Taking a CIW Exam 

Testing Centers

CIW exams are available worldwide through a couple of different testing services. Exam prices vary according to service and geographic region. Contact your training provider or the testing service directly for more information.

CTC Online

CIW operates the CTC Online proprietary system, and offers this service to our academic customers, for testing students in the classroom. A CTC Proctor will provide instructions on how to register in this system. If you are part of an academic organization, contact your Account Manager for more information on this program.

PSI: Remote Proctoring or In Person testing centers

Certification Partners has partnered with PSI to offer CIW exams. PSI offers two delivery modes: remote proctoring, and in-person testing centers.

Remote proctoring lets you take CIW exams from the comfort of your own home or office. This option requires a quiet location, an active webcam and stable high speed Internet connection. A live proctor will visually monitor you and your exam during the entire testing session.

In-person testing is an alternative for those who do not have a suitable environment for remote proctoring. PSI has over 1200 testing centers in 160 countries around the world.

Regardless of which testing mode you choose, you can purchase your exam directly from PSI, or use a voucher that your training provider will give you. You select your testing mode during the scheduling process. To begin the process, navigate to the PSI website at: http://www.psiexams.com/ciw

When taking exams in PSI, all candidates will be required to show valid government-issued proof of identification which includes a photo, signature, and name that matches the scheduled appointment. U.S. military identification will not be accepted.

More information on scheduling and preparing for exams in PSI is available in our Guidelines booklet.

Please review PSI’s requirements for system compatibility and identification carefully.

Accommodations for Candidates with Disabilities

In accord with the Americans with Disabilities Act, accommodations for candidates with disabilities are available in all CIW testing services. Accommodations may include extended exam time, text enlargement, text-to-speech services, permission to bring medical equipment into the testing environment or other measures as deemed necessary. All requests for ADA accommodations must include formal documentation supporting the request.

• If you are taking your exam through PSI’s testing services, you must apply directly to CIW for ADA accommodations. Fill out this form, and email it directly to ciwcustservice@ciwcertified.com, along with documentation in support of the request. We routinely accept medical notices (from your doctor), or learning evaluation reports from accredited educational institutions (IEP or Plan 504).
• If you are taking your exam through CTC Online, your CTC Proctor will submit a request for the accommodation directly to CIW, for review and approval. Be prepared to submit documentation of your disability for review.

Return to top

Payment Arrangements

You must pay for a CIW exam before you can take it. Payment is made at the time of registration, either by credit card or voucher. Candidates who will be taking CIW in the CTC Online system should contact their CTC Proctor for information regarding payment of exams.

When you make an exam appointment, you will receive additional instructions regarding your exam session. It is very important that you use a valid email address during your registration. Automated confirmation and reminder messages will be sent to the email address you use, along with information about certification, if you pass your exam. Please make note of these.

Note that exam fees are not refundable. If you schedule an exam and then do not take it, you are not eligible for a refund of the exam fee. If you need to cancel or reschedule an exam, contact the testing service provider directly, at least 24 hours BEFORE the scheduled exam date. CIW does not have access to PSI's test scheduling systems, and cannot change your appointment. If you purchase an exam voucher or receive one as part of a Self-Study Kit or other bundled curriculum, the eCredit is valid for one year from date of purchase. Vouchers cannot be extended or refunded. It is your responsibility to use the voucher before it expires.

Exam Fees

The fees for CIW exams administered through PSI are listed in the following table. Currency fluctuations may impact the charges applied to your credit card.

Exam pricing in CTC Online varies. Contact your Account Manager for more information.

CIW Exam Fee Receipts

PSI’s website will provide an receipt upon payment via credit card. Contact PSI directly, if you need assistance in getting a replacement receipt.

Return to top

Test Taking

In Person Testing

You should arrive at the testing center at least 15 minutes before the test is scheduled to begin. Identify yourself to the administrator. You must provide one form of government-issued identification, which includes a photo, signature, and name that exactly matches the name on your scheduled appointment. Suitable forms of identification include:

• Driver's license
• Passport
• Government ID card

You will then have the opportunity to learn how to use the computer-based testing system. This tutorial session is not part of the CIW exam and will not count against the time allotted to complete the exam.

