OnVUE System Requirements 2026: Exact Specs Your Computer Needs to Run Your Exam

OnVUE will not run on a Chromebook, a tablet, an iPad, a Linux desktop, or inside a virtual machine. It needs a Windows or macOS computer with one display, a working webcam and microphone, administrator rights to install software, and a stable connection. If your machine meets that description, the rest is detail. If it does not, no amount of troubleshooting on exam day will help, and the fix is to borrow a different computer or book a test centre.

That framing matters because the most costly failures happen to candidates who assume their device will work and only discover otherwise fifteen minutes before their appointment.

The specifications that actually matter

Treat these as the working baseline for 2026, and confirm them against Pearson VUE's current documentation before test day:

• Operating system: Windows 10 or Windows 11, or a recent macOS release. Older macOS versions fall out of support each year, so a Mac that worked for a previous exam may not qualify now.
• Memory: 4 GB minimum, 8 GB realistically. OnVUE plus a browser plus your operating system on 4 GB is where crashes start.
• Screen resolution: 1024x768 or higher, with exactly one active display.
• Connection speed: roughly 2 Mbps up and down as a floor, with 5 Mbps or better giving real headroom. Stability matters more than peak speed.
• Webcam: any camera that produces a clear image of your face. A built-in laptop camera is normally sufficient. It must be movable enough to complete a room scan, which is why an external USB webcam is often easier on a desktop.
• Microphone: built-in or wired external. Bluetooth headsets are not an option because Bluetooth audio devices are prohibited.
• Administrator rights, so you can install and run the OnVUE application.

Devices that will not work, regardless of specs

• Chromebooks and ChromeOS devices. OnVUE cannot install on ChromeOS.
• iPads, Android tablets, and phones.
• Linux, in any distribution.
• Virtual machines, including Parallels, VMware, VirtualBox, and Windows running under emulation.
• Remote or cloud desktops.

One device does cause genuine confusion. A Microsoft Surface running full Windows is a normal Windows computer and works. A tablet that only runs a mobile operating system does not. The distinction is the operating system, not the shape of the hardware.

The single-display rule, and why turning a monitor off is not enough

OnVUE checks how many displays your operating system reports. A second monitor that is powered off but still connected by cable is usually still reported, and the launch will fail. You need to physically disconnect it.

The cases people miss:

• A laptop in a dock. Undock it entirely rather than unplugging the external monitor alone.
• A laptop with the lid open next to an external screen. Use one or the other, not both.
• A television connected by HDMI to the same machine.
• A USB-C monitor that also supplies power, where unplugging the cable also cuts charging. Plug in a separate power supply for the exam.

Work laptops are the most common hidden failure

A company-issued laptop frequently fails for reasons that have nothing to do with specifications:

• You lack administrator rights to install OnVUE.
• Endpoint security software blocks the installation or the process.
• A corporate VPN reconnects automatically and interferes with the session.
• Device management policies restrict camera or microphone access.
• A corporate firewall blocks the ports the proctoring session needs.

If a work machine is your only option, test it at least a week ahead, and expect to involve your IT team. A personal computer avoids the entire category of problem, and for an expensive exam it is worth borrowing one.

How to run the system check, and when

The system check is available from your Pearson VUE account under your scheduled exam. It verifies your operating system, connection speed, webcam, microphone, and display configuration, and it walks you through a short recording to confirm the camera and microphone work.

Run it twice:

• Once at least 24 hours ahead, so there is time to fix anything it finds.
• Once about an hour before your appointment, to confirm nothing has changed.

Run it in the conditions you will actually test under: same room, same machine, same network, same time of day if your connection varies. A system check that passes on your office network at 9am proves very little about your home connection at 8pm.

Fixing the checks that commonly fail

Connection speed fails: switch from Wi-Fi to a wired Ethernet connection if you can. If not, move closer to the router, and ask anyone else in the house to stop streaming during your exam window. Have a mobile hotspot ready as a fallback.

Webcam not detected: close every other application that might hold the camera, including video conferencing tools that run in the background. Check operating system privacy settings and grant camera access. On macOS this is an explicit permission you must approve.

Microphone not detected: confirm the correct input device is selected as the default, and that it is not a Bluetooth device. Grant microphone permission at the operating system level.

Multiple displays detected: disconnect the cable rather than turning the screen off, then re-run the check.

Installation blocked: temporarily disable antivirus during installation, and on macOS approve the application if the system blocks it as unidentified. On a managed device this may require IT assistance.

Set your machine up properly the day before

A few steps remove most launch problems:

• Restart the computer, rather than resuming from sleep.
• Close everything: chat apps, cloud sync clients, conferencing tools, gaming overlays, and anything in the system tray or menu bar.
• Disconnect any VPN and confirm it will not reconnect automatically.
• Plug the machine into power and leave it plugged in.
• Download OnVUE fresh rather than reusing a copy from a previous exam.

On Windows, a genuinely effective trick is to create a second user account with no startup applications and take the exam from there. It gives you a clean environment without uninstalling anything from your normal profile.

When your computer simply is not suitable

If you only have a Chromebook, a tablet, or a locked-down work laptop, the realistic options are borrowing a compatible computer, using a machine at a library or a friend's home where you can control the room, or booking a test centre. A test centre also removes the connection and room-scan risk entirely, which for a long exam can be worth more than the convenience of testing at home.

System requirements change with each OnVUE release, and supported macOS versions shift every year. Confirm the current specifications on Pearson VUE's official requirements page before your exam.