GENERAL REGULATION

GENERAL REGULATION

GENERAL REGULATION

Remote/Online Exams

Remote/Online Exams

Remote/Online Exams

Article 1 | Registration

1. In order to schedule the Exam, The Candidate or the requesting Entity, will have to fill in and send the respective registration form:
 a.Online, through the PSTQB official website or
b.
By completing, signing and sending the form in .pdf format, also available for download through the official website of the PSTQB.

Article 2 | Scheduling and Confirmation

1. Applications must be made at least 5 (five) working days before the intended date of the Certification Examination. Registration requests sent after this period will be refused;
2. After receiving the registration request, the PSTQB will validate the feasibility of its realization and, within 24 hours (twenty-four hours), issue a communication of acceptance or proposal of new dates and times;
3. A PSTQB allows Certification Exams from Monday to Friday (except holidays), from 9am to 4pm.


Article 3
| Payment

1. Payment for the Exams must be made when sending the registration form;
2. Requests to register for Certification Exams that are not accompanied by proof of payment will not be considered;
3. A PSTQB accepts payments by bank transfer, ATM reference and credit card;
4. A PSTQB may, by agreement with the Candidate, accept payment for the Examination in up to three (3) installments without interest;
5. A PSTQB will only disclose the result of the Exam and send the Certificate (if applicable) after confirmation of all payments that total the value of the Exam

Article 1 | Information Prior to the Examination

1. A PSTQBalso sends the Support Guide for Remote Examinations, which should be given the utmost attention by Candidates;
2. A PSTQB provides close and personalized support (before, during and after);
3. Candidates who, on the date of the Exam, have any doubts about the operation of the platform supporting the Exam, should contact the PSTQBas soon as possible;
4. Candidates whose nationality is different from the language they have chosen to take the Certification Exam must ensure that they have provided the necessary information to the PSTQB in order to have access to the extra 25% time.
Example: If the Exam has a total duration of 60 minutes, the Candidate will have 75 minutes to complete their Exam.

 

Article 2 | Conductiong the Exam Through the Online Platform

1. The procedures for taking the exam via the online platform are detailed in the Remote Examination Support Guideavailable for download from the official PSTQB;
2. A PSTQB is not, and can never be held responsible for the fact that the Candidate is unaware of the functioning of the support platform for taking the online Exams;
3. If the Candidate does not take the scheduled Exam due to lack of knowledge of how the online platform works, he/she will have to reschedule and, consequently, pay again.

Article 1 | Rules to Comply With During the Exam|

 

1. Before starting the Certification Examination, the Candidate has access to the Examination rules, which he/she must read carefully;
2. While taking the Exam, the Candidate can/has to:
a. Use all the features of the platform;
b. Ask the invigilator for help or to clarify any doubts about how the platform works via the chat window;
c . Be provided with water (or any other drink they like) and light food (merely suggestive);
d. Keep to yourself, with as little noise as possible, and well lit;
3. While taking the exam, candidates may not:
a. Leave the computer/camera or adopt a position that does not allow the correct monitoring and analysis of their movements. If, for reasons of force majeure, the Candidate has to leave the screen, he/she must ask the invigilator for permission (in writing, in the chat window) and wait for it to be accepted;
b. Using equipment other than that used for the Exam, in particular, but not exclusively, equipment that allows contact with the outside world;
c . Using a cell phone or tablet. This equipment must be put into flight mode before the start of the exam and until it has finished. If, for reasons of force majeure, the Candidate has to keep their cell phone contactable, they must inform the invigilator (in writing, via the chat window) before starting the Exam;
d.
Consult books, self-study manuals and/or notes (whether in physical or digital format);
e . Using or handling headphones or any other similar equipment;
f. Reading the Exam questions and answers, speaking or singing;
g . Taking screenshots or photographs;
h. Using pencils, pens and scratch paper;
i . Use a dictionary;
j. Using a calculator other than the one provided by the platform;
k. Opening and consulting web pages, regardless of their content and purpose.


Article 2
| Penalties in the event of non-compliance

 

1. in the event of non-compliance with one or more of the points mentioned above (Chapter 3, Article 1, paragraph 3), the Candidate will be informed by the invigilator via the Chat window that the Exam will be immediately canceled and terminated;
2. If the Exam is canceled due to non-compliance with the rules, a new appointment will cost a new Exam.

