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PSI Browser and my first nervous breakdown

donpier
donpier Posts: 3
edited July 2022 in LFS258 Class Forum

Yesterday I had my first nervous breakdown after more than 15 years of IT career, in which I really experienced a lot. But I can hardly put into words what I experienced yesterday. I had a really hard week, a few things happened privately that I won't describe in detail here, but I was really happy to start the weekend - and that's what I wanted last night with my booked CKA exam, which I'm already looking forward to the whole day because I was very well prepared.
So when I clicked "Start Exam" this infamous PSI Bridge "Secure" Browser, which I had read about before and figured it wouldn't be that bad, was loaded onto my Linux machine. The installation went smoothly and then it opened and I was connected to a Proctor. The check-in process took a little longer than I was used to from other providers, but it worked without any problems. However, I noticed that my QWERTZ keyboard was translated to QWERTY within the browser and there was no option to change it.
Anyway, the exam started, the timer started running right away during the introduction to this strange PSI environment and once I was through with the introduction, I first wanted to adjust my .bashrc file - and then I noticed that here my QWERTZ keyboard was translated to QWERTY also. So I switched the keyboard within the environment, but nothing changed. Only then did I understand that it was the PSI Browser and asked the Proctor for help. If the only difference was the Z and the Y, I wouldn't have cared, but not finding all the special characters =:;- etc. wasn't quite right given the time pressure. Anyway, the proctor didn't even understand what I wanted and after the timer had already expired 10 minutes and I hadn't even looked at the first task, he just paused the exam and told me to call the support number. That's what I did and I wasn't helped there either, so I decided to do the exam with this obstacle. I asked the proctor to continue the exam and he replied that I should restart the browser. I asked if that was really necessary, but he only answered ready-made answers that had nothing to do with it. So I restarted the browser annoyed and couldn't believe it when I had to check in again. This time it took even longer than the first time and when I was finally able to start the exam, the timer was almost an hour up! I texted the proctor to reset the timer as I hadn't even started and suddenly he paused the exam again and told me to call support. I did that again and the employee on the phone told me that he himself did not understand why the exam had just been paused and after a while my exam continued and I actually had 120 minutes to spare. So I finally wanted to adjust my .bashrc file and suddenly the screen said "Proctor paused the exam". I couldn't take it anymore and really freaked out. I had never experienced such anger in my entire life and having to experience it on a Linux Foundation exam was an absolute slap in the face.
So I called the support number again and couldn't pull myself together anymore, I yelled at the Indian guy on the phone, although he couldn't help it, and he threw me off the line. So I tried to calm down and called again and talked very slowly, counting on every word as the anger was seething inside me and I had to hold it back. It finally turned out that I was logged in with two sessions and one of them ended and the other resumed - and lo and behold, the timer was down to only 20 minutes and I hadn't even read a single task at all! So I closed the browser, got up and went outside, because if I had stayed there I would have originally thrown the computer out the window. I was completely on my nerves. That you have to experience something like this on an exam is a bottomless cheek.
I wouldn't wish such an experience on any other participant, no, I wouldn't wish such an experience on anyone in the world. I can only advise everyone to take all exams somewhere else if possible, as long as Linux Foundation does business with this absolutely incompetent PSI company.
I will have this attempt refunded and try again because I would very much like to have this certificate, but if it happens again like this, I will stop immediately. In any case, I will definitely not book any more exams that only run via PSI in the future.
I hope the Linux Foundation listens to their customers here.

Comments

  • fcioanca
    fcioanca Posts: 2,447

    Hi @donpier

    We apologize for the problems you encountered during the exam. 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. Forums should be used for course-related questions only.

    Kind regards,

    Flavia

    The Linux Foundation Training Team

  • oleksazhel
    oleksazhel Posts: 57

    Thank you for sharing this @donpier . I feel sorry for you! Hope next time everyting will run smoothly.

