Hardware and Software Overview

This chapter provides an introduction to the hardware and software components used at Pearson Professional
Centers and Pearson Test Centers.

This chapter contains the following sections:

Hardware overview

Software overview

Updating the software

Running RMA manually

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Hardware overview
All of the required hardware is installed at your test center for you, so you should not need install anything at
your site (unless VSS directs you to do so). This section summarizes the various hardware components at each
test center.

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Administration and proctor workstations

Pearson Professional Centers are designed to have at least two computers available for test center staff. One of
these systems is the administration workstation, which is typically located in the reception area. This system is
used to run Pearson VUE applications such as Site Manager, User Management, Registration Manager,
Admissions Manager, and the Application Wrapper. In addition, the hardware devices (the camera, palm vein
device, digital ID authentication device, and signature pad) are connected to this system. The other system is
the proctor workstation, which is adjacent to the testing room. This system runs the Admissions Manager
application and is connected to the palm vein device and audio/video monitoring equipment.

Pearson Test Centers typically only have the administration workstation.

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Power supply for the administration workstation

The administration workstation is always left on because the Application Wrapper, which manages the RMA
process, is run from this system. The workstation uses an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), which provides
controlled power shutdown in case of power disruptions and stabilizes power fluctuations.

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USB ports for administration workstation

The administration workstation contains USB ports or a USB hub for the camera, palm vein device, signature
pad, printer, and backup camera.

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Digital signature device

An electronic signature device allows the test administrator to collect a digital signature from each candidate
during the admissions process, if required by the exam sponsor. The signature is then stored in the candidate's
record in the database. The signature device consists of a signature pad and attached stylus. The device
connects to the administration workstation through a USB port.

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DIA device

Test administrators use the DIA device during the admissions process to scan a candidate's ID. This device
recognizes the ID it scans and compares the ID to others in its database. It then confirms whether the ID is
authentic, valid, and unaltered. The DIA device connects to the administration workstation via USB port and is
controlled by Admissions Manager. Only use the DIA device if the exam sponsor requires it.

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Palm vein device

A candidate's palm vein pattern is captured as part of the admissions process and is stored electronically. Each
time the candidate enters or exits the testing room, the candidate must provide another palm vein pattern,
which is compared to the original palm vein pattern and used to authenticate the candidate (if the exam
sponsor requires this).

A palm vein device is provided at both the administration and proctor workstations and connects to each
workstation through a USB port. The palm vein device is controlled through the Admissions Manager
application at the administration workstation and is controlled by Entry Monitoring at the proctor workstation.

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Cleaning the palm vein sensor

The palm vein sensor may become dirty during the shipping process. This could affect the performance of the
device, so you may need to clean the sensor. Test administrators need to clean only the top of the sensor,
which is located inside the hand guide. Clean the glass portion with a soft and non-abrasive cloth and a few
drops of a glass cleaner or computer screen cleaner. Do not use any harsh chemicals. Apply a liquid cleaner to
the glass portion of the sensor, and then remove it with the soft cloth.
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Candidate photo camera

As part of the admissions process, each candidate's photo must be taken and stored electronically with the
candidate's record. To meet this requirement, the test administrator uses a camera that is connected to the
administration workstation.

Each administration workstation is equipped with a camera. This camera is connected through a USB port and
works within Admissions Manager. Each test center has two backup cameras.

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Audio and video monitoring system

To ensure a high level of security, all exam delivery activity in a test center is monitored and recorded. Each test
center is provided with equipment that allows test administrators to monitor and record both audio and video
within the main testing room and in the separate accommodations room, if there is one. The following list
describes the main components of the monitoring system.

• An audio microphone is mounted in a central area of the ceiling in the testing room.

• An audio amplifier with volume controls is located at the administration workstation or proctor
workstation, allowing the proctor to hear all activity that is being recorded in the testing rooms. Leave
this device on and set at an audible volume at all times. Auxiliary speakers are provided for verifying
the audio recording each week.