Article 3 | Access to Results

 

1. The Candidate, after finishing the Certification Exam, may, if he/she wishes, check if he/she got a positive or negative result;
2. A positive result is a candidate that achieves at least 65% of the points.
Example: In an Exam that has a maximum of 40 points, 65% is equal to 26 points, which means that the Candidate needs to reach 26 points (at least) to be approved.


Article 4
| Issuing and Sending Certificates

 

1. After passing the Certification Examination, the PSTQB will issue and send the Certificate within 48h (forty eight) working hours;
2. Certificates are, as a rule, sent by e-mail, to the e-mail address the Candidate indicated when filling out the registration form;
3. Candidates who wish to receive a certificate on paper will have to pay a fee of 10 euros, plus VAT at the normal legal rate;
4. Certificates issued may be viewed on the ISTQB® Successful Candidate Register (S.C.R.) platform, if you have authorized the communication of your data (full name, certification level, exam date and certificate number);
5. The Certificate has the same validity if the Candidate chooses not to allow the communication of his/her data to the S.C.R. platform.

Article 1 | Absence of Attendance
 

1. After being absent without notice, you can justify your absence up to 5 (five) working days after the day on which your Exam was scheduled, by sending an e-mail (with the proper justification), to the address exames@pstqb.pt;

Article 2 | Justifications Valid for Rescheduling without Charge
 

1. The following are reasons to disclose absences, provided they are duly attested (whenever applicable):
a. Duly proven infectious-contagious disease;
b. Childbirth, as well as prenatal consultations and breastfeeding;
c . Maternity or paternity leave;
d
. Assistance in sickness to descendants and first-degree ascendants, as well as to the spouse or common-law partner
;
e . Appearance in Court or any other similar institution;
f . Attendance on National Defense Day;
g. Death of a 1st or 2nd degree relative;
h . Illness;
i.
Hospitalization or surgery, and subsequent convalescence period.

2. Any other justification - besides those listed in the previous point (1.) - will be subject to the respective case-by-case analysis by the Examination Directorate of the PSTQB EXAMINATION BOARD.

Article 3 | Postponement/Rescheduling Requests
 

1. The Candidate may request the postponement of the Examination to PSTQB - without any justification or with a justification that does not fit in the last article (2) - after confirmation of his schedule and upon prior payment of 35 euros, plus VAT at the normal legal rate in force.


Article 4
| Cancellations
 

1. The cancellation without associated costs is subject to the presentation of the respective justification and subsequent case-by-case analysis by the Examination Department of the PSTQB.
2. If the cancellation request is accepted, the Candidate, in order to be reimbursed, must send proof of NIB/IBAN, with his name, and valid for less than 1 (one) month;
3. If the refund request is not accepted, there will be no refund, and the PSTQB will issue the respective communication and inform the Candidate of the deadline for rescheduling the appointment;
4. The Candidate who requests the cancellation of the Exam with the intention of rescheduling it, will have to wait 3 (three) months after the date he/she made the cancellation request. Otherwise, it will be considered a rescheduling and not a cancellation.
Example: The Candidate has an exam scheduled for September 5th and requests its cancellation on August 15th. The Candidate will be informed that he/she can only schedule a new Exam after October 15th

Article 1 | Exam Prices
 

1. The prices of the Exams vary according to the level of certification;
2. The prices of the Exams, as well as the levels available, can be found on the official website of the PSTQB
3. The values shown on the page mentioned in the previous number (2.) include VAT at the normal legal rate in force;
4. A PSTQBby prior agreement with its partner GASQ, may change one or more values, without prior notice.

Article 1 | Responsibility of the Platform's Operation and Evaluation of Applicants
 

GASQ is fully responsible for maintaining and ensuring the proper functioning of the support platform for the Certification Exams;
2. The responsibility for the evaluation and certification of the Candidates is the sole responsibility of the PSTQB.

Article 2 | Applicability
 

The present Regulation will come into force, in its exact terms, on March 1st, 2023.

Guide to Taking the Exam Online

If you have any questions, please contact us at: exames@pstqb.pt.