I'm delighted to say that the examiners - APMG - were understanding about my plight. They were aware of ProctorU's limitations and had a workaround.

They had me install Beyond Trust's "bomgar" Linux client - which is a simple Remote Desktop app. It was preconfigured with my invigilator's details and they were able to remotely see my screen and control my keyboard & mouse. The app didn't run as root, thankfully! Once I closed the app, it automatically deleted itself - and I couldn't find any trace of it. As it happens, I'm paranoid so I had made a separate user account on a freshly installed Linux partition, which was wiped immediately afterwards.

The Remote Desktop didn't have access to my webcam, so we jumped on a Microsoft Teams call in the browser. There the invigilator (a nice guy called Dave) had me point my webcam around my room to make sure I didn't have any notes visible, or a person crouching behind my desk feeding me answers. Dave then spent an hour watching me pick my nose scrunching up my face as I tried to remember arcane security trivia. He also got to listen to me mutter to myself. Fun! The invigilator was also there in case I had any technical problems with the exam. But, luckily, it all went well.

Sadly, the exam wasn't keyboard accessible. The buttons for marking your multiple choice answers couldn't be selected by the keyboard. And, annoyingly, they are presented horizontally while the questions are vertical.

(Taken from their practice papers)

Quite why that couldn't be a normal radio button next to each answer, I don't know!

The testing platform was a little slow - which made going back over my answers a little annoying.

All that notwithstanding, I passed!

70 questions, 35 correct needed for a pass. So I was delighted with a score of 80%.

I reckon it was just about possible to pass the exam using only the slides. But there were questions on there about, say, FREAK and POODLE. They were mentioned in the lectures - but not in enough detail to successfully answer the questions.

Similarly, some of the questions were very much "it depends". Here's one taken from my memory:

How would you find hidden directories in a web app?

1. Look at `robots.txt`
2. Examine the source code
3. Use a web spider
4. Run a brute force scan

In the class, we learned DirBuster. Which is a brute-force tool. So I put that. But I also think it is totally legitimate to use robots.txt; it's a great source of finding directories that the owner doesn't want you scurrying around in. Similarly, commented out bits in source code is a valuable intelligence tool. A spider will show you all the directories which are publicly linked to.

I've no idea if "Brute Force" is the correct answer. And that's kinda the limitation of multiple-choice exams. If the question had been "describe the advantages and disadvantages of each of these techniques" then I think that would show the student had understood the material. But, of course, that takes longer to mark and is more expensive to run.

I don't think I've taken an exam since I was at university the first time around. And, to be quite honest, I've no desire to repeat the experience. It was a stressful time leading up to it and, frankly, a little demeaning to have to go through so much rigmarole to prove I wasn't cheating. And I'm not convinced that multiple choice questions about pub trivia is the best way to test knowledge.

I have two more training sessions coming up and I'm going to pick ones with a better attitude to testing.

Fall asleep (or pretend to) until the last 15 minutes. Wake up, say "Oh dear, better get cracking." and do some gibberish work. Turn it in a few minutes early.

Get a copy of the exam, run out screaming "Andre, Andre, I've got the secret documents!!"

If it is a math/science exam, answer in essay form. If it is long answer/essay form, answer with numbers and symbols. Be creative. Use the integral symbol.

Make paper aeroplanes out of the exam. Aim them at the instructor's left nostril.

Talk the entire way through the exam. Read questions aloud, debate your answers with yourself out loud. If asked to stop start talking about what a prat the instructor is.

Bring cheerleaders.

Walk in, get the exam, sit down. About five minutes into it, loudly say to the instructor, "I don't understand ANY of this. I've been to every lesson all term long! Help.”

Bring a Game Boy. Play with the volume at max level.

On the answer sheet find a new, interesting way to refuse to answer every question. For example: “I refuse to answer this question on the grounds that it conflicts with my religious beliefs”. Be creative.

Bring pets.

Giggle. Loudly.

Fifteen minutes into the exam ask for more paper. Repeat this process every fifteen minutes.

Do the exam with crayons, paint, or fluorescent markers.

Come into the exam wearing slippers, a bathrobe, a towel on your head.

Be as vulgar as possible on the exam paper.

Do the entire exam in another language. If you don't know one, make one up! For math/science exams, try using Roman numerals.

Bring things to throw at the instructor when s/he's not looking. Blame it on the person nearest to you.

As soon as the instructor hands you the exam, eat it.

Walk into the exam with a Siamese twin.

Every five minutes, stand up, collect all your things, move to another seat, continue with the exam.

Turn in the exam approximately 30 minutes into it. As you walk out, start commenting on how easy it was.

Hold an unlit cigarette in your mouth. If you are told there is no smoking, politely point out that you are not smoking; just holding an unlit cigarette in your mouth.

Bring a black marker. Return the exam with all questions and answers completely blacked out.

Get the exam. Twenty minutes into it, throw your papers down violently, scream out "Screw this!" and walk out triumphantly.

Insist on going to the toilet. You will have to be accompanied.

Show up completely drunk. (you should start crying for mother).

COUGH!

Comment on how sexy the instructor is looking that day.

Come to the exam wearing a black cloak. After about 30 minutes, put on a white mask and start yelling "I'm here, the phantom of the opera" until they drag you away.

Insist the person next to you is cheating.

Upon receiving the exam, look it over, while laughing loudly, say “You don't really expect me to waste my time on this drivel? "Teletubbies" is on!!!”

Bring a water pistol with you. ‘Nuff said.

From the moment the exam begins, hum the theme to Countdown. When they finally get you to leave begin whistling the theme to the Bridge on the River Kwai.

Start a fight in the middle of the exam.

If the exam is math/science related, make up the longest proofs you could possibly think of. Get pi and imaginary numbers into most equations. If it is a written exam, relate everything to your own life story.

Bring a friend to give you a back massage the entire way through the exam. Insist this person is needed, because you have bad circulation.

Bring cheat sheets FOR ANOTHER CLASS and staple them to the exam, with the comment "Please use the attached notes for references as you see fit. "

When you walk in, complain about the heat. Strip.

After you get the exam, call the instructor over, point to any question, ask for the answer. Try to work it out of him/her.

Loud, Rumbling, Echoing, Deadly Farts.

Try to get people in the room to do a Mexican wave.

Play frisbee with a friend at the other side of the room.

Bring some large, ugly idol. Pray to it often. Consider a small sacrifice.

Get deliveries of flowers, pizzas, telegrams, etc. sent to you every few minutes throughout the exam.

Get lots of people to call your mobile phone. Make sure it has an annoying ring.

During the exam, take apart everything around you. Anything you can reach.

Complete the exam with everything you write being backwards at a 90 degree angle.

Bring a musical instrument with you, play various tunes. If you are asked to stop, say "it helps me think. " Bring a copy of the official exam rules, challenging the instructor to find the section on musical instruments. Don't forget to use the phrase "Told you so".

Answer the exam with the "Top Ten Reasons Why Examiners Suck"

These exam stress relieving jollities were brought to you by........... Campaign to Relive Accumulated Pressures!