The candidate can take a 'Self-Proctored/Self-Administered Test' (taken without the proctor's presence) at www.iaop-cos.com using any computer with an internet connection. Each of the COS family of certifications Self- Proctored tests cost $40 USD each. The Self- Proctored Test is very useful in situations where there are no Authorized Test Centers in the vicinity, the candidate wants to get certified and have his/her score to be searchable by hiring companies. The following steps are to be taken by the candidate for taking the Self-Proctored Test:

• Login if you already have an account or Register to create a new account. You will be taken to your 'Candidate Workstation'.
• In the left column of your workstation, click on 'Purchase Tests' for purchasing credit to take the test using the Paypal option.
• Once you have sufficient credit, click on 'Begin Test' to begin an Actual test or click on 'Begin practice test' to begin a Practice test.
• Select the COS Certification test you want to take:
  • COS-TP (Transaction Processing)
  • COS-HR (Human Resources)
  • COS-F&A (Finance & Accounting)
• After reading the test instructions carefully, start and finish the test.
• Once you finish the test by clicking on 'submit', the test will be completed and you will see the result table with the score and your ranking.
• Obtain the 'Test Score Code*' and take a print out of the certificate.
• Logout

Once the candidate takes the Self- Proctored Test, on qualification (the score is at least at the level of a Bronze in the case of COS-TP and 70% or better with other COS tests) , the Self- Proctored Test score will lead to the COS certification but is not a 'Validated' score as it is taken without a proctor's presence. The hiring companies are provided with the option of validating this score through an additional test which they can ask the candidate to take for free. The hiring company has to create a corporate account to do this, contact IAOP-COS at cos@beyondcore.com with the candidates verification code, receive a free certified quota and then assign the quota to the candidate just before the candidate takes the test. Once the hiring company with a valid corporate account administers the proctored test, the new score is marked as a 'Validated' score. The hiring company can also use the 'Test Score Code' to confirm the score of the candidate in the BeyondCore database as per candidates approval.

Authorized Test Centers will provide facilities for taking COS tests in their premises under supervision. The advantage of taking the test at an Authorized Test Center is that the test may be available at a discounted rate and leads to the score being 'validated'. The following steps are to be taken by the candidate for taking the test at an Authorized Test Center:

• Make the payment directly to the Test Center.
• Login if you already have an account or Register to create a new account.
• Ask Test Center facilitator to assign test quota to your user account using Test Center Company account.
• Once the quota is assigned, login into your workstation and click on 'Begin Test' to begin an Actual test or click on 'Begin practice test' to begin a Practice test.
• Select the COS Certification test you want to take:
  • COS-TP (Transaction Processing)
  • COS-HR (Human Resources)
  • COS-F&A (Finance & Accounting)
• After reading the test instructions carefully, start and finish the test.
• Once you finish the test by clicking on 'submit', the test will be completed and you will see the result table with the score and your ranking.
• Obtain the 'Test Score Code' and take a print out of the certificate.
• Logout

If the candidate wants, he/she can go to the hiring company with the 'test score code' and the certificate. The Hiring Company uses the code to confirm the score of the candidate in the BeyondCore Database as per candidate's approval .Since this is already a 'validated' test taken at an Authorized Test Center, the candidate does not need to retake the test at the hiring company premises.

The candidate can avail of corporate discount if the company he/she works at is an IAOP Corporate member (IAOP is offering 50 complimentary certifications/year for IAOP corporate members) and/or has availed of bulk discounts. Please contact IAOP Member Services at member.services@iaop.org to determine if your company is an IAOP Corporate member and contact cos@beyondcore.com for bulk discounts.
The following steps are to be taken by the candidate for taking the test through their company:

• Make the payment directly to the Corporate Account Facilitator who is managing the IAOP certifications quota at your company. Please contact IAOP Member Services at member.services@iaop.org to determine this contact if your company is an IAOP Corporate member.
• Login if you already have an account or Register to create a new account.
• Ask the facilitator to assign test quota to your user account using Corporate Company account.
• Once the quota is assigned, login into your workstation and click on 'Begin Test' to begin an Actual test or click on 'Begin practice test' to begin a Practice test.
• Select the COS Certification test you want to take:
  • COS-TP (Transaction Processing)
  • COS-HR (Human Resources)
  • COS-F&A (Finance & Accounting)
• After reading the test instructions carefully, start and finish the test.
• Once you finish the test by clicking on 'submit', the test will be completed and you will see the result table with the score and your ranking.
• Obtain the 'Test Score Code' and take a print out of the certificate.
• Logout

The candidate can go directly to the hiring company to take the test in their premises in response to the company's advertisement. The hiring company has already purchased tests from BeyondCore using partner/ICE rates. The advantage of taking the test at the hiring company is that the test is available at discounted rates and leads to the score being 'validated'. The following steps are to be taken by the candidate for taking the test at the hiring company:

• Make the payment directly to the hiring company.
• Login if you already have an account or Register to create a new account.
• Ask facilitator to assign test quota to your user account using Test Center Company account.
• Once the quota is assigned, login into your workstation and click on 'Begin Test' to begin an Actual test or click on 'Begin practice test' to begin a Practice test.
• Select the COS Certification test you want to take:
• COS-TP (Transaction Processing)
• COS-HR (Human Resources)
• COS-F&A (Finance & Accounting)
• After reading the test instructions carefully, start and finish the test.
• Once you finish the test by clicking on 'submit', the test will be completed and you will see the result table with the score and your ranking.
• Obtain the 'Test Score Code' and take a print out of the certificate.
• Logout

If chosen by the hiring company based on the test score, candidate enters the next round of recruitment.