  • deimagoston
    deimagoston Posts: 1

    @donpier said:
    I hope the Linux Foundation listens to their customers here.

    Didn't.
    "Computer says NOOOO".

  • abarthel
    abarthel Posts: 9
    edited July 2025

    PSI Secure Browser Nightmare: A Broken Certification System

    I'm sharing my experience so others know they're not alone - and to expose how this system is failing candidates. This isn't just about technical issues; it's about the emotional and financial toll of a process that feels rigged against us.

    My Three Attempts, Zero Fairness

    • First attempt (June 2025, CKS): Scored 64% - my fault, no complaints. PSI worked fine on Debian 12 (same as my CKA in Nov 2024 or my KCSA few weeks after).
    • Second attempt (July 8): Blocked at launch - PSI suddenly rejected Debian as "unsupported," despite their own "compatibility check" falsely claiming OS compatibility. Linux Foundation waived the attempt. Thanks.
    • Third attempt (July 14): Followed every rule - clean Ubuntu 24.04, X11/Gnome, no extras. Crashed at 50 minutes while I was acing it. Weeks of mocks, wasted. I ended up calling +1 617-564-9052 (PSI support) crying (for real...) after ~1h trying to log back to my session discovering 3min left.

    The Real Cost

    Financial: As a French SRE (~€32k/year), exam fees are a big part of a month's savings. LF's US-centric pricing ignores global realities.
    Emotional: Debugging your OS 30 minutes pre-exam is insanity. Crashing mid-test after thinking "This time I'll make it!" is soul-crushing.
    Trust: PSI's "requirements" change arbitrarily. Support tickets close with useless replies ("contact Linux Foundation"). Compliant setups fail. No refunds.

    The Betrayal

    Why would anyone continue with LF certifications - or contribute to their community - after this? They've created a system where:

    • Their own "compatibility check" lies.
    • Their partner's software fails even when we follow every rule.
    • Candidates bear all the risk (financial, emotional, career).

    This isn't just incompetence - it feels like a scam.

    Linux Foundation, you must:
    1. Ditch PSI - their platform is unfit for purpose.
    2. Offer real compensation - refunds when your system fails.
    3. Fix transparency - no more fake "compatibility" checks.

    I am not surprise this post made 1.1K views.
    To fellow victims: Share your stories. The only way this changes apparently.

  • arianehamm
    arianehamm Posts: 83

    Hi @abarthel ,

    We are sorry to hear that you encountered difficulties on two exam attempts and can undestand your frustration. The Linux Foundation strives to create a positive exam experience, but problems do sometimes arise. If you have not done so already for the latest exam attempt, please open a ticket with the Linux Foundation Customer Support team at trainingsupport.linuxfoundation.org and they will assist you. It can take several days for a response since tickets are assigned in the order they are received - but someone will get back to you.

    Please note that this Forum is monitored by the Training Team and we can only assist with elearning course-related issues. All exam-related issues should be referred to the Customer Support Team.

    Kind Regards,
    Ariane
    Linux Foundation Education

  • abarthel
    abarthel Posts: 9

    Hi @arianehamm,

    Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, I’ve already opened a ticket for a similar issue just last week- when the PSI Secure Browser failed entirely - and was told that another attempt would be granted "as an exception." This phrasing was concerning, as it implied my request was outside normal accommodations, despite the issue clearly originating from the platform’s instability (and misleading information on compatibility test).

    Today’s exam crashed after 50 minutes, leading to over an hour of debugging with PSI support (via chat and phone), only to reconnect and find just three minutes remaining. The proctor failed to pause the session, and despite assurances from PSI that my time would be restored, the outcome was anything but fair. Now, I’m left anticipating yet another arbitrary decision from Linux Foundation - whether to pay another $400 or receive another condescending "exception."

    This pattern of technical failures, followed by opaque resolutions, has eroded my trust entirely. It’s disheartening to see a respected organization like the Linux Foundation tolerate such a dysfunctional exam process, especially given the volume of similar complaints. At this point, I have no intention of renewing my certifications or recommending these exams to others - not out of spite, but because the current system feels designed to prioritize revenue over candidate success.

