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What certifications can I get online?

We’ve collated a list of IT organisations that you can take their exams remotely, and therefore get 100% certified with. This is a guide that will be constantly updated, so watch out for this space.

Phoebe Savvides

15 May, 2020

As digitisation accelerates due to COVID-19, IT skills are more important than ever. And now you can achieve many certifications from your home, thanks to the effort of certification entities and testing providers. These are the certifications you can get completely online.

With the new restrictive climate that we find ourselves in, flexibility and adaptability have proven key - not only for the businesses we work for, but for those we work with as well. Nevertheless, you’re not alone in the fight! IT certification bodies are shifting their mindsets and policies on testing locations. Whereas most require physical presence in a supervised testing centre, remote proctoring solutions now allow you to get fully certified from the comfort and safety of your home.

Not only is this a sign of the times changing, but yet another example of how IT training providers, examination bodies and globally-leading IT innovators want to make sure you get certified and progress. We’ve collated a list of IT certification providers that offer remote testing below. We’ve also made sure to provide clear instructions on how to register and what specific requirements you’ll need to provide.

This is an ever-evolving list, as other providers work towards their solutions, so please make sure to check back for updates. The following are our top 10 vendors that provide virtual exam assessments:

Microsoft

As one of the frontrunners in IT, Microsoft offers multiple certification paths in every business sector to support your career growth and progression.

Which certifications offer remote testing?

All Microsoft certification exams are available. Some of their most popular certifications include:

How does it work?

Microsoft certification examining bodies are Pearson VUE and Certiport.

If you’re taking a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification exam or a Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certification exam, then you have to register with Certiport.

If you’re taking any other Microsoft certification paths or MTA exams, you’ll have to sign-in with Microsoft and then select your exam and schedule with Pearson VUE.

If you need any further support or guidance on how to register for your exam, you can go directly to the Microsoft website. Also, make sure to check out this Youtube video to help you with further instructions and specific requirements for taking a Microsoft exam at home.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Another leader in IT, Amazon Web Services (AWS), though one of the youngest certification bodies, comprises over 170 services, most notably, computing, storage, data centres, machine learning and analytics.

All certification paths are designed to teach you how to build highly available, cost-effective and secure applications on the platform.

Which certifications offer remote testing?

All AWS certification exams are available. Some of the most popular certifications include:

How does it work?

AWS certification examining bodies are Pearson VUE and PSI.

In order to register for your exam, you have to sign-in to your AWS training account by going to the Certification section at the top of the page.

Once you’ve signed in, choose the AWS Certification Account button, followed by Schedule New Exam. Find the exam you wish to take, and choose either the Schedule at PSI or Schedule at Pearson VUE button.

If you need more time to reschedule exams, recertify and use vouchers, AWS are available to offer additional support.

EC-Council

As one of the most innovative IT certification bodies in the world, EC-Council offers some of the most in-demand cybersecurity certifications, as well as various other IT paths.

Which certifications offer remote testing?

All EC-Council certification exams are available. Some of the more popular certifications include:

How does it work?

EC-Council certification examining bodies are Pearson VUE and ECC Exam Center.

To make sure you can continue to get certified, EC-Council partnered up with ProctorU, so you can now take your exams online.

In order to take your exam remotely, you’ll have to register via the ECC Exam Centre. If you want to take the CEH exam, however, you’ll have to register via Pearson VUE.

Finally, the CEH (Practical), ECSA (Practical) and LPT (Master) are all available via EC-Council’s Aspen Portal. For CEH and ECSA practical exams, contact practicals@eccouncil.org. If you want to take the LPT (Master), contact lpt@eccouncil.org.

Check out EC-Council's FAQs if you have any further questions.

ISACA

ISACA certifications are considered among the highest standard of achievement for professionals who audit information technology, manage information security teams or are responsible for governance in enterprise IT.

Which certifications offer remote testing?

All ISACA certification exams are available. Some of the most popular certifications include:

How does it work?

ISACA's certification examining body is PSI.

Each exam has its own registration section:

Also make sure to take a look at ISACA's exam guide and support centre where they identify their requirements, terms and conditions, as well as offer suggestions for taking your exam remotely.

Cisco

Cisco dominates the enterprise networking market and their certifications are some of the most sought-after.

Which certifications offer remote testing?

All Cisco certification exams are available, except for Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT) and Design Expert Practical and Qualification exams.

Some of the more popular certifications include:

How does it work?

Cisco's certification examining body is Pearson VUE.

If you're getting certified with Cisco, before registering, you'll have to go through a system check in order to participate in online training (Please note: it can get busy and there may be delays in getting approved).

Once you've been approved, you can register through Cisco's Pearson VUE portal.

For any additional information, please check out Cisco's FAQs PDF - it'll help direct you and provide any additional advice.

CompTIA

CompTIA certifications are some of the most sought-after in the industry - providing a range of skills from help-desk to cybersecurity. Their certification programmes comprise key sectors in IT, including networking, cloud, cybersecurity, infrastructure and IT project management.

Which certifications offer remote testing?

All CompTIA certification exams are available. Some of the more popular certifications include:

How does it work?

CompTIA's certification examining body is Pearson VUE.

If you want to take your exam online, you can register here. Similarly to Cisco, please know that the site is busy so there may be delays.

Regarding CompTIA's exam vouchers, if the expiration dates are between March 17th and April 30th 2020, they have been extended to June 30th, 2020. All exam vouchers with expiration dates between May 1st and May 31st 2020, have also been extended to July 31st, 2020.

