What is online exam proctoring?

At-home schooling has become a new norm for both educators and students in recent years. Thanks to a plethora of technological tools available today, educational software institutions can now offer learning entirely online. There are many advantages to electronic learning, including cost effectiveness, time savings, consistency and flexibility for the education sector in general. 

What are Online Proctored Exams?

Exams proctored by software monitor your desktop, webcam video, and audio as you take them. It is then sent to a proctoring service for analysis. Your course and enrollment track may or may not require proctored exams. 

online exam proctoring are essentially the same as any other exam, but with an online infrastructure to support all the related activities. For the most part, invigilation will ensure the exam room’s privacy. 

The term “remote proctoring” is used to describe this process. 

Firstly, let’s define what remote proctoring is before we get into the nitty-gritty of it. To write an exam in a remote location while maintaining its integrity, students use remote proctoring. During a test or examination, a proctoring software verifies a student’s identity and monitors him/her through a webcam. If any suspicious activity or behaviour is observed during a remote proctored exam, it can be flagged on the video. 

Numerous digital platforms and technologies have emerged as a result of a large number of examiners using online exam proctoring via the web, mobile devices or other means. For example, proctored exams are now more popular than ever because of concepts such as AI-driven monitoring and LMS innovations. There are still a few students who are trying to keep up with the rest of the world by wondering how to unlock this opportunity. They’re forward-thinking, no doubt, but they need help closing some gaps that will help them reach their goals. 

What is a web proctored exam?

If you’re taking your exams online, you’ll need a computer with a webcam and microphone and a stable internet connection to have a proctor oversee the exam. Advanced anti-cheating technology makes it virtually impossible for anyone to cheat during a web-based exam. 

Who is a proctor?

During an online exam proctoring , a proctor is an experienced supervisor or invigilator who is hired specifically to remotely monitor students or candidates from the beginning to the end of the exam. 

Proctoring exams is a collaborative effort between students and examiners. 

Exam proctoring requires access to a variety of resources, including: 

• Webcam and microphone on a computer or laptop. 
• 512 kbps or higher is required for the internet connection. 
• Mozilla Firefox or other browsers with the most recent version of Google Chrome 

Who is eligible to use online proctoring services? 

In order to conduct safe and secure online exams, universities and institutes management software can use online exam proctoring services. 

• The assessment of students’ performance by educators. 
• The academic institution that offers certification programmes for online courses and requires students to pass exams in order to ensure only deserving students receive the certification. 
• Employers who want to assess employees remotely. 

During an online proctored exam, are students able to cheat? 

Due to the advancements in online exam software, it is extremely difficult for students to cheat on an online proctored exam. For example, online proctoring service providers have spent a lot of time and money to plug in the loopholes and improve cheating prevention mechanisms and functionalities, whether it’s through facial recognition or scanning software, on-screen monitoring software, or biometric equipment. 

Exam proctoring comes in a variety of forms, which an institution can choose from. 

Live Proctoring-

Live proctoring is very similar to being in a classroom. An online proctor, on the other hand, supervises multiple examinees remotely, using a real-time audio and video feed, from beginning to end. 

Auto Proctoring-

AI-enabled and automated, it allows for online exam proctoring to be conducted without human intervention. 

Recorded Proctoring-

While the students’ screen and audio-video feed are recorded, there’s no real time monitoring. It’s an AI-powered webcam proctored exam. 

Exams that are web-proctored and those that are not 

Assume you’re taking a test without any supervision. The temptation to cheat wouldn’t be too great, would it? The absence of invigilators or supervisors may not be an issue for everyone, but for some students, it may be an incentive to consult course materials, ask friends and family for help, or even search the internet for answers. Because of this, the results and evaluation reports will be inaccurate, misrepresenting the students’ abilities and institutions’ integrity. The morale and efficiency with which some students prefer to take the exams would be affected as a result. An institution’s credibility can be damaged if it administers unproctored exams. 

Proctors monitor and analyse test-takers’ behaviours and activities during online exam proctoring, however, because test-takers are familiar with innovative technologies. Since they are aware of their actions, they try to avoid deceiving the system. 

Online Proctored Exams: What’s the Difference? 

Surprise! There’s no difference between taking an online proctored exam and taking one in a traditional testing facility. To make the right decisions, you’ll need a proctored online exam.  

Verification before the exam

It is not possible for a student to sit for an exam in a testing centre until his/her identity has been verified by the invigilators at all checkpoints. For online exam proctoring as well, the identification process hasn’t changed. Web proctored tests can only be taken by students who have consented to screen proctoring, video and audio monitoring. 

This is then followed by a three-point candidate authentication 

• For starters, the webcam asks the test-taker to take a picture of himself/herself. Next, he/she must show the webcam a valid ID proof. 
• Third, manual proctors are available 24 hours a day to verify each applicant’s photo ID against the previously shared registration information to ensure their validity. 

Assisting students with their exams 

If you’re taking a center-based exam, the test takers are verified and then seated. Once the physical invigilators have arrived, they immediately begin to monitor each student’s behaviour. Additionally, an online examiner’s invigilation can have a significant impact on an exam’s validity and integrity. Enrolling in an online course ensures that those who sign up for it are the ones who actually participate in and complete it, as well. As a result of online test proctoring, they have the added advantage of being able to use anti-cheating tools that streamline patrolling and eliminate academic integrity issues by increasing the efficiency of the entire exam-taking process. 

Does this allay your fears about web-proctored exams? If so, congratulations! What if web proctored exams replaced traditional proctored exams in a way that did not raise safety or faith concerns? 

For those who need further proof of the safety of web-proctored tests and the various cheating prevention mechanisms used to thaw even the sneakiest of cheating attempts, the next chapter has you covered. 

Do online proctored exams have any real impact on the student’s grades? 

If you’re wondering why online proctoring is such a good idea, it’s because it offers unparalleled ease to academia, in addition to allowing students the flexibility and convenience to take online exam proctoring from anywhere. 

This is not the case. The following are some additional benefits of using an online proctoring service. 

Unfavorable situations will be eliminated 

When it comes to online proctored exams, there are always a few students who resort to cheating. Teachers, recruiters, and administrators are empowered to closely monitor test-takers’ actions and conduct with the advent of advanced exam proctoring. As a result, test takers are less likely to take the test when they know that a powerful digital tool will verify their identity and monitor them online from start to finish. 

Boosting eLearning

There are eLearning programmes that are easy to access called MOOCs (massive open online courses). There was genuine scepticism about enrollments, as it was unreasonable to expect students to travel long distances each time they needed to take a test or attend a class. Since there are so many ambiguous aviation rules to navigate, it’s a very time-consuming and expensive process for the vast majority of us. In the meantime, online remote proctoring solutions have created an environment conducive to electronic learning. As a result, candidates could enrol from anywhere in the world and pick up new skills and subjects. Internet-based exams gave students access to world-class education and evaluation against the best in the world. 

Ofcourse an online proctoring system has revolutionised the education sector, but it’s not surprising. Exams have become more engaging as a result of this.