• Ceiling-mounted video cameras are positioned to provide views of the desktops and candidate activity
in the testing room and in the accommodations room. Depending on its size, your test center will
have between four and eight cameras.

• At the proctor workstation, there are two monitors, one of which is used to provide real-time
monitoring of all cameras using the receiver application. If your test center does not have a proctor
workstation, the administration workstation is used to monitor the cameras.

• The audio and/or video recording system requires no intervention by test administrators, and
recording schedules are set up remotely by technical personnel.

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Exam delivery workstations

Exam delivery workstations are located in the testing room (and accommodations room) and run the Delivery
Manager application. These workstations are compatible with the administration workstation and proctor
workstations and feature quiet keyboards.

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Headphones

Each exam delivery workstation is equipped with headphones that enable candidates to listen to exam items
that contain audio. Some headphones may also include a microphone for voice recording. You will be alerted
during the admission steps when an exam requires candidates to use headphones.

Test headphones regularly to make sure that they are working properly. Also make sure that candidates receive
the correct headphones because some exams may require a specific model, particularly those that have a
microphone for voice recording. See Checking headphones for more information.

Each test center should have a supply of headphone covers. It is recommended that the proctor offer a new set
of covers to each candidate using headphones when admitting the candidate into the testing room. Monitor
your supply, and reorder covers when you see that your supply is starting to get low. See Ordering materials
from Pearson VUE for details. If you run out of covers, use the disinfectant wipes to clean the headphones
between each use.

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Accommodations room and adjustable workstation

• Each Pearson Professional Center has an adjustable workstation that is wheelchair accessible. You can
adjust the workstation's table height by using a switch located under the desk.

Note that not all Pearson Test Centers have adjustable workstations.

• Some test centers have a separate accommodations room enclosed with glass walls, which is visible from
the administration workstation or proctor workstation. This room can be used in cases where a candidate
requires assistive personnel, such as an exam reader, who would disrupt other candidates taking exams.
This room contains one exam delivery workstation.

Note that Pearson Test Centers do not have proctor workstations, so the accommodation rooms might not
be visible from the administration workstation.

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File server

The file server is maintained in a secured data closet and is managed remotely by VSS. The data closet houses
the software and hardware that support test delivery in the test centers.

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Printer

The all-in-one printer provides printing, faxing, copying, and scanning capabilities. This unit connects to the
administration workstation through a USB port.
The printer comes with complete documentation that describes all printing, faxing, copying, and scanning
capabilities.

• Refer to the printer documentation for information on setting up the system and installing toner
cartridges.

• Refer to the printer user guide for details on all other system features and functions of the all-in-one
printer. Remember as you go through the user guide that the printer is connected to your
administration workstation through a USB connection and is not connected to a network.

If you need assistance with the all-in-one printer, call VSS.

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Phones

Each test center has an appropriate number of phone lines, depending on its size. Smaller test centers have two
phone lines, and larger test centers may have three lines. Phones are located at the administration workstation.

Phones include:

• One desktop phone set for the front-office line.

• Cordless phone for remote support assistance and extension throughout the test center.

Setting up voicemail
Voicemail systems vary by region and local policies. Contact your test center manager for information on using
your test center's voicemail system. Your voicemail message should be informative and professional. Here is a
sample script you can use for your message:

"Hello and thank you for calling the Pearson Professional Center/Pearson VUE Test Center in <city>.

We are located at <street address> in the <name of building if applicable>. Directions to the test center are
available on the Pearson VUE website. If you have questions about exam registration or rescheduling, please
also visit the Pearson VUE website. Go to www.pearsonvue.com [please spell out V-U-E]. Here you can also find
your exam sponsor's candidate service number if you prefer to speak with a team member directly. If you need
additional assistance, please leave your name, a detailed message, and a phone number. Someone will contact
you the next day the test center is open.

This phone number does not accept solicitations. If you are a solicitor, please add this number to your do-not-
call list.

