This has been a tough few months for a lot of people but in many provinces in Canada, it appears the worst is behind us. For students of our OTL course, studying has been a welcome break from the chaos, many are wondering about the different exam procedures and availability during COVID-19. We’ve written other articles on the process in BC, Saskatchewan, and Alberta but this post will focus on the Ontario OTL exams in COVID-19.

VIRTUAL CIP & OTL EXAMS IN COVID-19

As you might already know, the OTL exams are administered by the IIC who also happens to handle the CIP exams. In response to the physical distancing requirements they will be shifting to virtual exams. Students will be able to write their exams in your own home without needing to travel to an exam location with other people.

HOW DO VIRTUAL EXAMS WORK?

Just because you’re writing the exam at home doesn’t mean you can cheat easily! Online proctoring services like ProctorU implement several security measures to prevent this:

1. They temporarily lock down your computer to prevent you from visiting other screens or pages on your computer.
2. A proctor will ask to pan your webcam so they can see your room and check for any notes or helpful friends prior to starting the exam.
3. A proctor will monitor you through your webcam for the duration of the exam to ensure you’re not cheating.

The minimum equipment required for an online exam is a computer and a web camera (most laptops have one built in already).

VIRTUAL EXAM TIPS

For many people who don’t have experience with ProctorU or a similar service, writing exams at home might feel weird. Here’s what you need to know and tips to help you maximize your results:

1. Get comfortable – since you’re righting in your own home, I recommend choosing a comfortable spot and wearing comfortable clothes.
2. Recreate your study environment – some research has shown that if you are writing the test in the same environment you study in, you’ll remember things better. This means be in the same room, wear the same clothes, and have the same set up as when you’re studying.
3. Create a quiet space – it can be tough if you have kids running around at home but try to have another family member take them out for a walk or keep them entertained so you can have 2-3 hours of quiet time to write your exam. You really don’t want to be interrupted mid-exam.

EXAM SCHEDULE

All exams scheduled for April will be moved to some time in June 1st – 12th.

EXAM REGISTRATION

To register for the virtual OTL exams in COVID-19, you would go through the registration process like you normally would (by contacting the Insurance Institute of Ontario or visit their Virtual Licensing Exams page). From there, you’ll receive additional details on how it all works and how you can get things set up at home.