Examination Policy

This Examination Policy establishes the rules, procedures, eligibility requirements, proctoring standards, identity verification process, passing requirements, re-examination rules, security violation consequences, certificate issuance standards, and appeals process for Food Safety Academy's online Food Handler certification examination.

The policy is designed to support fair assessment, examination integrity, identity assurance, certificate reliability, and compliance with applicable Canadian legal and regulatory expectations. This document is included as part of Food Safety Academy's BC FOODSAFE Level 1 equivalency application materials for review by the BC Centre for Disease Control and related British Columbia health authority reviewers.

Students must meet all eligibility requirements before attempting the final examination.

To be eligible, a student must:

• Complete all required course modules before the examination is unlocked.
• Have a valid government-issued photo identification document.
• Have a working webcam and microphone.
• Use a compatible device, browser, and stable internet connection.
• Be in a private, quiet location suitable for a proctored examination.
• Agree to the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and this Examination Policy.
• Complete the identity verification process before examination access is granted.

Food Safety Academy may deny, delay, suspend, or terminate examination access if eligibility requirements are not met.

Identity verification is required to protect certificate integrity and ensure that the registered student personally completes the examination.

Step 1: Upload Government ID Photo

Before the examination begins, the student must upload a clear image of a valid government-issued photo identification document. The name and photograph must be readable and suitable for verification.

Step 2: Selfie Holding ID

The student must provide a selfie or live photo holding the same government-issued identification document. The student's face and the ID must be visible and sufficiently clear to support identity verification and proof of life.

Step 3: Automated Session Monitoring

The FSA platform captures random webcam images at intervals throughout the examination session to verify continued student presence and identity consistency. These captures are stored securely and reviewed where integrity flags are present.

Step 4: Biometric Verification by System

Food Safety Academy may use automated or assisted biometric verification to compare the selfie/photo with the government-issued identification image and, where applicable, with examination proctoring captures. Verification may be reviewed manually where quality issues, mismatches, or proctoring flags occur.

If identity cannot be verified, Food Safety Academy may deny examination access, hold certificate issuance, request additional information, require manual review, or terminate the attempt.

The final examination format is as follows:

• 6+ hours of course learning before certification.
• 50 multiple choice questions.
• Questions are randomized from an exam bank of 80 or more questions.
• 60-minute time limit.
• Server-side timer used to enforce examination time.
• Closed book examination.
• No external resources permitted.
• Browser lockdown enforced.
• Questions and answer order may be randomized.
• The examination must be completed by the registered student without assistance.

Students are responsible for ensuring that their device, internet connection, webcam, microphone, and examination environment are ready before starting.

The final examination is proctored. Students must comply with all proctoring rules throughout the examination.

Students must:

• Keep the webcam active during the examination.
• Remain visible and present for the full examination.
• Take the examination alone in a private, quiet location.
• Keep the examination browser active and visible.
• Tab switching and fullscreen exits are monitored and logged server-side. Three or more violations may result in the attempt being flagged for manual review by FSA staff.
• Avoid opening new tabs, browser windows, applications, communication tools, or external websites.
• Avoid using a phone, tablet, smartwatch, second computer, or second device.
• Avoid notes, books, printed materials, digital files, screenshots, recordings, or reference materials.
• Avoid speaking with, receiving help from, or being observed by another person.
• Avoid copying, photographing, recording, saving, or distributing exam content.
• Follow any additional on-screen proctoring instructions.

Food Safety Academy may use automated monitoring, browser activity detection, webcam captures, system logs, identity checks, and manual review to assess compliance.

The FSA Learning Management System acts as an automated AI-assisted proctoring service, fulfilling the BCCDC requirement for a well-performing proctoring service as defined in BC Food Handler Training Equivalency Evaluation Standards Section 4.6.

Students must achieve a minimum score of 70% to pass the final examination.

For a 50-question examination, a passing score requires at least 35 correct answers out of 50 (35/50).

Results are shown immediately after submission where automated scoring is available. If proctoring or identity verification flags are present, certificate issuance may be held pending manual review even if the score is passing.

When a student passes, satisfies identity verification, and has no unresolved examination integrity concerns, the certificate is auto-generated and made available through the platform.

Food Safety Academy allows re-examination according to the following rules:

• Retakes within the maximum attempt limit are included in enrollment at no additional cost.
• A minimum 24-hour waiting period is required between examination attempts.
• A maximum of 3 attempts is permitted.
• After 3 failed attempts, the student must re-enroll at the full course price before becoming eligible for further attempts.

Food Safety Academy may require additional review, remediation, identity verification, or support before a retake is allowed. Retakes may be denied or suspended where there is evidence of fraud, impersonation, cheating, technical manipulation, or repeated policy violations.

Security violations are assessed according to severity, context, evidence, and examination integrity risk.

Minor Violations

Minor violations may include brief accidental conduct that does not appear to compromise examination integrity. A warning may be issued and the event may be noted in the student record.

Examples may include brief camera visibility issues, minor environmental interruptions, or short accidental browser focus changes.

Moderate Violations

Moderate violations may result in examination termination and the attempt being counted.

Examples may include repeated browser minimization, opening unauthorized tabs, using unauthorized applications, leaving the camera view, having unclear identity verification, or failing to comply with proctoring instructions.

Severe Violations

Severe violations include confirmed cheating, impersonation, fraud, intentional circumvention of proctoring, sharing exam content, using unauthorized assistance, or submitting false identity information.

Consequences may include permanent ban, no refund, certificate denial, certificate revocation, and notification to British Columbia authorities if a certificate has already been issued and the matter affects certificate validity or equivalency integrity.

Food Safety Academy maintains examination logs, identity records, and proctoring evidence as necessary to review and document suspected violations.

Certificates are issued to students who:

• Complete all required course modules.
• Pass the final examination with a score of 70% or higher (35/50 questions).
• Satisfy identity verification requirements.
• Comply with proctoring and examination rules.
• Have no unresolved fraud, misconduct, or certificate integrity concerns.

Certificates are issued within minutes of passing where automated scoring and identity verification are complete. The certificate PDF is downloadable immediately from the student account.

Each certificate includes a public verification URL or verification mechanism that allows third parties to confirm certificate validity. Certificates are valid for 5 years from the issue date unless revoked earlier for fraud, error, misconduct, or regulatory reasons.

Certificates are always available for download from the student dashboard at no additional cost. Students who need assistance accessing their certificate may contact support@foodsafetyacademy.ca at no charge.

Certificates are permanently available for download from the student account dashboard. Students may download their certificate at any time during the validity period at no cost. Students who cannot access their dashboard should contact support@foodsafetyacademy.ca for assistance.

Students may appeal an examination decision, proctoring violation, certificate hold, certificate denial, or certificate revocation by contacting:

appeals@foodsafetyacademy.ca

Appeals must include the student's full name, account email, examination date, certificate number if applicable, a description of the issue, and any supporting information.

Food Safety Academy will review the appeal, relevant examination records, proctoring evidence, technical logs, identity verification materials, and applicable policies. FSA aims to respond within 5 business days.

The decision after review is final, subject to any rights or remedies available under applicable Canadian law.

Food Safety Academy | Whitehorse, Yukon | Version 1.0 | May 2026