Beyond the Basics – Innovative Approaches to Exam Proctoring

The COVID-19 pandemic that shook the world recently has made it very evident that we will have no option but to accept the digitization of education in the next years. Congratulations to the educational establishments (schools, colleges and universities) across the globe that have used cutting-edge e-learning software to conduct online teaching and learning sessions with success. Nonetheless, there is still much room for improvement regarding malpractices or controlled, cheat-free exams when it comes to online tests and evaluations. Thus, the world of education is abuzz with online exam proctoring i.e., automated proctoring systems for online exams.

This blog written by an expert at AllAssignmentHelp will guide you through different aspects of online proctored exams starting from what it is, how proctored online tests operate, and the different factors an institution considers when choosing a digital testing platform for proctored online exams.

What is an Online Proctored Exam?

This type of online exam allows instructors to keep an eye on students’ actions while they are taking the exam virtually. Thus, the online proctored tests, which are equipped with AI-powered exam proctoring software, track and monitor students and assist educational institutions in doing away with exam cheating.

Different Types of Online Proctored Exams

There are various types of online proctoring exams that students experience as they advance in their higher studies.

Take a look at these types below:

Live online proctoring

During a live proctoring exam, the applicants are observed online by an invigilator using real-time screen sharing, audio, and video feeds. The purpose of the invigilator’s training is to authenticate students and detect any questionable behavior.

At a time, instructors/professors can keep an eye on 16–32 individuals. But just like an offline exam, this proctoring system necessitates human participation.

Recorded proctoring

There is no human surveillance involved in the recorded proctoring process. Rather, recordings are made of the candidates’ screen, audio, and video.

The facilitator may watch this at a faster pace at a later time to review any questionable activity. Although scheduling is no longer necessary, proctoring after tests are taken online still needs human intervention.

Advanced automated proctoring

The audio, video, and screen sharing are captured when the test is being administered in automated proctoring. The software employs biometric facial recognition for proctoring and listens for suspicious activity in videos and background noise. With the use of modern video and audio analytics, it keeps an eye on the student and looks for any misbehavior. Proctoring doesn’t require human intervention or scheduling.

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How Does Online Proctoring Software Work?

Multiple processes are followed for an online proctoring program to function well.

The following procedure will walk you through the steps of using the online proctoring software:

Online registration is a must for candidates

Students must register for the exam online in the first place. To properly finish the online registration process, they must provide their personal information, including their name, address, class, academic year, and any other facts requested by the online proctored examination software.

Verification before moving forward

Students who successfully register for online exams will receive an ID and password, which they must use to access the exams. The online assessment tool would verify that the password and ID are accurate and would even issue a confirmation via OTP. Students can start the exam after the live video proctoring with real-time monitoring authentication process is complete.

Evaluation Meeting & Observation

Students would initially receive instructions based on the type of online exam they were taking—semester, annual, or entry. They must follow the guidelines and proceed with the test. Here, as soon as they begin the online exam, the teachers will be able to keep an eye on them.

Turning Off Additional Browsers

To prevent cheating, the online proctored exam software would deactivate all extra browsers. There is no way for students to avoid the exam.

Randomly Taking Pictures and Watching Videos

Real-time random photos of students will be taken by online proctoring software, which will then email the faculty screenshots. Furthermore, by requesting that students turn on their webcams in real-time, the faculty can also watch the recordings that they provide.

Everything is dependent upon the functionality of the proctoring software you use for exams. Professors now don’t need to traverse the rooms for invigilation as a faculty member, as in traditional examinations. Preventing cheating in online exams with proctoring is practically and highly possible as virtually anything may be done through a reliable online proctored software, including roll list creation, exam proctoring, and online student attendance.

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What Are the Do’s and Don’ts of An Online Proctored Exam?

Exams that are proctored online are now common. Online proctored exams have been implemented by numerous institutions to examine and assess students both during and after the pandemic.

The following DOs and DON’Ts must be adhered to by the institutes to properly benefit from online exams:

Do’s

Make sure the room where the online exam will be administered has enough illumination.
Ensure the candidate spends the exam alone in the room.
Make sure there aren’t any technical problems in advance.
A microphone and an internal or external webcam are necessities for the learner.
Make sure the background is uncluttered and noise-free.
Verify that there are no power outages and strong internet access.
For rough work, one must carry additional sheets.
Provide students with precise instructions that will support them during the entire exam.
Verify that there are no electronics in your immediate vicinity.
To avoid any problems with online exams, take practice exams.

