Protected and unprotected exam sponsors

Exam sponsors fall into two general categories: protected and unprotected. Most exam sponsors are in the unprotected category.

Unprotected exam sponsors share candidate records with other unprotected exam sponsors. When you perform a search in Registration Manager, all matching records associated with unprotected exam sponsors are found, regardless of which unprotected exam sponsor is selected in the Client drop-down list.

If the candidate has not previously registered with an unprotected exam sponsor but has registered with a protected exam sponsor, the candidate’s record will not be found when you search with an unprotected exam sponsor selected. When you edit a candidate’s record for an unprotected exam sponsor, you are editing a single record that is shared by all unprotected exam sponsors.

Protected exam sponsors do not share candidate records with other exam sponsors. When you perform a search in Registration Manager with a protected exam sponsor selected, only records specifically belonging to that exam sponsor are found.

If the candidate has not previously registered with the protected exam sponsor but has registered with an unprotected exam sponsor, the candidate’s record will not be located when you search. When you edit a candidate’s record for a protected exam sponsor, you are editing a record that belongs only to that exam sponsor. If the candidate registers with another exam sponsor, that record will be completely separate in the database.

Example:

Toby Frisk is scheduling an appointment for a SANS exam (a protected exam sponsor), and he has previously taken an exam with PAPS (an unprotected exam sponsor). In Registration Manager, you select SANS in the Client drop-down list and search for Toby's record before creating a new record for him. The record for the unprotected exam sponsor is not found, so you create and save a SANS registration for Toby.

Toby now has two records in the testing system database. However, these records are not connected to each other because one belongs to an unprotected exam sponsor and one belongs to a protected exam sponsor. If you select SANS in the Select Client drop-down list in Registration Manager, only Toby's SANS (protected) record will be located. If you select any unprotected exam sponsor, only Toby's unprotected record will be located. The SANS record will be found in Registration Manager only when SANS is selected.