Online NI Certification Exams

NI has partnered with Pearson VUE, an online certification exam provider and your exam will be delivered through their exam environment.

• At the time of your exam, you will receive access to a secure virtual machine/exam portal with the necessary software, applications, and exam instructions.
• You will take your exam in a secure environment while a trained proctor monitors your screen and webcam remotely, ensuring that the exam integrity is maintained.
• For performance-based exams (CLD, CLA, CTD), the virtual machine is pre-installed with:
  • The NI Software necessary for the exam (LabVIEW or TestStand),
  • An “Exam” folder on the desktop containing seed files to be used during the exam,
  • Other Windows standard programs (e.g.: MS Paint, Notepad),
  • A PDF document with exam instructions.

IMPORTANT NI has confirmed that the following keyboard shortcuts are compatible. Keyboard shortcuts were verified using a standard English QWERTY keyboard and an English version of LabVIEW. Functionality may vary with different keyboard layouts or language-specific software versions. This applies whether you take the exam in person or online

Before taking your exam, you must complete a system test using the same equipment and network you will test on.

Technical Requirements

To test with OnVUE, you must provide a suitable device and network to test with, including:

• A computer running Windows 10, macOS 13, or higher. 
• A webcam, microphone, and speakers. Do not use phones, tablets, or wearable devices such as headphones, earbuds, and watches. 
• One display screen only. Secondary displays must be disconnected, and touch screens are not permitted.
• A consistent 6 Mbps down/up internet speed. Do not use corporate networks to test; VPNs are prohibited.
• The ability to close all other running applications except OnVUE.

Restart your computer just before you begin check-in. This helps to ensure there are enough resources to stream and record video throughout your test.

Admission Rules

To be admitted into an OnVUE exam, you must prepare a testing environment that meets strict test conditions:

• You will need to ensure that you can remain alone, quiet, comfortable, and free from distraction. Do not test in public spaces such as offices, libraries, and schools.
• Ensure there are no uncovered windows, doorways or partitions that might allow someone else to see your exam, even from a distance.
• Your testing environment must be tidy and free from electronics, clutter, paper materials, and writing utensils, unless explicitly allowed for testing. *
• You may bring a drink, gum, and other Approved Comfort Aids. All other food and smoking products are prohibited.  
• You must remain fully clothed throughout your exam, but you cannot wear a coat, wristwatch, sunglasses, headphones or headsets. *

When you check in for your exam, you will also need to confirm your identity:

• Bring a valid, government-issued photo ID matching the name on your booking exactly. We accept:
• International travel passport
• Driver's license
• Identification card (national, state, or province ID card)
• Alien registration card (green card or permanent resident/visa)
• Certain types of Aadhaar cards. See Aadhaar ID Policy for OnVUE.
• We cannot accept IDs that are digital, copied, paper based, or restricted by law, including:
• U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Common Access Card (CAC) or certain secure-access IDs 
• IDs from countries where OnVUE delivery is restricted: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic (Syria), Russia, Belarus, and certain regions of Ukraine (Donetsk, Luhansk, Sevastopol, Crimea).

* Some test sponsors allow the use of other items or provide other allowances (such as breaks) during OnVUE exams. Learn about your test sponsor’s policies and other procedures.

Testing Rules

You will be under strict test conditions when testing with OnVUE. Failure to comply can result in your test being revoked without warning and forfeiture of your test fee.

• Cheating or allowing someone else to take your exam for you is forbidden.
• Do not record, share or allow others to see your exam, even if you experience issues.
• Do not leave the webcam view unless on an approved break. *
• Remain quiet unless instructed by your exam or proctor.
• Do not access your phone unless you have permission from your proctor.

Your session will be recorded for training, quality, and security purposes.

Your proctor may contact you during your exam if you need further instructions and will be available if you require assistance. However, you are responsible for your device, network, and environment; our proctors cannot pause or add more time to your exam, nor can they troubleshoot technical issues. 

Learn more about online testing with Pearson.

Reschedule Policy

If you need to reschedule your appointment, do so at least one hour before your appointment. If you do not reschedule your appointment before the scheduled appointment time, you will forfeit your exam fee.

Cancellation Policy

If you need to cancel your appointment, do so at least one hour before your appointment. If you do not cancel your appointment before the scheduled appointment time, you will forfeit your exam fee.

