What to Expect
What to Expect at Pearson VUE
The National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners strives to provide you with a positive testing experience on your exam day. Pearson VUE and the NBOME have taken steps to protect the security and the integrity of the examination, and we appreciate your patience and understanding by following our procedures and guidelines.
Arrival and Check-in
Plan to arrive at the testing center at least 30 minutes before your exam start time. You will be greeted by a test administrator (TA), who will review the candidate rules and security protocols with you and ask you to sign them.
Testing Accommodations
Candidates requesting accommodations can find eligibility and information on how to apply in the COMVEX Bulletin of Information (BOI).
Identification
Be sure to bring one form of unexpired government-issued identification (ID) that includes your picture and signature. All other ID policies specific to the program still apply. Acceptable forms of ID are:
- Driver’s license
- Passport
- Military ID (If you present a military ID, please present a secondary form of identification that includes your signature.)
A Note About Names
In order for you to take the exam, your first and last name must match what the NBOME has on record. You can verify this information by logging into your NBOME online account. If the information does not match, you can update it by contacting NBOME Client Services at least two weeks before your examination date.
Personal Belongings
The TA will assign you a secure locker for storing your personal belongings, including food, water, and electronic devices. You will receive a locker key with a tag. Except for comfort aids (described below), you may keep only your ID and locker key with you in the testing room. If you refuse to store your personal items, you will be unable to test and you will forfeit your test fee.
- Mobile phones, hand-held computers/personal digital assistants (PDAs), pagers, or other electronic devices (must be turned off prior to storage)
- Watches
- Wallets, purses, book bags, or any other type of bag
- Firearms or other weapons
- Hats and other nonreligious head coverings
- Coats or jackets
- Eyeglass cases
- Pens or pencils
- Barrettes or hair clips that are larger than 1/4 inch (1/2 centimeter) wide
- Headbands or hairbands that are larger than 1/2 inch (1 centimeter) wide
- Jewelry that is removable and larger than 1/4 inch (1/2 centimeter) wide
- Wedding/engagement rings are permitted
- Books and/or notes unless authorized by the test program sponsor
Enhanced Security
Pearson VUE has implemented enhanced security measures to inspect for camera devices that could be used to capture exam content. You will need to remove eyeglasses for close visual inspection by a TA. These inspections will take a few seconds and will be done at check-in.
Food and Drinks
Food and drinks are not permitted in the testing room and must be stored in your assigned locker. You may access them during the scheduled breaks. If you have a medical need and require food or drink during the testing period, you must submit an application for accommodations. Any request for accommodations should be submitted at least 90 days in advance of your preferred testing date.
Comfort Aids
Certain items, such as medicines or medical devices, mobility devices, headphones, and earplugs, are considered comfort aids and do not require pre-approval. Visit the Pearson VUE website for a full list of approved aids.
Biometric Check-in
Once you have placed any unapproved items in a test center locker, the TA will take a digital photo of you, and you will be directed to provide a palm vein scan. The palm vein scan will collect your palm vein image to digitally verify your identity and to protect the security and integrity of the exam. After completing the check-in process, you will be escorted into the testing area, where a TA will confirm your identity and ask you to provide another palm vein scan. You will be required to provide a palm vein scan each time you enter and exit the testing room.
In-person, Video, and Audio Monitoring
Once you are seated for your exam, you will be observed by the TA, who will move around the testing center to routinely monitor testing activity. The TA will observe and report any irregular behavior. TAs prepare each workstation for the next candidate after it has been used, which in some cases may be every two hours.
In addition, please be aware that you will be monitored by video and audio recording for the duration of your exam.
Confirmation Screen
Once you are seated at your station, a screen will appear asking you to confirm your name and the exam you are taking. If the information displayed is not accurate, do not proceed and inform the TA immediately.
Non-disclosure Agreement
You will be required to read and agree to a non-disclosure agreement.
Check Out
Upon completion of your examination, you will sign out and return your locker key.
Tutorial
You are allotted 16 minutes to review the pre-examination information and tutorial before the examination. You are strongly encouraged to view the tutorial, as it contains important information and allows you to gain familiarity with exam features without reducing your testing time. In addition, you can test the headphones, adjust the text font size and color, and set text and background screen colors to your preferences.
Before the exam day, you can also view a tutorial and sample questions on the Practice and Preparation page.
Any time spent on the tutorial exceeding 16 minutes will be subtracted from the available testing time for the first exam session. If you use less than 16 minutes for the tutorial, the exam time will begin as soon as you complete the tutorial.
Adverse Testing Conditions
If you experience adverse testing conditions (ATCs) and believe that those conditions have substantially affected your performance, you must do all of the following:
- Promptly report any interruption of the examination to the test center staff on the day of the examination
AND - Within 10 days following the date of the exam, provide the NBOME with credible and verifiable written evidence of the incident. Email this information to clientservices@nbome.org.
Important Notice: simply making a comment in the post examination survey regarding any possible ATCs does not qualify as written notification. If you do not report your concerns according to NBOME guidelines, you waive any objection to the testing conditions and will not have any recourse. Please refer to the COMVEX BOI for more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve compiled answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the NBOME, our products, and services. If you can’t find the information you’re looking for, please feel free to reach out to us.