Can You Use a Whiteboard During an Online Proctored Exam? Rules by Provider

You can usually use one small erasable whiteboard during a Pearson VUE online proctored exam, and you must show it blank to the proctor before you start and again at the end. Paper of any kind is prohibited, including blank sheets. But this is a permission your certification vendor can withdraw, so confirm it for your specific exam rather than relying on the platform's general rule.

That last sentence is the part that costs people time at check-in.

The general position by platform

Pearson VUE OnVUE commonly permits a single small erasable whiteboard with a dry-erase marker, subject to the vendor's own policy.

PSI has historically taken a different approach to writing surfaces, in some cases providing or permitting laminated sheets with specific instructions rather than an ordinary whiteboard.

Other platforms used for professional certifications vary, and some provide an on-screen notepad instead of a physical surface.

The safe generalisation is narrow: a physical writing surface is often allowed, it is always erasable rather than paper, and the specific permission comes from your vendor.

What is allowed, in practice

Where a whiteboard is permitted, expect these constraints:

• One board, not several.
• Small, roughly the size of a sheet of A4 or letter paper. Large desk-sized boards usually get rejected.
• Genuinely erasable, so a dry-erase board or a laminated sheet.
• One marker. Bring a spare only if you are willing to have it inspected.
• An eraser or cloth, which may also need to be shown.

What is not allowed anywhere worth relying on:

• Paper, notebooks, notepads, and printouts, including blank paper.
• Sticky notes.
• Anything with pre-existing writing on it.
• Multiple boards, or a board plus paper.

Showing it to the proctor

The procedure is simple but people fumble it because they have not rehearsed:

• During check-in, hold the board up to the camera, both sides, clearly blank.
• Show the marker and the eraser if asked.
• At the end of the exam, before you finish or disconnect, show both sides blank again.

That final step matters more than candidates expect. If you close the session without wiping and showing the board, that can be treated as removing exam content, which is a non-disclosure issue rather than a minor procedural slip. Wipe it and show it while the proctor is still connected.

If the proctor asks you to show the board again mid-exam, do it without hesitation.

Digital alternatives

Some exams provide an on-screen scratchpad or notepad within the exam interface. Where that exists, it is a better option than a physical board: nothing to show, nothing to wipe, nothing to be challenged over.

Check whether your exam has one during the tutorial screens at the start. If it does, you may reasonably decide not to bother with a physical board at all.

Choosing a board that will not cause problems

Practical guidance rather than product recommendations:

• Pick a plain board with no printed grid, logo, or branding on the writing surface. Printed content invites questions.
• A frameless or thin-framed board is easier to show quickly on camera.
• Choose a marker that writes clearly in a colour you can read, and test it beforehand. A dying marker mid-exam is a genuine irritation you cannot fix.
• Wipe the board completely clean the night before, so there is no ghosting from previous use. Faint residue can prompt a challenge.

If you need more space than one small board

This is a real constraint for exams with extensive calculation, and there is no way around it. Options that work:

• Wipe and reuse as you go, rather than trying to keep everything visible at once.
• Reorganise how you work, keeping running totals rather than full workings.
• Ask the proctor before starting whether a second board is permitted for your exam, and accept the answer.
• Consider a test centre, where the provided writing materials are usually more generous and handled by staff.

For heavily quantitative exams, that last point is a legitimate reason to prefer a centre.

Check your vendor, specifically

Before test day, read the candidate agreement for your certification and look for the section on permitted materials. Where the vendor and the platform differ, the vendor's rule is enforced.

If you cannot find a clear answer, the cheapest approach is to sit the exam without a board. Arriving with one that turns out to be prohibited costs check-in time and creates an argument you will not win. Arriving without one you were allowed costs you some convenience.

Permitted materials vary between proctoring platforms and certification vendors and change over time. Confirm the rule for your specific exam in your vendor's candidate agreement before test day.