PSI TCQR Stage 3 flashcards

36 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Line-of-sight requirement

The proctor must be able to observe every candidate workstation continuously from the proctor station. If partitions, monitor placement, or room layout block the view, reposition or add a proctor before testing starts.

Prohibited device discovery

A phone or wearable found in the testing room is a reportable security irregularity even if powered off. Record device type, exact location, time found, and power state.

Pre-administration room sweep

A documented check of workstations, restrooms, and common areas for posted notes, written material, and unattended devices before candidates enter. Record sweep time and checker name.

Secure browser locked mode

A delivery-client configuration that blocks internet, email, and unauthorized applications during testing. Confirm it launches in locked mode before admitting any candidate to the workstation.

Break-period security

During scheduled breaks, candidates are either monitored or the room is cleared and re-secured. Unsupervised access to the testing room during a break is a reportable security gap.

Test form verification

Confirming at session start and close that the correct test form, timing, and candidate count match the roster. Discrepancies are escalated before candidates are dismissed.

Two-part identity confirmation

Admission requires a government-issued photo ID plus a second confirmation step, such as signature match, registration-detail confirmation, or a required biometric check.

Acceptable ID criteria

The ID must be current, government-issued, photo-bearing, signature-bearing, and match the registration name. Expired, photocopied, or name-mismatched IDs need an approved exception.

Name mismatch resolution

Minor variations such as maiden name, hyphenation, or transliteration may be resolved with supporting documentation under program policy. Unresolved mismatches block admission and are escalated.

Roster reconciliation

Verifying the candidate appears on the authorized roster for that test, date, and site. Walk-ins or misrouted candidates are not admitted without an approved authorization path.

Mid-session re-entry check

A candidate who leaves the testing room during a session is re-verified against photo ID and the admission photograph before re-entry, and the re-entry time is logged.

Identity fraud indicators

Observable signs such as a photo that does not match the person, ID wear suggesting alteration, rehearsed personal details, or a companion waiting nearby. Document factually and escalate.

Admission sequence order

Check-in against roster, ID verification, required photograph, signature capture, prohibited-item collection, seating assignment, then release of the test session.

Verbatim script rule

Proctors read the published administration script exactly as written and apply identical conditions to every candidate. Any deviation is recorded with time, cause, and affected candidates.

Timing error documentation

When start, break, or stop timing deviates from the official clock, record actual elapsed time and time lost or gained, then escalate for a scoring decision.

Irregularity categories

Four groups used for consistent reporting: technical (platform, network, workstation), environmental (noise, power, disruption), candidate conduct, and administrative (wrong form, timing, roster error).

Technical failure procedure

Pause the affected candidate where supported, document the error message and time, apply the approved remedy, and escalate if resumption exceeds the program's tolerance.

Evacuation handling

For fire alarms or evacuations, secure materials, stop the clock where possible, keep candidates supervised and separated, and record the interruption window for each affected candidate.

Misconduct response sequence

Observe and document, avoid arguing with the candidate, allow completion unless safety or security requires removal, then file an incident report with times and specifics.

No-content-answers rule

Proctors never coach, prompt, or answer questions about test content. They respond only with scripted statements about procedure and timing.

Session close checklist

Confirm all sessions submitted, count materials in and out, record irregularities, and complete the proctor log before leaving the site.

Audit sampling rule

Audits review a defined sample of sessions per period using a documented sample size and selection method established before the audit begins.

Finding classification

Findings are graded critical (security or integrity breach), major (repeated procedural failure), or minor (isolated documentation gap). The grade sets the corrective-action deadline.

Corrective action closure

Each finding needs an owner, due date, and verification step. Closure requires evidence of the fix, not a statement that the issue was addressed.

Audit independence rule

The person who administered a session does not audit that same session. Self-review is documented as a conflict of interest and reassigned to another reviewer.

Compliance metric set

Tracked measures include admission verification completion rate, incident reports filed on time, proctor-to-candidate ratio adherence, and corrective actions closed by their due date.

Trend-based targeted audit

Findings are aggregated by site, proctor, and irregularity type each cycle. A repeating pattern triggers a targeted audit instead of another routine single-session review.

Incident report content standard

Reports state who, what, when, where, how observed, actions taken, witnesses, and affected candidates, using facts and direct quotations without conclusions about intent.

Objective incident language

Describe observable events, not judgments. Write that a phone was placed on the desk at a stated time rather than asserting the candidate cheated; the program decides outcomes.

Escalation ladder

The defined chain from proctor to site manager to program office or test security contact, with stated triggers for each step and a named backup when the first contact is unavailable.

Test-content exposure escalation

Suspected disclosure or unauthorized copying of secure test materials goes immediately to the program's security contact and is handled outside routine incident channels.

Report addendum practice

Errors in a filed incident report are corrected through a dated, signed addendum. The original report is retained unaltered so the record stays auditable.

Proctor training prerequisite

Proctors complete program training on security, identity verification, administration procedure, and incident reporting, with the completion record retained before independent assignment.

Staff conflict of interest

Staff with a personal relationship to a candidate, or a financial interest in a candidate's result, are reassigned away from that session and the reassignment is documented.

Staff confidentiality obligation

Staff do not discuss test content, candidate results, or incident details outside authorized channels. The obligation continues after the assignment or employment ends.

Supervisor session observation

A documented live-session observation of proctor performance against a checklist, followed by feedback and a scheduled follow-up for any identified gap.