to your exam you will receive an email containing an Exam Day
Information Guide. Please read and familiarise yourself with this document as it details
the procedures that will take place during your ProctorU sitting of the Financial Adviser
exam.
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Step 8 – Sit Your Scheduled Exam Session
On your exam day, please log in to your ProctorU account and be ready to start at least
five minutes before your scheduled exam session.
You must have:
• A copy of your Admission Ticket (downloadable from your candidate registration
account)
• An appropriate photo-bearing identification document
o Current passport
o Current photo-bearing driver's licence
o Current photo-bearing Australian Keypass (available from Australia Post)
o Current photo-bearing Australian Proof of Age Card
• A mirror or similar reflective device to show your proctor what is around your
monitor
• A blank sheet of paper and pen/pencil
At your scheduled session time, a button to start your session will appear on the home
page. The countdown timer for the scheduled exam session will reach zero.
Figure 12: ProctorU Start Session button
Click the button to ‘Start Session’. Follow the ProctorU prompts to check your computer
settings, watch a video, and take a photo of your ID and yourself. During this process, and
if you haven’t already done so, a window will appear asking you to download and install
the ProctorU monitoring software. The file will be named ‘LMI Rescue’ or similar.
You will then be connected to an exam proctor who will see you through the pre-exam
administrative and technical checks. During busy periods, you may experience some wait
time before connecting to a proctor. The exam setup and checks can take at least 30
minutes to complete depending on your computer settings, and you may get connected
to multiple proctors during this time. There may be times, lasting a few minutes, when
the proctors are ‘working in the background’ and nothing appears to be occurring on your
screen. This is expected and we ask that you please do not disconnect from your session
during this time. If you experience technical issues during the pre-exam procedures and
the issues cannot be resolved after 30 minutes, you may inform the proctor that you do
not wish to continue and would like to reschedule a session or let the proctor continue
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working on fixing the issues. Note that setup time does not form part of your formal exam
duration.
After the pre-exam procedures have been completed, your proctor will check your
Admission Ticket and ID, and then instruct you to run the ACER online exam application.
You will not be able to sit your exam if you do not have the ACER online exam application
installed on your computer or if your computer is unable to run the application.
Your username for the exam is your Application ID, which can be found on your Admission
Ticket – this is the same username that you use to log in to your ACER candidate
registration account. After you have entered your username, your proctor will key in the
password for you.
!
The included open-book resources in the ACER online exam application are the
ONLY materials you are allowed access to during the exam. You are NOT
permitted to open an internet browser and navigate to or search for any other
information. Your exam session is recorded and you are monitored by a proctor
at all times. Any acts of misconduct will be reported to ACER through an incident
report and may be subject to the consequences listed in the Misconduct Policy
as shown in the Candidate information Booklet.
If you have any questions or experience any technical issues during the exam you can
communicate with your proctor by using the chat box function. If necessary, the proctor
may also contact you during the exam through the chat box.
If you lose any time during the exam and you are not satisfied that it was resolved
by your proctor, contact the FA Exam Team immediately after finishing your exam
at faexam@[Link]
When you have completed the exam, please notify the proctor. The proctor will ask you
to tear up any notes you have taken and then exit all programs.
If you have any further questions about remote proctoring,
please contact the FA Exam Team at faexam@[Link]
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why must a driver’s license/photo ID be provided as part of identification process
when sitting the exam?
The identification process is important to ensure the right person is sitting the exam.
ProctorU uses facial recognition software to match the ID to the face of the candidate to
ensure a match. The photo ID is stored for 7 days only for potential review if there are
any mismatches and then deleted.
Can the Proctor take over my machine and access client data or other sensitive data
on my computer?
No. The proctors cannot link to your computer without your knowledge. Everything they
do will be shown on your screen and they cannot perform "hidden" actions. Access is only
granted with candidate’s explicit permission and after they have clicked a button to
confirm.
Permission allows the Proctor to view the screen and during set up of the exam to utilise
the mouse and keyboard as if they were sitting next to the candidate. Once the exam
starts, the proctor will monitor the computer screen, but can no longer utilise the mouse
and keyboard.
During the entire process, a chat box is running on the candidate’s computer and they can
see what permissions the proctor has at any time. The chat session log is saved, including
a permanent record of what actions the proctor took while accessing the candidate’s
computer.
Why does a Proctor need to take control of my computer?
Before the exam starts, a technician Proctor will undertake a technology check to ensure
the candidate is appropriately setup to commence the Exam. The Proctor will use the chat
box to communicate if the candidate requires help to finalise the technical setup. The
Proctor will ask for the candidate’s permission before they take over the mouse or
keyboard.
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What technology is used by the Proctor to access my computer?
The Proctor uses LogMeInRescue (LMI) to access your computer, all communication is
through the LMI chatbox.
Once the LMI chatbox is closed, ProctorU no longer has remote access to a candidate’s
computer, and the download should remove itself automatically.
The candidate can check this by viewing their Downloads folder. Each live proctoring
session requires a new LMI download file. In order to live proctor another exam, the
candidate will need to download LogMeInRescue again.
What happens with all that data once an exam ends?
Unless there’s an issue with the test-taker’s identity match, the biometric and associated
Photo ID data is deleted within a week.
The proctoring session data (screen recording, webcam audio/video and proctor notes)
are stored in US based encrypted servers. The screen recordings and webcam audio/video
are accessible to ACER/FASEA for up to one (1) year and then are transferred into cold
storage for another year. After a total of two (2) years after the session, the information
is automatically deleted.
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