Books, calculators, laptop computers, notes, scratch paper, and any reference materials are not allowed during any CIW exam. Because CIW exams are computer-based, you will not need pens, pencils, paper or electronic devices to take the exam. At this time, no CIW exam requires the use of a calculator to answer questions.

During the Exam

The exam will display a brief opening screen and some initial instructions. You will be asked to acknowledge the CIW Certification Agreement. You must accept the terms of this agreement, in order to proceed with the exam. The CIW Certification Agreement is a standard NDA document that protects the exam content copyright, the CIW brand, logo and trademarks, and governs candidate conduct. Exam items and materials may not be disclosed or discussed in any portion with others, or posted or published in any forum or through any medium whatsoever, or in any manner disclosed, either orally, through notes, or transmitted electronically in any forum or in any way whatsoever. If you would like to keep a copy of this CIW Certification Agreement document for your personal records, you can download it here.

Some CIW exam questions are associated with subsections within the program objectives. During the exam, there is no visual indication or signal that the exam is asking a question from different sections. Questions from all sections are randomly mixed during delivery. Your exam results may include section scores where applicable.

Results

CIW Exam Score Report

As soon as you complete a CIW certification exam, you will see your score results immediately on your computer screen. A score report will either be emailed to you, or a physical hard copy will be provided to you by the testing center. Keep a copy of this score report as proof that you have completed the exam. It contains valuable information that is needed for verification purposes and authentication into the CIW Candidate Information Center.

The score report shows whether you passed or failed the exam. The report may also indicate your score on each section of the exam, if section scoring is available (not all exams have this). The score report does not include any information on specific questions. Incomplete (unanswered) questions are scored as incorrect; no partial credit is awarded on any items.

To pass a CIW exam, a candidate must:

• Earn a total score that is equal to or more than the passing score for that exam. This passing score is listed on the Exam Guide Web page, and is clearly indicated on the opening instruction screens and the official exam score report that are produced when the candidate ends the CIW examination.

Exam Security Policy

CIW exams are administered under secure, proctored conditions through authorized testing services worldwide. These centers are required to confirm the identity of exam candidates, and provide a controlled environment for collecting and transmitting exam results.

The CIW program does not release exam questions or answers to exam questions. This is a standard procedure for high-stakes certification exams to maintain the value of the certification. All CIW exam items are copyrighted. To maintain the security and value of our program, we reserve the right to decertify and /or bar from examinations any individuals who republish or distribute our copyrighted certification exam materials without permission.

Formal training is not a requirement for CIW certification. CIW recommends using Official CIW Curriculum and preparation tools, including our online Practice Exams. See the CIW Store for more details, or ask your preferred training provider. Regardless, candidates are free to pursue any form and source of training and test preparation that suits their needs. However, candidates who are discovered to have used "braindump" sites may be decertified. Braindumps are collections of exam items that have been stolen from high-stakes certification exams. There are several international organizations that steal, publish, distribute and sell these items illegally, under thousands of different organization names and Internet domains. Using these products is a violation of the CIW Certification Agreement, and is grounds for decertification. If you are considering a practice test tool and are not sure of the legitimacy of the site, you can check it using CertGuard's free search tool at http://www.certguard.com/search.asp.

Return to top

Exam Retake Policy

The CIW Exam Retake Policy outlines the conditions under which a candidate may retake a CIW exam that he or she has taken and not passed. A waiting period between retakes of a single certification exam maintains the security of the exam and strengthens the value of the CIW certification. Each CIW exam is defined by a unique exam ID (e.g., 1D0-610). A retake is any subsequent sitting of an exam with the same CIW exam ID by the same candidate at any authorized testing center.

If a candidate passes a CIW exam, the candidate will not be allowed to retake that CIW exam. If the CIW exam objectives change, the exam ID changes to reflect the new exam version. Candidates who have passed an exam may sit a newer version of the exam that may have the same title but a different ID number.

If a candidate fails a CIW exam on his or her first attempt, a 24-hour waiting period is required between the first and second sittings of that CIW exam. Candidates who fail the second attempt at a CIW exam are required to wait for a period of no fewer than thirty (30) calendar days from the date of the previous sitting before any third or subsequent sitting of the same CIW exam. There is no limit on the number of attempts a candidate may make on an exam, so long as the 30 day wait period is observed.

Exceptions to the standard retake wait periods are available to select educational institutions who must comply with time-sensitive reporting cycles. Contact your account manager for more information.

Exams administered in any ways that do not comply with the CIW Exam Retake Policy may be considered invalid for certification and ineligible for a refund.

If a candidate has violated this Exam Retake Policy, the candidate may be deemed ineligible to register for or schedule any CIW exam for a minimum period of twelve (12) months from the date of such determination.

In addition, any candidate determined to have violated the CIW Exam Retake Policy may be subject to any or all of the following:

• Denial of a specific CIW certification for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of such determination;
• Removal of exam result from the CIW Candidate Information Center
• Revocation of a specific CIW certification, if such certification had been previously granted to the candidate;
• Revocation of all CIW certifications previously granted to the candidate;
• Ineligibility to receive any CIW certification for a minimum of twelve (12) months from the date of such determination;
• Any other appropriate actions, including legal remedies, deemed necessary or appropriate to enforce the CIW Exam Retake Policy.

Credit Card Fraud

Candidates (or other organizations operating on behalf of potential CIW certification candidates) who purchase exams or vouchers to take exams through credit card fraud are subject to decertification. Certification Partners, LLC, and its partners invest significant resources in the development of high-stakes certification exams and official CIW curriculum. We will not tolerate the theft of exam services that were purchased using stolen credit cards or any other fraudulent means.

Candidates are advised not to attempt to obtain exam vouchers or purchase exam attempts through any fraudulent means, including but not limited to presenting false identity or paying exam fees using stolen credit cards. Exams taken by fraudulent means will be disallowed and will be removed from the certification record. Any certification discovered to have been awarded as a result of a passing score on a fraudulently obtained exam will be revoked and the candidate will be subsequently decertified. Candidates taking exams obtained through fraudulent means may be prohibited from future participation in CIW programs for any period of time as determined by Certification Partners, LLC.

CIW Certificates

After you pass the exam(s) necessary for your CIW certification and have completed the CIW Certification Agreement as well as any other requirements, the appropriate certification is awarded automatically. Consult the CIW Program section for complete details on how exams map to certifications. Certification rules and events are tracked within the CIW Candidate Information Center database. Candidates are encouraged to monitor their status there.

If your certification has not been awarded within 20 days of passing the required exams, click here or contact our CIW Certification Department. Please include your full name and the complete information from your CIW exam score report, including the Registration ID, in your message. This information is necessary for tracking your exam results and reviewing your record in the CIW Candidate Information Center.

CIW Electronic Certificates

Once certification is awarded, candidates may generate an electronic certificate, which can be printed, and/or saved as a PDF file. Login into the CIW Candidate Information Center, and click on "Printable Documents" in the left side menu. This will bring up a list of your current certifications. Click on the "Print Now" link on the far right side. A popup will appear (enable this in your browser, if necessary), displaying your certificate. You can print the certificate out, and/or save it as a PDF file on your local system. There is no limit on the number of times you can generate your certificate. Certification Partners no longer mails paper certificates to candidates for free. Certification Partners reserves the right to distribute certificates in any manner it deems appropriate and cost-effective.

CIW Business Card Logos

CIW logos are available for download from the CIW Candidate Information Center (where you completed your Certification Agreement). Log in and click the Download Center link to access them.

CIW Transcripts

You can also generate a transcript of your CIW certifications and/or exams. This is useful if you want to communicate this information without providing a PDF file. See the Receiving your Certificate page for more information.

CIW Credential Designations

We encourage you to list your CIW certification credentials and corresponding logos on your resume, business cards or personal Web site. CIW certification titles are never abbreviated or shortened into acronyms; they should always be spelled out in full.

For example:
Inge Krauss, CIW Web Foundations Associate

Additional CIW credentials can be listed in sequence, separated by commas, as they are earned.

Return to top