Thank you for calling the Pearson Professional Centers/Pearson VUE Test Centers. Have a great day!"

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Fingerprint equipment

Some exam sponsors require their candidates to be fingerprinted as part of the application process to receive
licensure. Candidates with this type of exam requirement are electronically fingerprinted at the test center. The
candidate's fingerprints are sent to a local law enforcement agency, the state, or the FBI for processing.

Different test centers use different types of fingerprinting equipment. Instructions on how to operate different
fingerprinting devices can be found in the Resources application in the Connect portal.

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Photo license wallet card printers

Some exam sponsors provide plastic wallet card photo licenses to candidates who have successfully passed an
exam and met all other license requirements. In these cases, candidates receive the photo wallet card at the
test center. In other cases, passing candidates receive the photo wallet card by mail from the Bala corporate
office.

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Software overview
The Pearson VUE Testing System consists of several applications that work together to manage exam
registration and delivery:

• Site Manager allows you to view your hours of operation and which exam delivery assets (such as
workstations) are available at your test center. It also lets you view the schedule of exams to be
delivered at your test center.

• User Management allows you to set up access roles for your test center personnel.

• Admissions Manager allows you to admit candidates and collect admissions data from candidates.
Admissions Manager also contains the Exam Monitor application, which allows the proctor to view
information about each exam currently being delivered.

• Registration Manager lets you register and schedule candidates for exams.

• Delivery Manager starts and runs the exam at the exam delivery workstation.

• Administrator delivers Pearson VUE exams for exam sponsors who have migrated from the legacy
software to the VTS software. Administrator provides its exams by using an encrypted data
transmission.

• Remote Maintenance Agent (RMA) works behind the scenes and is run automatically to download
exams, upload results, and manage periodic software updates at your test center.

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Testing configuration
A typical test center configuration in a Pearson Professional Center consists of an administration workstation, a
proctor workstation, and a set of delivery workstations connected to a local area network with access to shared
storage on a file server.

A typical test center configuration in a Pearson VUE Test Center consists of an administration workstation and a
set of delivery workstations connected to a local area network with access to shared storage on a file server.

• Site Manager, User Management, Admissions Manager, and Registration Manager run on the
administration workstation. Admissions Manager also runs on the proctor workstation. Delivery
Manager runs on each delivery workstation.

• The hub system is the computer that runs at Pearson VUE and manages the communication of data
with the test center.

• Site Manager and User Management connect to the Internet for all of their functions. Registration
Manager and Admissions Manager always connect to the hub system. Delivery Manager does not
connect to the hub system.
 • Each time a connection is made to the hub, the RMA application checks for information that must be
transferred between your test center and the Pearson VUE system. (The Application Wrapper is set up
to automatically run the RMA at set times during the day.)

For example, RMA transfers the results of exams taken at your test center to Pearson VUE. It also determines
which exams are scheduled at your test center and transfers the necessary files to your system, usually a few
days in advance of scheduled exams. The RMA does all of this work automatically, and you should not
intervene unless you are directed to do so by VSS.

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Application Wrapper and Remote Maintenance Agent

There are two parts of the Pearson VUE Testing System that manage the transfer of information between your
test center and Pearson VUE's hub system. They are the Remote Maintenance Agent (RMA) and the Application
Wrapper.

Remote Maintenance Agent

Each time a connection is made to the hub, RMA checks for information that needs to be transferred between
your test center and the Pearson VUE Testing System. RMA is set up to periodically run throughout the day,
and you do not normally need to intervene.