CompTIA are also offering the opportunity to reschedule your exam.

The Open Group

The Open Group is globally renowned for their innovative standards around the use of open-source software. Their TOGAF Architecture Framework has proven essential for businesses to remain current in open source standards, as they provide a set of principles and practices employed by enterprise architects.

Which certifications offer remote testing?

TOGAF Part 1, 2, and combined certifications exams are available. Some of the more popular certifications include:

TOGAF Part 1 & 2 version 9.2
TOGAF Business Architecture Level 1

How does it work?

The Open Group's certification examining body is Pearson VUE.

In order to register for your online proctored exam, you'll first have to make sure you uphold all of the security requirements for the environment that you'll sit the exam. Check out the Exam Guide to make sure that you have everything you need for your exam.

Make sure to have your Pearson VUE login details handy - you'll need them to schedule your online exam through OnVUE.

Similarly to Cisco and CompTIA, please factor in that the site is incredibly busy, so there may be delays.

For any additional information and support, The Open Group have a platform answering any FAQs specific to the current restrictions we find ourselves in.

Project Management Institute (PMI)

The Project Management Institute (PMI) is the world’s leading professional association for project management.

Which certifications offer remote testing?Certification exams Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), Project Management Professional (PMI-PMP) and Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) are available. Some of the more popular certifications include:

How does it work?

PMI's certification examining body is Pearson VUE.

Before registering for your PMI exam, you'll have to fill out an application form to make sure you're eligible for the exam.

Make sure you tick off all of the requirements to get certified - it's not just about the course and exam when it comes to PMI, it's about your background education as well.

PECB/ISO

ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) is an international standard that guarantees consistency and quality across industries. PECB is a carrier of ISO standard certifications and is a globally renowned and a trusted teacher of management systems, services and documentation procedures.

Which certifications offer remote testing?

All PECB/ISO certification exams are available. Some of the more popular certifications include:

How does it work?

PECB/ISO's certification examining body is PECB.

In order to take your exam at home, you'll have to submit the PECB Exam application. Fill in the Exam name, Language and Date, and at the bottom of the page you'll see the schedules available.

Choose Schedule Now and you'll be asked to submit your account details - make sure to have your PECB ID Number at hand!

Check out PECB's Online Exam Guide PDF and Certification Process for any further questions you may have. Even more accessible, PECB have their very own online free app for you to do your exam.

IAPP

IAPP are internationally respected as the largest, most comprehensive data privacy resource and community. In less than a week, you'll be able to implement into your business expert privacy policies and data protection laws.

Which certifications offer remote testing?

All IAPP certification exams are available. Some of the more popular certifications include:

How does it work?

IAPP's certification examining body is Pearson VUE.

In order to schedule your exam through Pearson VUE's online proctoring platform (OnVUE), you first go to My Purchases section of your MyIAPP account. You'll then see the name of your exam under the My Exams heading.

When prompted to choose a special accommodation, choose NO and you'll be directed to Pearson VUE's scheduling platform. Finally, you'll be asked to choose your Exam Delivery Option and select your desired date and time.

Any issues or additional guidance needed, you can always contact IAPP directly.

BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT

BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, aims to lead the IT industry through its ethical challenges, to support those who work in the industry, and ultimately ensure everyone has a positive experience with IT.

BCS has been offering professional certifications for over 25 years. They cover the breadth of IT subject areas, with over 60 certifications, in 13 core subject areas.

Through their links with academia and industry specialists, BCS can provide the expertise and education to develop certifications to be as beneficial to you and your business as possible.

What certifications offer remote testing?

BCS have complied a detailed list of which certification exams you can take remotely, and which require invigilation proctoring.

Some of their most popular include:

How does it work?

BCS’ certification examining body is BCS Questionmark.

There are security and technical requirements to abide by first - such as downloading Zoom and tuning into the correct meeting.

You’ll have to create an account and register with Questionmark in order to create the proctor session.

You’ll then receive an email from BCS inviting you to register the e-professional portal; from there, you’ll be able to see the ATO supplied to BCS.

You’ll receive an email directing you to Questionmark to confirm your account, set a password.

Book your exam date and time through the Schedule section. Make sure to check out BCS’ detailed instructions for any further inquiries; alternatively, you can email support@examity.com.

ORACLE Corporation

Oracle Corporation is an American tech company specialising in database software and technology, cloud engineered systems and enterprise software products.

They also build tools for database development and systems of middle-tier software, ERPs, HCMs CRMs and SCM software.

What certifications offer remote testing?

Oracle Certified Assocate 12c (OCA 12c) and Oracle Administrator Certified Professional (OCP) are the two Oracle certification exams available.

How does it work?

Oracle's certification examining body is Pearson VUE and StayAhead.

Register an account with Pearson OnVUE, and select Proctored Exams from the Home page - you’ll be given an Oracle Testing ID and email address.

Choose which exam you wish to take from the list (under Certification Exams section).

On the Select Booking Method page, select I want to take this exam as an online proctored exam and complete the scheduling process.

Check out to see if you’re eligible for Oracle exam vouchers as well, to financially help you get certified.

For any further information, check out the Online Proctoring FAQs page, the PearsonVUE Oracle page, and the Covid-19 updates relating PearsonVUE.

Get certified now

As said previously, this is an ever-growing list, with more vendors and more details to add over the coming months, so please make sure to check back often. Ready to get certified from your home? See all our courses.

Phoebe Savvides is the Content Marketing Executive at Firebrand Training. She writes on topics ranging from roses to death snails. She's passionate about sport, music, documentaries and hiking, to name a few.