Religious, cultural, and medical apparel

Religious, cultural, and medical apparel are allowed after being visually inspected as described in this section. Do not force a candidate to remove these items.

Religious apparel

Religious apparel is considered articles of clothing worn as part of the doctrinal or traditional observance of the religious faith practiced by an adherent. Some examples of religious apparel include (but are not limited to) the following:

Habit: a garment worn by members of Christian religious orders (normally a tunic worn with a hood or veil).
Hijab: a head covering or scarf worn by Muslim women.
Burqa: a garment worn by Muslim women that covers the entire body and face.
Kippah (or Yarmulke): a rounded skullcap worn by Jewish men and women.
Kufi (or Doppa): a rounded skullcap worn by Muslim men.
Turban: a headdress consisting of a long scarf wound round the head worn by Sikh men and women.

With the exception of some kirpans (see restrictions later in this section), items that are considered religious apparel are allowed in the testing room after you visually inspect the item. Jewelry and other items bearing religious inscriptions or otherwise indicating religious affiliations are not considered religious apparel and are always subject to the standard clothing and jewelry restrictions.

If a candidate identifies a billed cap or brimmed hat as religious apparel, ask the candidate if they have another head covering without a bill or brim. If the candidate does not have another head covering to wear, visually inspect the item before admitting the candidate into the testing room. Create a case, and monitor the candidate carefully during the testing session.

Cultural headwear and headwear for medical reasons

Cultural and ethnic headwear include traditional articles such as head scarves, hair wraps, and similar coverings. Candidates might also wear headwear for medical reasons such as cancer, alopecia, or other reasons. Candidates are allowed to wear head scarves, hair wraps, and head coverings for cultural and medical reasons. These items are allowed in the testing room after you visually inspect the item.

Billed caps (e.g., baseball caps) and brimmed hats (e.g., fedoras) are not allowed in the testing room except in specific circumstances. If a candidate identifies a billed cap or brimmed hat as cultural apparel, the candidate must store the item in a secure storage area. If a candidate identifies the item as medical apparel, call the test center support line to contact a program coordinator. If the program coordinator approves the item, visually inspect the item before admitting the candidate into the testing room. Create a case, and monitor the candidate carefully during the testing session.

If the candidate identifies a billed cap or brimmed hat as religious apparel, see Religious apparel.

Handling religious, cultural, and medical apparel

Use the following guidelines for candidates with religious apparel, cultural headwear, or headwear worn for medical reasons:

Visually examine the item without directly touching it or the candidate. Do not ask the candidate to remove or unwrap the item. Carefully observe the item from an appropriate professional distance until you are confident that it is not being used to conceal notes or other prohibited materials.
Be respectful, professional, and discreet when inspecting apparel or headwear. It may not always be immediately clear whether an item of clothing is considered religious, cultural, or medical apparel. There may be types of apparel not listed in this section. If a candidate identifies an item of clothing as religious, cultural, or medical apparel, treat it as such.
With the exception of kirpans (see the policy later in this section), under no circumstance should any candidate be asked to remove an item of religious, cultural, or medical apparel for inspection. Furthermore, never ask the candidate to roll up their sleeves if they are wearing religious apparel that covers their head, face, or arms (such as a hijab or burqa). The only exception is if you see strong visual evidence that the candidate is concealing a prohibited item in the apparel.

If you discover prohibited items, ask the candidate to sit in the waiting room, and follow the candidate misconduct process to contact the program coordinator. For more information, see Responding to candidate misconduct. The program coordinator can tell you whether the candidate is permitted to test after removing the prohibited items.

Jewelry and other items bearing religious inscriptions or otherwise indicating religious affiliations are not considered religious apparel. These items are always subject to the standard clothing and jewelry restrictions. Candidates should place these items in the secure storage area. If the candidate refuses to do so after being asked, allow the candidate to test, but create a case. If possible, have a coworker witness the candidate's behavior.
Visually inspect permanent tattoos and henna tattoos without directly touching the candidate.

It is not necessary to create a case for tattoos unless you suspect candidate misconduct. In those cases, follow the candidate misconduct process and create a case, selecting these options:

Exam delivery

Candidate error or misconduct

For more information, see Responding to candidate misconduct.

Some exam sponsors require you to create a case for any candidate who is admitted with religious, cultural, or medical apparel. For details, see the appropriate exam sponsor's client reference.

Ceremonial daggers (Kirpans)

A kirpan is a ceremonial curved dagger that some Sikh men and women are obliged to wear at all times.

If a candidate is wearing a kirpan and has not received an accommodation to wear it into the testing room, ask the candidate to store it in a secure storage area. If the candidate objects to storing the kirpan and it is no more than 12 inches in length, request that the candidate secure it beneath their undergarment(s) so it does not fall out and is not visible to other candidates. The candidate may then enter the testing room. Do not create a case unless the exam sponsor requires a case to be created for all candidates admitted with religious apparel.

Any candidate intending to wear a kirpan exceeding 12 inches in length must request and be approved for an accommodation in advance so that necessary arrangements may be made at the test center. If no accommodation has been granted, the candidate must store the kirpan. If the candidate refuses to do so, turn the candidate away and create a case.