RMA performs these critical functions:

• Replicating data from the hub database to your test center's database

• Preparing candidate registration information (name, appointment time, exam name, and so on)

• Downloading exam files

• Uploading candidate exam results

• Checking the hub to see if software updates are available

• Transferring exam results from your test center to Pearson VUE

Application Wrapper
The Application Wrapper automates the Pearson VUE Testing System. It is a scheduler that runs in the
background on the test center's administration workstation. It also performs these functions:

• Launching RMA

• Monitoring RMA to make sure it is working

• Restarting RMA if it stops unexpectedly

• Stopping RMA when a user wants to stop the service

 With the Application Wrapper running in the background, RMA automatically connects to the Pearson
VUE hub system over the Internet at scheduled intervals. During these connections, files and information
exchange between Pearson VUE and your test center. The Application Wrapper also automatically
updates your Pearson VUE Testing System applications to the most recent versions.

Normally, no one from your test center needs to intervene. After your testing system is installed, the
Application Wrapper runs continuously as long as the administration workstation is on. It is important not
to turn off power to this workstation at the end of the day for this purpose.

Reliability factors
The administration workstation must be left on at all times to ensure that RMA operates correctly. If RMA
is operating correctly, it runs automatically without your intervention.

You can verify if RMA is running automatically with the RMA connection log application in the Connect
portal. This application tells you when RMA was last run, whether it was a manual or automated session,
and how frequently it is running. For more information about this application, see Checking RMA.

If you notice that RMA is not running, call VSS immediately to stop the Application Wrapper and restart
it. This will also stop and restart RMA and usually clears up any problems it may have encountered.

Alternative RMA methods

You can launch RMA manually if necessary. In this instance, a complete maintenance cycle is always
performed. The manual RMA process opens a command prompt window, which allows you to view the
session's progress. After the cycle completes, the command prompt window closes automatically.

Generally, a Pearson VUE representative will notify you when you need to run RMA
manually. However, be sure to run RMA if instructed to do so in this guide.

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Site Manager

Site Manager runs on the administration workstation and is accessed through the Connect portal.

Site Manager allows you to:

• View information about your test center (site ID number, test center schedule, hours of operation, and
resources).

• View site assets, workstations, and affiliates.

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User Management

User Management runs on the administration workstation and is accessed through the Connect portal.

User Management allows you to:

• View user accounts.

• Add new user accounts.

• Assign user roles.

• Edit existing user accounts.

• Disable user accounts.

• Reset user accounts.

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Admissions Manager

Admissions Manager runs on the administration workstation and allows you to:

• View the test center schedule.

• Admit candidates for exams.

• Verify demographic information.

• Perform admissions and entry monitoring functions.

• Monitor the status of exams that are in progress through Exam Monitor.

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Registration Manager

Registration Manager runs on the administration workstation and allows you to:

• Create and edit candidate records and demographic data.

• Register candidates for exams.

• Schedule internal exams such as the test administrator certification and TDFTs.

• Verify candidate identity with client questions.

• Schedule and manage appointments and view exam information.

Delivery Manager

Delivery Manager allows you to:

• Select exams for delivery.

• Deliver candidates' exams.

• Manage exam breaks and testing time.

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The Administrator application

The Administrator application in Delivery Manager is used to deliver some Pearson VUE exams. The exam
appears in the Administrator application after the exam is started in Delivery Manager. For more information,
see the appendix Using the Administrator Application in Delivery Manager.

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Updating the software

If the Application Wrapper service is running correctly, the latest versions of Pearson VUE applications are
automatically downloaded to your server. Pearson VUE then notifies your test center that a software update is
available for installation. The rest of this section and its sub-sections provide the most common methods for
updating the Pearson VUE Testing System (VTS) software.

You must have the May use Updater role assigned to your account to schedule or manually start a software
update. For more information, see Using User Management. Be sure to perform the software update at a
convenient time. For example, the Pearson VUE system does not allow you to update when an exam is being
delivered. Also, any candidates who arrive for their scheduled exam while you are updating the software must
wait until the update is finished before using the delivery workstations.

Pearson VUE requires test centers to update their software by a specific date. This
date is listed in a notification sent to your test center.

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Receiving a software update notice

If a software update is available, a message may appear when you launch Registration Manager or Admissions
Manager. As shown in the following image, this message states when the update is scheduled to be
automatically installed at your test center. You must complete the update in order to continue running the VTS
applications on all workstations.