Don’ts

Pupils must remain within the webcam’s viewing area.
Students must not wear masks over their faces.
Students must refrain from attempting to browse the exam screen.
As invigilators have eyes on them students must not to use any means of screen sharing or question sharing with other people.
During the exam, students are not allowed to speak to anyone.
Students must not use more than one device at once as it is against the law and should be avoided.
Applicants must abstain from food and drink throughout the test.
Students must not leave the exam room before the allotted time.
For online tests, students must use a safe browser.
Exam retakes should only be allowed in the event of a technical problem and with the instructor’s approval from concerned authorities.

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Authentication of the Candidate in Remote Proctoring Exam

The process of online proctoring starts with authentication, just like offline proctoring. During the test, the software verifies the candidate’s identity and removes any questionable conduct. Before the test, the system makes sure the student is sharing the screen with audio and video recordings.

The student’s authentication is completed in the manner described below:

Students receive specific login credentials to access the system.
The candidate is prompted to input the ID card number to be entered into the portal after successfully logging in.
Next, the software compares the unique number to the information entered during registration and stores it in the database.
Students must present their ID card to the remote proctor, who is watching them while they are in class if their identity matches the information on file.
The entry may be rejected by the proctor if the identity is deemed invalid. The process of presenting the ID card for validation must then be repeated by the student.
Students are permitted to take the online exam if their identity is accepted. The candidate’s actions are streamed continuously throughout the test. Throughout the examination, the student is unable to access other browser windows and the exam screen is restricted.
Students must show up for the exam within the allotted time. The online proctor keeps an eye on everything they do, and the technology logs the entire exam process. You can use the audio and video recording for auditing reasons.

When students follow all the steps mentioned above the system will then give the individual access to appear in the exam and it can eventually be done safely and in a secure way.

Factors To Consider When Selecting a Digital Testing Platform

There are different factors that are taken into consideration when any institute or organization finalizes an online proctoring exam software.

Let’s take a quick look at the major factors below:

Provide comfort to users

Make sure the proctoring service you select has an intuitive interface that is easy to use. It ought to be tailored to the needs of the instructors and pupils so that they can concentrate on developing and finishing the test.

The capability

If more students are present in a certain exam, the proctoring service should be scalable as well. The scalability of the proctoring service is crucial because an institution or even an organization may have varying numbers of students taking different exams.

Type of test

Before selecting a proctoring service, it is crucial to take into account the kinds of tests that the university administers. For example, the exam may be objective, subjective, open-book, closed-book, etc. In these situations, the proctoring service ought to be adaptable to meet the requirements of different kinds of exams. As a result, the institutions must determine the kind of tests they will need to administer and select the proctoring service that best suits their requirements.

The price of using remote proctoring services

The institution must also assess its budget and the expenses related to a proctoring service. Since proctoring is a one-time expense, it is preferable to invest in a service that guarantees integrity and security.

Technical assistance

Before assessing any proctoring service, it’s important to take into account the support that it provides. During the online proctoring procedure, teachers and students may encounter difficulties. These should be quickly resolved.

Along with these, a few minor aspects are also being assessed by institutes and organizations before finalizing any online exam proctoring software.

Conclusion

While this new technology is indeed useful in many ways, it also offers various novel potential for dishonesty. When you include the elimination of the conventional real-time proctoring for in-person tests, this becomes much more concerning. But thanks to online proctoring tools and their innovative features, instructors can now monitor and record all online proctored exams carried out with advanced software. A detailed log of every exam taker’s desktop, webcam, audio, and online access is provided by such applications.

Students do not need to be afraid of this software, rather they can be worry-free while using these as they provide high security while attending any online proctored exam and build them to be prepared for facing the professional world virtually.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: What is the functionality of proctoring?
Answer: Automated proctoring uses AI to monitor test takers during their exams. This form of proctoring can detect things like if a test taker is looking away from the screen, using another browser, or talking during the exam.

Question 2: What are the key challenges of online proctored exams?
Answer: Some of the main challenges of online proctored exams include the following:
• Challenges in Technology Adoption in Institutes
• Technical Issues
• Problems with the internet and power outages
• Infrastructural Barriers
• Difficulty Assessing Long-Answer Descriptive Tests
• Shifting to open-book Exams

Question 3: What is the difference between proctored and non-proctored exams?
Answer: Proctored tests are thoroughly supervised by the faculty and the live monitoring feature. There is no opportunity for pupils to hunt for answers and cheat during the exams, which ensures the fairness of online examinations. Contrarily, non-proctored tests are unattended, and these exams are generally taken at home. These tests are easy to conduct, and the students can take them at their convenience. However, there is a considerable likelihood of students copying and cheating during the tests.