Frequently Asked Questions: CHFA, CHSA, CHFD
The exam costs $300 USD.
The certification exam is proctored remotely via streaming audio, video, and screen sharing feeds. The screensharing feed allows proctors to view candidates' desktops (including all monitors). The audio, video, and screen sharing feeds will be stored for a limited period of time in the event that there is a subsequent need for review.
Exams are delivered online and Candidates must provide their own computer with:
Current version of Chrome or Chromium
you don’t need to install a virtual machine, use a client machine, or anything beyond a Chrome or Chromium browser
Make sure you have third party cookies turned on for the duration of the exam.
Reliable internet access
Ensure others on the same internet connection are not performing activities that use excessive bandwidth (i.e. holding conference calls, streaming content, gaming, etc.)
A wired connection is often more stable and robust than a wireless connection
Turn off bandwidth-intensive services (e.g. file sync, dropbox, BitTorrent)
Microphone
Please check to make sure it is working before you start your exam session.
Webcam
Ensure the webcam is capable of being moved as the proctor may ask you to pan your surroundings to check for potential violations of exam policy.
Try holding up your ID while viewing your webcam feed to ensure your placement and resolution are sufficient for the person viewing your feed to read your ID.
If you will be testing from an employer-provide ISP or will use an employer provided machine, please ensure that streaming will be allowed using WebRTC.
Candidates should run the compatibility check tool to verify that their hardware meets the minimum requirements.
Below are the expectations for an acceptable testing environment:
Clutter-free work area
No objects such as paper, writing implements, electronic devices, or other objects on top of surface
No objects such as paper, trash bins, or other objects below the testing surface
Clear walls
No paper/print outs hanging on walls
Paintings and other wall décor is acceptable
Candidates will be asked to remove non-décor items prior to the exam being released
Lighting
Space must be well lit so that proctor is able to see candidate’s face, hands, and surrounding work area
No bright lights or windows behind the examinee
Other
Candidate must remain within the camera frame during the examination
Space must be private where there is no excessive noise. Public spaces such as coffee shops, stores, open office environments, etc. are not allowed.
Candidates are required to provide a non-expired Primary ID that contains Candidate’s photograph, signature and full name (see acceptable forms of ID in the table below).
The name on your Primary ID must exactly match the verified name on your exam checklist.
If the Candidate’s full name on their Primary ID contains non-latin characters, then the Candidate must ALSO provide a non-expired Secondary ID containing their full name in Latin Characters and signature, OR a notarized English translation of their Primary ID along with the non-latin character Primary ID.
Primary ID (non-expired and including photograph and signature) | Secondary ID (non-expired and including signature with Candidate name in Latin characters) |
Passport Government-issued driver’s license/permit Government-Issued local language ID (with photo and signature) National Identity card State or province-issued identity card 住民基本台帳 (Basic resident register with Photo) or マイナンバーカード(My number card) | Debit (ATM) Card Credit Card Health Insurance Card U.S. Social Security Card Employee ID Card Student ID Card Japanese Health Insurance Card |
Additional Allowances:
Some government issued ID such as a passport, driver’s license, military ID or state/country card may be a biometric type and may or may not contain a signature. In these cases Primary ID will be accepted without a signature on condition that you also present a Secondary ID which does contain your signature (e.g. bank, credit or debit card)
For candidates testing in Japan, a Driver’s License (with name and recent recognizable photo) is acceptable as a primary ID as long as it is accompanied with a Japanese health insurance card (健康保険証). In Japan, the Japanese health insurance card (健康保険証) is an acceptable form of secondary ID.
Minors, between the age of 16-18, are permitted to take an online proctored exam with PSI, provided they complete the following requirements:
A Parent/Guardian must complete the Parental Release for Testing of Minors form, and submit it to Customer Support, at least 2 weeks prior to the scheduled date of the exam
At check in, the minor candidate must present a valid student ID as a form of identification
During the PSI check-in process, the candidate's guardian must also present a valid ID and must provide verbal consent during the PSI check-in process.
Exams may be administered to citizens of a sanctioned country listed below PROVIDED the citizens are tested OUTSIDE the sanctioned country and their exam registration and current ID show an address OUTSIDE the sanctioned country.
Cuba
Iran
Syria
Sudan
North Korea
Crimea Region of Ukraine
Candidates are allowed 2 hours to complete the CHFA, CHSA and CHFD Exams.
For the CHSA Exam, a score of 65% or above must be earned to pass. For the CHFA Exam, a score of 62% or above must be earned to pass. For the CHFD Exam, a score of 65% or above must be earned to pass.
Exams are scored automatically, usually within 24 hours of completion. Results will be emailed within 36 hours from the time that the Exam was completed. Exams are graded for results. There may be more than one way to perform a task on an Exam and unless otherwise specified, the candidate can pick any available path to complete the task as long as it produces the correct result.
The following tools and resources are allowed during the exam as long as they are used by candidates to work independently on exam tasks (i.e. not used for 3rd party assistance or research) and are accessed from within the Linux server terminal on which the Exam is delivered. During the exam, candidates may:
review the Exam content instructions that are presented in the command line terminal.
type “man lf_exam” in the command line to view instructions again at any time during the Exam.
use their Chrome or Chromium browser to open one additional tab in order to access assets at https://hyperledger-fabric.readthedocs.io/en/release-1.4/ and its subdomains, and https://hyperledger-fabric-ca.readthedocs.io/en/release-1.4/ and its subdomains. No other tabs may be opened and no other sites may be navigated to.
The allowed site above may contain links that point to external sites. It is the responsibility of the candidate not to click any links to navigate to a domain that is not allowed.
The following tools and resources are allowed during the exam as long as they are used by candidates to work independently on exam tasks (i.e. not used for 3rd party assistance or research) and are accessed from within the Linux server terminal on which the Exam is delivered. During the exam, candidates may
review the Exam content instructions that are presented in the command line terminal.
type “man lf_exam” in the command line to view instructions again at any time during the Exam.
use their Chrome or Chromium browser to open one additional tab in order to access assets at https://sawtooth.hyperledger.org/docs/core/releases/1.0.5/ and its subdomains. No other tabs may be opened and no other sites may be navigated to.
The allowed site above may contain links that point to external sites. It is the responsibility of the candidate not to click any links to navigate to a domain that is not allowed.
Candidate may only use their Chrome or Chromium browser to open one additional tab in order to access technical documentation related to:
Hyperledger Fabric
Node.js/JavaScript
Note that the following sites are explicitly prohibited and accessing these sites will lead to immediate termination of the exam without warning.
Stack Overflow (stackoverflow.com)
Stack Exchange (stackexchange.com)
Server Fault (serverfault.com)
Super User (superuser.com)
Other similar discussion forum sites may also lead to immediate termination of the exam.
The CHSA exam environment is currently running on Sawtooth v1.0.5. The CHFA exam environment is currently running Fabric v1.4 Coming in May 2021: Fabric v2.2 The CHFD exam environment is currently running Fabric v2.2
The CHSA and CHFA Exam is currently available in English. The CHFD Exam is currently available in English and Japanese.
CHSA, CHFA, and CHFD Certifications are valid for 3 years.
Candidates have the option to retake and pass the exam to renew their certification. Certification Renewal must be completed prior to the certification expiration date. The renewed certification will be valid for a further 3 years effective from the date the exam is passed.