KCNA exam issues via psi

bomaye

Hello everyone,

I would like to share my frustrating experience with the KCNA (Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate) exam, in the hope that the Linux Foundation or PSI can better understand the challenges faced by non-native English speakers.

I am a French-speaking candidate, and although I have a solid understanding of technical English (I can follow documentation, courses, and prepare for certification exams in English), my conversational English is limited, especially under stress.

🔹 What happened:
During my first attempt, I successfully:

Showed my workspace,

Displayed my hands and ears (to prove I wasn’t using earphones),

Turned the camera to show the four corners of the room,

And clearly presented my passport.

Unfortunately, the proctor sent chat messages in English that I didn’t fully understand due to the speed and informal phrasing.
Before I could ask for clarification or respond properly, I was automatically disconnected from the PSI platform — and the exam was over without even starting.

I tried again later, but I was never able to go beyond the admission step, no matter how prepared I was.
Eventually, I was locked out of the platform without being able to take the test at all.

❗My point:
I want to make it clear that my technical skills are not the issue, and I am fully able to take and pass an exam in English — as long as it’s technical and written.
What blocked me was the fast, chat-based communication with the proctor, which was not adapted to someone who isn’t fluent in real-time English conversation.

For transparency: I am using a translation tool to write this message, just like I do when something goes beyond my current English level.

❓ My question:
Why isn’t there an easier or more inclusive option for international candidates, such as:

Allowing the exam to be taken at PearsonVue test centers,

Or offering some language support, like basic translated FAQs or automated translation during proctor chat.

Not everyone taking a Linux Foundation exam is a fluent English speaker.
Being good in IT doesn’t mean being good in English chat conversations.
This language barrier shouldn't stop us from proving our technical knowledge.

I hope this message will help raise awareness and lead to improvements in the exam experience for other non-native English speakers like me.

Thank you,
France Stanislas KOUDISSA
KCNA Candidate – French speaker

mstepien

Hi @bomaye,

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We appreciate your feedback and understand how frustrating this situation must have been for you.

Please note that the Training Team members monitoring this forum can only assist with issues related to our e-learning courses, not certification exams. For certification-related concerns like yours, we encourage you to open a ticket directly with our Customer Support Team at trainingsupport.linuxfoundation.org. Please include the details you’ve shared here so they can review your case and explore possible next steps.

Best regards,
Magda