You can also reschedule the software update to a preferred date that is more convenient for your test center.
For more information, see Scheduling a software update. The VUE Software Update Notice window appears
once a day when you log in to Registration Manager or Admissions Manager until the software is installed. If a
preferred date is chosen, a reminder notice instead appears seven days, three days, and one day before the
preferred date. If the software update cannot install on the preferred date, it will try to install on Pearson VUE's
default date instead. You can also select a new preferred date that is before the default installation date.

Always update and restart your test center's administration workstation (or server
when applicable) first. Then, the compatible software update will launch on all
other workstations when you next start the Pearson VUE applications.

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Scheduling a software update

You can reschedule a software update to a preferred date that is more convenient for your test center. For
example, you might choose a date with no candidates testing the next morning instead of Pearson VUE's
default installation date. You can change your preferred date at any time as long as the new date meets the
following requirements:

• The preferred date is in the future.

• The preferred date is on or before Pearson VUE's default installation date.

 You must have the May use Updater role assigned to your account to schedule a
software update. For more information, see Using User Management. If you do not
have this role, contact the test administrator at your site with the role in order to
schedule the software update.

Use the following process to schedule your test center's preferred software installation date:

1. Click Start on the Windows taskbar of the administration workstation, point to All Programs, VUE
Applications, VUE Support Tools, and click Start Manual Update.

The Pearson VUE Software Update - Login window appears.

2. Enter your username and password for the VUE application, and click OK.

The Pearson VUE Software Update window appears.

3. Select the software version that Pearson VUE identified in the update notice, and click Schedule.

The Schedule installation date window appears. It lists Pearson VUE's default software installation date as
shown in the following image. If your site has already selected a preferred installation date, this date will
also appear in the preferred date field.

4. Type or select your preferred software installation date, and click Save.

Pearson VUE highly recommends that you update to the latest version of software
as soon as it is made available. Updating to the latest version ensures your test
center has all of the enhancements which allow the Pearson VUE Testing System
to run at its best.

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Updating software manually when directed

Pearson VUE might sometimes direct you to manually update the Pearson VUE Testing System (VTS) software
through the Start Manual Update (Updater) application. Do not follow this process unless Pearson VUE directs
you to do so. Follow these steps when using the Start Manual Update application to update the VTS software:

You must have the May use Updater role assigned to your account to use the
Start Manual Update application. For more information, see Using User
Management. If you do not have this role, contact the test administrator at your
site with the role in order to update the software.

1. Close all applications on the administration workstation, and make sure the workstation is connected to
the Internet.

2. Click Start on the Windows taskbar, point to All Programs, VUE Applications, VUE Support Tools,
and click Start Manual Update.

The Pearson VUE Software Update – Login window appears.

3. Enter your username and password for the Pearson VUE applications, and click OK.

The Pearson VUE Software Update window appears.

4. Select the software version that Pearson VUE identified in the update notice, and click Install.

The Install? window appears.

5. Click Yes to confirm the installation.

The Shut Down Applications window appears.

6. Click OK.

The Pearson VUE Software Update window appears and displays the installation's progress.

7. Click OK when a window indicates the update was successful. Then, click Close.

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Running RMA manually
The Application Wrapper service typically runs RMA automatically at your test center. However, you might need
to run RMA manually when instructed to do so in this guide or by a Pearson VUE representative.

To run RMA manually, click Start on the Windows taskbar, point to All Programs, VUE Applications, VUE
Support Tools, and click Remote Maintenance Agent.

The RMA session runs in a command prompt window, shown below, that closes automatically after RMA has
finished. Depending on the amount of data that is being transferred, it may take quite some time for the
session to complete and the window to close.

After RMA finishes running, you can verify if the session was successful with the RMA connection log
application in the Connect portal. For more information, see Checking RMA.

If RMA did not run properly, contact VSS for assistance.

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