WGU has a fairly easy to follow whiteboard policy. They allow you to use any whiteboard that meets the following criteria:

• May not have logos, letters, or other designs printed on them, with the exception of grid lines.
• You must be able to erase the whiteboard completely before and after your exam.
• It cannot be electronic, or have a memory.
• It cannot be mounted to a wall
• It must be of a size that can remain fully in view of the proctor during the exam
• You may only use one whiteboard during the exam
• Preferred size, 9 x 12 inches or smaller.
• We recommend this whiteboard from Amazon.

Markers to use during the exam:

• These dry erase markers are the best, as they are easy to erase, and write with a fine point, making it easier to see your work.

Best eraser:

Having a proper eraser is much nicer than using a cloth during exams. When every minute counts, having a proper eraser speeds up downtime between questions.

For general majors, especially those taking courses C278, C459, C463, C784, C955, C957, L121, C958, C959, or C960, WGU recommends these calculators:

• TI-30XS Multiview
• TI-30XIIS scientific calculator

For business courses/majors, WGU recommends this calculator:

• TI BA II Plus

Here is a list of other permitted calculators (not inclusive, see below list for details):

• TI-30
• TI-34
• TI-36
• TI-82
• TI-83
• TI-83+
• TI-84
• TI-84+
• TI-85
• TI-86
• TI BA II Plus (Note: the Professional series is not permitted)
• TI-Nspire (Only the non-CAS version)
• HP 10b
• HP 10bII
• HP 12c
• HP 12cPlatinum
• Sharp EL-738C
• Casio FC-200V
• Casio FX300

*In a testing environment, an embedded calculator may also be used.

Calculators that are NOT allowed:

• Calculators that have CAS systems
• HP calculators that aren’t listed above
• Computer calculators
• PDA’s
• Calculators that include an electronic writing pad
• pen-input device calulators
• QWERTY calculators (such as some TI-Nspires)

WGU calculator general rules, per their website: “You may use one basic, scientific, business/financial, or graphing calculator, unless it has a built-in computer algebra system (CAS)… Calculators with paper tape are allowed if the tape is removed and they are not prohibited for other reasons. Calculators with memory, including permitted graphing calculators, must have their memory cleared prior to beginning an assessment. Programs stored in a calculator’s memory are considered material not approved for use during an assessment.”

As of June 04, 2020, this information was accurate. Please verify with WGU if you aren’t sure. We are not affiliated with WGU, we are just passing along helpful information.

First, you may have noticed on WGU’s website that they give a few choices for acceptable cameras. I decided to try those and see which one I liked the best. It’s important to get one that is going to work well for you, for a long time. It also needs to be high quality, because if the proctors decide that it doesn’t match the specifications set by WGU, then you can encounter problems. Don’t be tempted to buy a cheap, basic one, because the chances are high that it won’t meet the specs.

Before we get into it, if you don’t have Prime, get it free for 6 months, then half off while you are a student. This will make shipping free if you choose to buy any of the cameras below.

Free Amazon Prime for 6 months, then half off for students.

Top picks:

#1

This Logitech web camera is the best of the best. A huge advantage to this camera is that it will be great for other uses in your time as a student. This camera is capable of streaming in 1080P, making it great for meetings, Skype calls, and of course, WGU proctored assessments.

It has a built in connector on the bottom so you can easily connect it to a tripod without extra accessories. It is also able to rest on your computer screen which is great if any of your courses want you to make a video or join a conference call. It meets all of WGU’s web camera requirements.

It features a 5 foot usb cable to connect to your laptop or desktop computer. It also has two built in mics, a privacy shutter, a 78 degree field of view, low light correction, and autofocus.

You will need to purchase a tripod as well. We recommend this one:

#2

This one is decent for proctored assessments, but it has some issues that make it less suitable for a student overall. One huge issue that we encountered was that the cord length is only 3 feet long. That makes it very difficult to get the tripod setup, or to connect it to a monitor. Our number 1 option shown above has a 5 foot cord, which is much easier to work with.

This camera is also limited in the sense that it can record in 1080P, but can only stream in 720P. It really bothers me that its capabilities are scaled back during streaming. When you are on conference calls, the 720P quality is disappointing.

#3

Webcam 1000

The last camera we checked out was the Webcam 1000. This one was hard to love. Although it technically meets the specifications for WGU proctored tests, we felt like it lacked in quality. It’s not, as far as we can tell, made by any recognized brand like Logitech. The video quality was quite poor in our tests.

The adjustable neck is a nice feature that is built in. But, for me, I kind of disliked it as well because I would get it set up in the exact position before signing into the testing site. Then, when they had me show them each wall and the desk area, the neck would sometimes get misconfigured and I would have reconfigure it all over again. With a tripod, I can get the angle and height configured and then it’s ready to go again after showing the testing area. I also found that the video signal would cut out occasionally with this camera. It seemed to be a quality issue with the USB plug. I had to wiggle it around to get it to work again. In the meantime, the proctor was worried that I was cheating because my camera was off and made me end the test. I had to go through a big process to be able to take the test again which was a waste of my time.

Remember to get a free trial of Amazon Student while you’re here!

Have any other cameras that you love? Let us know in the comment section: