Pre-Start

The gates candidates pass before the exam starts — document acknowledgment, notice confirmation, device restrictions, the automated system check, and prerequisites — and how the pre-start sequence works.

Updated 2026/07/13

Pre-Start defines the gates a candidate passes between clicking the step and seeing the first question. Each gate is optional and independently configured; together they guarantee that when the exam starts, the candidate has read what they must read, their device can do what the exam requires, and they are entitled to be there.

When the candidate starts the step, the enabled gates run as a guided sequence of screens. A gate that fails blocks progress with a specific message and, where possible, a way to fix it (grant a permission, switch a device, reconnect). If a required capability is lost mid-exam — a webcam unplugged, screen sharing stopped — the candidate is routed back to the relevant gate to restore it, then resumes.

The panels below cover each gate in detail.

The Documents gate requires candidates to receive and acknowledge one or more documents before the exam starts — exam regulations, an NDA, an honor code, safety instructions. The candidate must open and explicitly confirm each document; the acknowledgment is recorded on their session, giving you an auditable record that every participant received the material before starting.

Attach one or several documents to the step; candidates see them listed in the pre-start sequence.
Candidates can download the documents — useful when they need to keep a copy of the rules or agreement.
Progress is blocked until every document is acknowledged.

For organization-wide document templates that generate a personalized copy per candidate, see Organization → Content → Documents — those pair naturally with this gate.

The Notice gate displays a rich-text message the candidate must explicitly confirm before starting. Unlike step contents (ambient reading in the workspace), the notice is blocking: no confirmation, no exam — and the confirmation is logged on the session with a timestamp.

Use it for the things a candidate must not be able to claim they didn't see: exam rules and prohibited behavior, negative-marking policy, proctoring disclosure (“your webcam and screen will be recorded”), or time-limit consequences. The notice supports full rich content — formatting, images, even a short instruction video.

Keep it short enough to actually be read: one screen of rules beats five pages of terms. Long reference material belongs in the Documents gate, with the notice summarizing the critical points.

Device Restrictions limit which browsers and operating systems can take the step. Candidates on a non-allowed environment are stopped at pre-start with a clear message telling them what to switch to — before they invest time in documents and checks.

Use restrictions when your exam configuration technically requires a narrower environment than “any browser” — for example, strict screen recording or single-monitor enforcement only work on desktop Chrome and Edge — or when your policy demands a controlled setup (no phones for a lockdown exam).

Which device classes each security feature actually supports — by browser, platform, and connection — is documented in detail on the Device Compatibility page of this chapter. Set restrictions to match what your settings truly require, no tighter: every restriction excludes real candidates.

The System Check walks the candidate through verifying, one screen at a time, that their device can actually deliver what the exam requires. Only the checks relevant to the step's configuration run:

Network — a real test upload to media storage confirms connectivity and that the candidate's network permits the exam's traffic.
Sound — the candidate plays a sample clip and confirms they can hear it (for exams with audio content).
Microphone — record-and-playback with a live level meter and a microphone selector (for audio answers or video monitoring).
Webcam — camera permission, preview, and camera selection (for webcam monitoring and the identity photo).
Screen sharing — the candidate shares their screen and the share is validated against the step's screen-recording mode.
Fullscreen — the lockdown environment is validated, including monitor count where single-monitor enforcement is on.

Each failed check shows specific guidance (grant the permission, connect a camera, share the entire screen) and the candidate retries in place. Monitoring streams started here stay alive for the whole exam — and if one drops mid-exam, the candidate is routed back to exactly this check to restore it, then resumes where they left off.

Prerequisites control which candidates can access a step and when. A step can be gated by three independent mechanisms — program membership, stage assignment, and score results from other steps — and all of them must be satisfied before the step becomes available.