    I’ll be sharing my experience transparently to help others make informed decisions. If there’s any genuine interest in addressing these systemic issues (rather than dismissing them as "exceptions"), I’d welcome a substantive response.

    Regards,

  • abarthel
    abarthel Posts: 9

    PS: I’ve attached a screenshot of all the PSI-related support tickets I’ve opened in just one week - for the same exam, on different compliant systems. It’s staggering that both environments failed independently, at different stages, despite fully adhering to PSI’s requirements. If this doesn’t highlight systemic instability, I’m not sure what does.

  • arm
    arm Posts: 12

    @abarthel , did they give you another try or what ?

  • LouisBaumann
    LouisBaumann Posts: 3

    @abarthel

    I had a very unpleasant encounter with the psi infrastructure and team as well yesterday.

    The PSI Browser kept on crashing.

    Tried it on two different machines (Ubuntu and MACOS)

    Both did not work.

    On Ubuntu PSI Browser keeps on going straight to finishing but nothing more.

    I already had a Ticket Open for that.

    And on Mac the session starts but keeps on crashing after several minutes (Some security error - of course all the requirement tests succeded before).

    after inspecting the logs i figured out that an old installation of PSI Browser was causing Problems on my Ubuntu (Yes - I completely removed apparmor already -> it worked for previous exams).

    So purging the system and reinstalling the PSI-Browser finally got the Browser Running.

    Now to the guy that was monitoring:

    I kept askin him/them (not sure if i was talking to the same guy over and over again) to advise me if he knew something of this behaviour - no response.

    Then, after the timer timed out on the exam schedule link and i figured out that i just could start the already downloaded file to start over (and over again), i asked the guy observing me if it was a problem that i start now - again: no answer. so i just continued.

    Then the struggle with the observing guy began.

    He asked me to walk around the room three times.

    I had to show him the bottle (where i previsously removed the label) and he kept asking me to remove the label where there was none.

    Than he asked me to show what's under the mousepad - there was none.

    of course it took him from 2 to 4 minutes to even react to my actions and messages.

    Finally i was able to start the session.

    after 90 minutes he started to ask me to increase the light in my room.

    I started the session at 11:30 am in switzerland. so the sun is at its highest point and the lights inside the room did not change. nevertheless he blocked my session and told me to increase the light.

    so i had to rearrange the lamp in the room so that the bulp was glowing straight to my face.

    He was satisfied then and i was blind on my right side because of the lamp's light beam shining straight to my face.

    So i intentionally raised my right hand to reduce the beam. Of course he blocked my session again.

    This ridiculous behaviour went on until i finished the exam.

    now - 20 hours later i still have no results nor any response on the two tickets i opened.

    and i nearly forgot:

    my coworker had the same problems with his windows machine but was not able to get it running at all. he's still waiting on responses on the submitted tickets too.

    @arianehamm

    Maybe it's time to overthink your remote only policy using PSI. at least the possibility to use a certified test center (like arrow in zurich) would be great.

    I rather travel for over an hour to get to the test center than lsoing all my energy and focus over struggling with the test software and the observing guy.

    but still.... i keep on working on k8s so i rely on your product and service after all... if i like it or not.

    i would prefer to enjoy taking your exams or just worry about the subject of the exam not the things around.

  • fcioanca
    fcioanca Posts: 2,447

    Hi @LouisBaumann

    We apologize for the issues encountered during the exam. If you already opened a ticket with the Linux Foundation Customer Support team at trainingsupport.linuxfoundation.org, response time may take up to several business days, as each ticket is assigned and processed in the order it is received. Please note that PSI tickets will not be processed.

    The forum is meant to be used exclusively for course content related questions and is not monitored by the exam team.

    Best regards,
    Flavia
    Linux Foundation Education Team

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