PC checklist for online exams
Prepare your PC for an online exam with a checklist for system requirements, browser, camera, microphone, network stability, power, and a practice run.
An online exam can fail before you answer the first question if your browser is unsupported, your camera is blocked, or your connection drops. A short check before exam day gives you time to fix problems or arrange another computer.
Use the exam provider’s instructions as the requirements to meet. TooLab’s System Info and a few browser-based tests can help you check your PC, but they cannot certify that a particular exam platform will work.
Build your online exam checklist
- Get the official requirements. Find the exam provider’s current instructions. Note the required operating system, browser and version, internet speed, screen setup, camera and microphone, and any lockdown or monitoring software. Requirements vary by exam, so do not treat a general PC check as a substitute.
- Check the computer and browser. Open System Info to review details such as the processor, graphics, screen, battery, and network. Use Browser Info to check the browser version, engine, permissions, and supported features. Compare what you see with the exam’s requirements.
- Test the camera and microphone. Open Camera Test and allow camera access when asked. Confirm that the preview appears and looks clear. Then open Microphone Test, press Start microphone, allow access, and speak. The meter should move and the status should change to Sound detected.
- Check the connection for dropouts. Run Connection Stability for a few minutes in the same room and on the same network you expect to use. Note response time, jitter, lost requests, and dropouts. Compare these results with the provider’s stated network requirements, if it gives any.
- Check power and practice the setup. Keep a laptop plugged in if the exam allows it. On a device whose browser reports a battery, Battery Meter can show its charge level and whether it is charging. Before exam day, open the official system check or practice session on the same computer, browser, camera, and network.
Write down the result of each check, along with the date and the browser version. That makes it easier to tell what changed if you install an update or switch networks before the exam.
What the results mean
Your PC appears to meet the listed requirements
This is a good sign, not a guarantee. A web-based hardware check can show some device details and test individual functions, but it cannot reproduce every part of an exam platform. Complete the provider’s own system check as well, especially if it requires a secure browser or monitoring software.
The camera preview works, but the exam check fails
The camera can work in your browser while the exam platform is blocked by a permission, browser restriction, or different device selection. Check which camera the platform uses and try its practice check in the required browser. Do not assume that a successful preview proves the platform can access it.
The microphone meter moves, but your voice sounds poor
The computer is receiving sound, but the selected microphone may be too far away, muted in another app, or noisy. Test the microphone you plan to use, not just the laptop’s built-in one. A recording in Microphone Test can help you listen for clipping, low volume, or background noise.
Connection results show lost requests or dropouts
Your connection had interruptions during the test. That does not prove the internet will fail during the exam, but it is worth checking again at a different time and from the exam location. A single speed result cannot rule out brief interruptions.
The PC reports less detail than the exam requirements ask for
Browsers can provide only a rounded hint about RAM size, not an exact amount. If the exam requires a specific amount of memory, check it in Windows 11 under Settings › System › About, or on macOS from the Apple menu under About This Mac.
Fix common problems before exam day
- Use the required browser. Update it if the exam provider requires a newer version, then restart the browser. If the provider specifies a particular browser or secure exam app, follow those instructions rather than switching browsers at the last minute.
- Allow camera and microphone access. In the browser, open the site permissions from the icon beside the address bar and allow camera and microphone access for the exam site. On Windows 11, check Settings › Privacy & security › Camera and Settings › Privacy & security › Microphone, including access for desktop apps. On macOS, check System Settings › Privacy & Security › Camera and System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone, then allow the browser you use.
- Choose the correct devices. Disconnect unused headsets or cameras temporarily, then select the intended device in the exam’s settings. Close calling or recording apps that might be using the camera or microphone.
- Improve an unstable connection. Move closer to the router or use a wired connection if available and permitted. Pause large downloads and streaming on your network, then repeat the stability test. If dropouts continue, ask your internet provider or exam support what connection options they recommend.
- Keep the computer powered. Charge the laptop fully before the exam and connect its charger if allowed. Check that the cable and outlet work, and avoid relying on a battery with a low charge or an uncertain estimate.
- Restart and retest. Restart the PC before the practice session, install only updates required by the provider, and rerun its official check. Avoid making major system changes right before the exam.
When your PC may not be suitable
If it does not meet a stated minimum requirement, a camera or microphone is absent, or the provider’s own check repeatedly fails, contact exam support before test day. Ask whether you can use another computer, borrow approved equipment, or take the exam at a testing location. If a built-in camera or microphone fails in more than one app, an external device may be a practical option, but confirm that the exam rules allow it.
What a browser checklist cannot prove
TooLab tests run in your browser, on the device being checked. They do not run the exam platform’s security checks, verify that a lockdown browser is installed correctly, or promise that the exam provider will accept your setup. Use the provider’s official check as the final compatibility test. Camera and microphone tests ask for permission, and recordings stay on your device. Connection Stability exchanges test data with TooLab’s server to measure the connection.