Additional Information

If you are unable to provide a valid ID in Roman characters, please contact us at  services@ni.com prior to your exam.

Admission Policy

Please arrive at the test center at least 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment time. This will give you adequate time to complete the necessary sign-in procedures. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late for your appointment, you may be refused admission, and the exam fees will be forfeited.

You will be required to present one form of original (no photocopies), valid (unexpired) government-issued ID that includes your name, photograph, and signature. The first and last name you used to register must match exactly the first and last name on the ID that is presented on test day. 

All IDs required must be issued by the country in which you are testing. If you do not have the qualifying ID issued from the country you are testing in, an International Travel Passport from your country of citizenship is required.  

If you have any questions or concerns about the ID you are required to bring with you to the testing center for admittance for your exam, please contact Pearson VUE customer service.

To view the full ID policy, including any additional allowances to this policy, please visit  Pearson VUE  policies. 

For additional information regarding the Aadhaar ID, please visit Aadhaar ID Policy for Pearson VUE.

No personal items may be taken into the testing room. This includes all bags, books not authorized by the sponsor, notes, phones, pagers, watches and wallets. 

Reschedule Policy

You must contact Pearson VUE or access your online Pearson VUE account to reschedule your exam at least a minimum of 48 hours prior to your appointment. Exams cannot be rescheduled less than 48 hours prior to your appointment. Failure to reschedule in time or failure to appear for your appointment will result in the forfeiture of your exam fee. 

Cancellation Policy

You must contact Pearson VUE or access your online Pearson VUE account to cancel your exam at least a minimum of 48 hours prior to your appointment. Exams cannot be canceled less than 48 hours prior to your appointment. Failure to cancel in time or failure to appear for your appointment will result in the forfeiture of your exam fee. 

You can find the exam preparation materials by visiting our NI Certification webpage, selecting the exam of your choice and navigating to the “Prepare for the Exam” section:

Figure 1:  How to navigate to the preparation materials

Please note that – as indicated in the “Exam Rules” section of this document - physical calculators or notepads are NOT allowed to be used during online exams. You are allowed to use the calculator and notepad provided on the virtual machine/exam platform.  We recommend to practice taking your notes on your computer in Notepad or MS Paint when taking the sample exams. Additionally, we recommend limiting your practice to a single monitor to simulate the online exam environment more accurately.

IMPORTANT: For available keyboard shortcuts, please refer to the Exam Process & Environment section

• Visit NI Certification webpage or NI Learner Dashboard.
• Find all the details about the NI Certification Program and select the exam of your interest.
• Make sure you have the prerequisite for taking the desired exam. If you have any questions about this, please contact services@ni.com.
• If you do not have an NI Profile, you will need to create one. Without an NI Profile, you will not be able to schedule your exam.
• To register for the exam, please visit ni.com and follow the steps below: 
  Select your preferred exam → Schedule your exam → Choose a registration language → Create your Pearson account or log in.
  • Note: Please use the same email address associated with your ni.com profile.
  • You can find helpful resources for test-takers here. 
• Rescheduling/ cancellation: If you would like to reschedule/cancel your scheduled exam appointment, you will need to do so at least forty-eight (48) hours before the scheduled exam start time for an in-person exam, and at least one (1) hour before an online exam, before the scheduled exam start time, otherwise you will need to pay the full list price (or applicable amount of Education Services Credits).  Exam registrations using NI Training Membership not timely canceled or rescheduled, as set above, will be invoiced the full list price of the exam.

For more information on Education Services Terms & Conditions, please click here. 

• Multiple-choice exams (CLAD, CLD-R, CLA-R, CTA, CLED1). You will be able to view your exam results on the screen immediately after completing the exam.  The official NI certificate and badge will be available in your NI Profile within 2–3 business days. If you did not meet the passing score, you will receive a message on your screen immediately after your exam indicating this. You will not receive a separate email.
• Performance-based exam submissions (CLD, CLA, CTD) can take up to 4 weeks to be evaluated. 
  • If you do not meet the passing score, you will receive your result via email from services@ni.com. 
  • If you pass the exam, the official NI certificate and badge will be available in your NI Profile.

IMPORTANT: You MUST save your work within the exam time (4 hours) as per the instructions provided in the exam pack. NI will be unable to recover or grade your exam if you fail to comply.