Pearson VUE Locked? Here's How to Regain Access Without Losing Your Exam

Pearson VUE's lockout behavior is not a single bug. It is three separate states sharing the same word: account lockout, exam delivery lock, and browser lockdown.

What Pearson VUE locked actually means

When a candidate says Pearson VUE is locked, they usually mean one of these:

**Account locked**: Pearson VUE temporarily disables sign-in after repeated failed login attempts or suspicious activity.

**Exam locked**: The My Exams screen shows a locked state because a proctoring session is still open, a crash interrupted the exam, or the test delivery system has not released the session.

**Browser locked**: Pearson VUE's proctoring browser, OnVUE, either refuses to launch or remains locked to a single screen after the exam ends.

Immediate fixes for a locked Pearson VUE account

1. Stop attempting to log in. Every failed attempt can refresh the lockout window.

2. Wait 30 minutes. Most Pearson VUE account locks clear automatically.

3. Use the official Forgot Password flow only after the wait. Resetting too early may return you to the same lock.

4. Clear browser storage and retry in a clean window. Pearson VUE authentication can behave poorly when old session tokens are present.

5. If the account remains locked after 60 minutes, contact Pearson VUE support with your candidate ID and the email associated with the account.

If your exam status says locked

A locked exam after a crash or network loss can feel catastrophic, but it is usually recoverable.

Do not spam the launch button. Repeated launch attempts can make the session lock worse.

Sign out of Pearson VUE and exit OnVUE completely.

Restart your machine to release hung processes.

Log in again and check My Exams. If the status still shows locked, start a Pearson VUE chat or call support from the official contact page.

Have your appointment confirmation number and candidate ID ready. Support can unlock or reschedule the session faster when you can prove the appointment.

OnVUE browser lock and proctoring issues

Pearson VUE's online proctoring is intentionally strict. A browser lock can be triggered by:

Secondary monitors or display adapters that do not disconnect cleanly.

Virtual machine software, screen sharing, or remote access tools.

Screen capture or stream overlays running in the background.

Insufficient permissions on macOS or Windows for screen recording, accessibility, or webcam access.

Before the exam, close development tools, terminal recording utilities, remote desktop agents, and any app that can capture the screen. On macOS, verify that OnVUE has Screen Recording and Accessibility permissions. On Windows, run the OnVUE system check with the same hardware and network you plan to use on exam day.

If the browser remains locked after the exam, restart the computer and reopen OnVUE. If it still holds a lock, contact Pearson VUE technical support rather than reinstalling immediately.

How to prevent another Pearson VUE lockout

Use a password manager to avoid repeated failed logins.

Test your OnVUE installation 24 hours before the exam.

Use one monitor, a wired network connection when possible, and a clean user profile.

Disable VPNs, proxies, and corporate security tools that intercept traffic.

When to escalate

Contact Pearson VUE directly when:

The account lockout lasts longer than one hour.

The exam status remains locked after a restart.

The proctoring browser cannot launch after permission changes.

You need a documented technical incident for a reschedule or appeal.

From a systems perspective, most Pearson VUE lockouts are retryable state transitions, not terminal failures. Wait out the lock, avoid refreshing the session, and escalate with your candidate ID when the state machine does not release.