My Experience with the CKA Exam and PSI Browser Issues

Hi @andregca

We apologize for the inconvenience this issue has caused. If you have not done so already, please open a ticket with the Linux Foundation Customer Support team at trainingsupport.linuxfoundation.org and they will assist you in rescheduling your exam.

Regards,
Flavia
Linux Foundation Education Team

@Flavia :- My CKA exam experience was extremely frustrating. The exam browser had issues with the mouse, and even after trying 2-3 different mice, the problem remained unresolved, wasting around 40 minutes of my exam time. Additionally, in the last 10 to 15 minutes, the CKA remote system failed to connect, displaying an error with the remote session. Ultimately, my exam attempt was completely wasted. on 1st feb 2025 i have open the ticket for the same tickit ID: TCCS-129866. I appreciate your time and look forward to your positive reply. Thanks,

Hi @andregca

I faced the exact same issue while trying to take the CKS exam last week. I had opened a ticket and was able to get a reschedule from the Linux team, but the reason mentioned was that I had high ping (despite passing the psi combatibility and bandwidth checks). I'm curious if you were able to find out what caused the issue and if you were able to retake the test properly.

Thank you very much for your response @andregca!
Now that you mentioned it, I too recall that the browser freezing happened after trying to copy from the left pane. Hopefully, I'll be able to take the test without any more issues.

Same story for me and latest (up to now) PCI Secure browser 4.1.0.0. It hanged without letting me type or click anywhere in the screen.

If I may suggest one thing. It would be more constructive if PCI Secure browser could create a dump or log file that users could submit back to LF when the issue happens.

I tried my own contribution to resolution by providing all related information I could gather up from Windows OS:

I have found and shared events from MS Windows Event Viewer, where it is reported as application hang.
All details have been uploaded to the ticket TCCS-133450

<Data Name="ExeFileName">C:\Users\----\AppData\Local\Programs\psi-bridge-secure-browser\PSI 
Bridge Secure Browser.exe</Data> 
  <Data Name="ReportId">ed778206-5742-4b4d-9cc4-760822e1ec64</Data> 
  <Data Name="PackageFullName" /> 
  <Data Name="PackageRelativeAppId" /> 
  <Data Name="HangType">Unknown</Data>

My laptop (cpu:i9,128GB RAM) was using a wired Gbit connection to a VSDL router with a 100Mbit/10Mbit stable connection and I was alone in my house. Newly bought camera Logitech c922 1080p Streaming Pro for this exam.

I have to admit that this creates a total frustrating experience for the end user. Please introduce a logging collection mechanism instead of finger pointing to customers' problems without a specific reasoning. It would be fair for everyone of us to be able to read what happened, better understand any problems may been introduced by our local environments and do the retake by fixing any potential issues.

Let's hope PCI Secure browser will be improved in the future, by being more resilient.

I took the CKA exam. Had issues with the PSI browser. Sharing my experience!

And thought I was the only one facing these issues multiple times.
So to follow up on my last comment, I have already tried to attempt the CKS three times now (including once today). In my second attempt I made sure to avoid copying from the left pane, but the browser froze (for a couple minutes) multiple times when I tried to copy anything using keyboard shortcuts. Then in my third attempt (i.e. today), I almost typed everything manually (except maybe using keyboard shortcuts for a few times), but whenever I tried to open a link (either through the k8s docs search or any other related docs), the browser froze again and after it unfroze many of my keystrokes weren't being registered (i.e. many of my keyboard keys weren't working inside the browser).
For all the three attempts, I lost significant amount of time due to these issues. I was able to get a reschedule for my test for my first two attempts (after raising a ticket) but both tickets were resolved saying that it was some kind of network issue.

I think the issue is with the current version of the PSI browser, and I'd suggest everyone to avoid scheduling your tests until these issues are resolved.
@fcioanca @LinuxTeam please escalate these issues with the PSI browser team and try to fix them at the earliest!

Has anyone on this thread been able to successfully take the exam in the past week?

I am worried that even if I do eventually retake the exam, it will be the same experience - spending an.hour repeatedly giving PSI a tour of both my room(floor to ceiling!) and the inside of my ears.

Gave the exam today
Browser exited unexpectedly without any errors did the checks and verification 7 times
Gave up after that
50 percent of my time was wasted due to constant exiting of the browser
I am Concern about will I get my extra retake
Have raised the isssue

Why can't LF add the option to use PearsonVUE as a proctor? I've tested with them several times and never had ONE SINGLE PROBLEM, not even ONE.

