Lost and found items

When a candidate leaves a personal item at your test center, do not contact the candidate. Additionally, never send lost and found items to candidates in the mail, including items that contain personal information (such as Social Security cards, IDs, credit cards, and so on). If candidates want an item shipped, they can contact a delivery company to schedule a pickup and delivery at their own expense and liability.

Instead, keep the item in a safe place at your test center for 90 days. If the candidate does not claim the item within 90 days, use discretion to determine whether the item is suitable to donate to a local charity. If the item is not suitable, securely dispose of the item unless it is a passport (see Handling lost passports). At no time should an employee of Pearson VUE take possession of an item left at your test center.

You do not need to create a case about a lost item in the following situations:

The item does not show definite ownership for a specific candidate, and you do not know which candidate left the item behind.
The candidate contacts your test center about the lost item before you created the case.

Otherwise, follow these steps if you do know which candidate left the item behind at your test center:

Create a case, selecting these options:

Admissions/Check-in

Lost and found

In the case Candidate information field, select the name of the candidate who left the item behind.

Include the following information in the case:

The date the item was left behind or found at your test center.
A brief description of the item.
If the candidate left behind a wallet, purse, or ID, include the following information in the case:

The candidate will need to provide photo identification in order to receive the item. If the candidate does not have additional photo ID, the test administrator will open the wallet or purse with the candidate and look at the ID inside in order to verify the candidate's identity.

After you create the case, an email about the lost item is automatically sent to the candidate whose name you selected in the case Candidate information field.

If the item shows proof of ownership for an individual, such as an ID inside a purse or wallet, store the item in a locked and secure place until it is picked up.

When the candidate returns, they must show identification in order to receive the item. If the candidate left behind a wallet or purse with all their IDs inside, let the candidate know that you will open the wallet or purse together. Compare the photo ID inside to the candidate to ensure it is the same person.

Handling lost passports

If a candidate leaves a passport at the test center, follow the process described above for handling lost items that show ownership. However, if the candidate does not return to retrieve the passport within 90 days, do not dispose of the passport.

Instead, mail the passport to the appropriate government office as indicated in the table below. Be sure to update the Lost and found case you created earlier to inform Pearson VUE about where you sent the passport.

Test center location	Country that issued the passport	Government office
United States	United States	U.S. Department of State Consular Lost and Stolen Property Unit (CLASP) CA/PPT/S/TO/LE 44132 Mercure Circle PO Box 1227 Sterling, VA 20166-1227
United States	All other countries	Mail the passport to the country's embassy or consulate in the United States.
All other locations	United States	Mail the passport to the U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate located in your country.
All other locations	All other countries	Mail the passport to the country's nearest embassy or consulate, even if the nearest embassy or consulate is located outside your country. If this is not possible, give the passport to your local police department.