I had a similar experience . I just gave the CKA and had an horrible experience. The PSI app is extremely bad. I constantly kept getting disconnected with either client error, tunnel error, or session disconnected error and the session would restart. If i would type something it would take ages to show on the terminal. If i typed k it would print kkkkkkkkkk and then deleting that would be a pain. The lag is just abysmal. I could not even open a CRD to view its contents since the terminal would freeze up and not respond. For all the ssh commands i had to type each command since none of the copy paste commands would work.

During the exam i spent an hour on the phone with support with permission from the proctor and they could not do anything either.

I could not scroll on the terminal, the browser nothing. I literally created all the yamls from memory from years of working with kubernetes or using the imperative approach. For one question i tried kubectl explain since it was an CRD for and it was done. It just froze and i had to quit the terminal to start again.

Has anyone had this experience? Is this the normal experience? For an exam that costs $500+ this is just an horrible experience.

I was using a M4 max Mac with the latest OS in clam shell mode connected to an external monitor with Google Fiber 2.5 Gbps down and 1.5Gbps up if it matters

@fcioanca Thank you for replying! I’ve already created two tickets with the Linux Foundation. The first was submitted during the exam while I was on the phone with PSI support as per their suggestion. The second was created post-exam, to highlight the terrible experience as I was hoping the environment would somehow magically stabilize and allow me to continue — but unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

From begining of February I've tried to pass CKAD, CKS and last Saturday again CKAD. Second attempt for CKAD was successful dispite disconnection twice, but only because I kept reconnecting, manage to finish it. During the other exams I got also disconnected 2-3 time and lost around 25 min of total time. The scenario was always the same, suddenly camera hangs and the whole envinroment freezes. After 5-10 min, the proctor asking if I am still there and 30s later the PSI browser just restarts.
Just to say before the last exam, I refreshed my windows, I plugged my laptop to LAN via cable, I bought a new camera all of that because each time that I created a ticket I had a response that I am not using a good netowrk connectivity, or my OS is not compatible. Even that I have checked 2 times the system requirements and also downloaded the sample test via PSI browser all passed.

So please, @fcioanca, what should I do now if I still have a CKS exam to be done? Because I don't want to open again a ticket get a next schedule, I would expect that LinuxFoundation fixes the problem as we can see it's not only one person that didn't update his OS or has a bad connection to the internet.

@andregca said:
Yesterday, I faced significant technical issues during the CKA exam that severely impacted my ability to complete the test. Here's what happened:

The Problem

• The PSI Bridge Secure Browser launched successfully, and I completed the check-in process without issues.
• However, during the exam, the browser froze. After a few moments, a popup appeared stating that my camera was inaccessible, and the browser subsequently crashed.
• I contacted PSI technical support and was advised to restart the browser. I followed their instructions, completed the screening process again, and resumed the exam.
• Unfortunately, the exam timer continued running during this troubleshooting process. When the browser first froze, I had 65 minutes remaining. By the time I resumed, I only had 35 minutes left.
• I requested the proctor to credit the lost time but was advised to call PSI support. PSI support then told me to contact the Linux Foundation through a support ticket on the web site.

This sequence of events resulted in a significant loss of exam time and caused a lot of stress.

Feedback for Linux Foundation

To improve the remote exam experience, I suggest the following:

1. Leverage Killercoda's Expertise
   The training platform Killercoda is excellent. Replicating its user experience in a secure exam environment could significantly improve candidate satisfaction.

2. Partner with Local Exam Centers
   Partnering with testing centers, like Pearson Vue did, can provide a hassle-free, in-person testing experience. Many candidates prefer the reliability of in-person exams.

3. Enhance Remote Exam Infrastructure

   • Develop a more robust PSI browser. During my exam, the browser appeared to consume excessive CPU resources, as indicated by my laptop’s fans running at full speed.
   • Improve the pre-exam system check application to better identify potential issues. For example, flagging high CPU usage or any underlying problems with the secure browser.

My System and Pre-Exam Checks

I used a personal laptop with the following specifications:

• CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-8550U @ 1.80GHz
• RAM: 16 GB
• Storage: 1 TB SSD (891 GB free)
• OS: Windows 11 Home (24H2 - Build 26100.2605, 64-bit)
• Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Additionally, I ensured the following:

• Internet Connection: 500 Mbps download / 64 Mbps upload
• Twilio Tests: Passed all checks except RTT (469/734 score, likely due to my location - Brazil).
• Firewall: No blocked connections as per PSI's requirements.

Despite passing these checks, and getting a "System Check Passed" result from https://syscheck.bridge.psiexams.com/, the browser froze multiple times, making it impossible to complete the exam as intended.

I hope this feedback helps improve the exam experience for future candidates. I look forward to a resolution for my case and hope Linux Foundation and PSI can enhance the reliability of their systems.

Just took my ICA exam and faced the same issue twice also I noticed that once I start PSI secure browser my laptop starts to overheat and the fans are running with full speed