When schools, colleges and institutes conduct online exam software based test, there major concern is the supposed risk of cheating and other malpractice that might occur because of no human invigilation. It has been noted time and again that no matter how much the test administrators practice strict invigilation process, yet the students come up with creative ideas of cheating.
Be it an offline or online exam, students are always looking forward to ditch monitoring techniques but in online exams the security is still better ensured then in that of offline exams.
One of the many advantages of using online examination system is that it can be backed by online proctoring software which comes with multiple types of balances and checks that can eliminate any sort of cheating attempts from the end of test-takers. These varied type of cheat-proof features ensure secure and robust conducting of online tests with ease.
Below mentioned are the main steps to follow when conducting proctored online exams-
Secure Browser
Security is the most significant aspect in an online exam. The secure browser feature prevents opening or switching to any other window or tab on the browser during the ongoing online exam.
The test taker can have access to only the examination window and even the functionalities such as copy-paste, screen capture and keyboard shortcuts are totally disabled.
In case the test-taker tries to open a new window on the browser, a pop up alert is displayed on the screen which asks the candidate to go back on the exam window. If 3 such alerts are received then the exam is cancelled on spot (for that particular candidate). This alert feature is customizable and the administrator can set the alert limitation accordingly.
Remote Proctoring
Remote proctoring is done with the help of robust features available with remote proctoring software. In case of remote proctoring the exam can be held without any geographical barriers and the test is monitored by a proctor who is stationed at a remote location.
In an online test proctored by remote proctoring software, the candidates are constantly monitored through audio-video live view, and screen access.
Remote proctored test follows four main steps-
- Candidate Authentication: The authenticity of the candidate’s identity is checked by the proctor through webcam and picture.
- The test starts: Once the authentication process is complete the test starts and the candidate has to give permission for webcam and screen sharing.
- Images and video capturing: Audio-video live view as well as recording is captured throughout the test.
- Auto Proctoring: AI or auto proctoring gets activated during the test which detects candidate movement, and monitors any unusual activity in the background of the test taker.
Remote Candidate Authentication
Candidate authentication is the first and most important step of starting an online exam. This step ensures the verification of candidate identity which is a primary concern of many educational sectors when switching to online exam software based tests.
The main steps in candidate authentication procedure are-
- Candidate login using valid credentials
- Candidate needs to enter valid identity card number
- The online proctoring software compares the credentials entered
- The candidate needs to provide PAN card or Aadhaar card number to the remote proctor for verification.
In case the identity is not verified at once then the same procedure needs to be followed. Also, the proctor can connect with the candidate through live chat and instruct the candidate to follow certain steps.
Data Encryption
Any exam that is being conducted whether online or offline holds a lot of details that shouldn’t be leaked and one of the most important data to secure is student credential and question paper.
To secure the data of online examination system the platform is encrypted. Data encryption prevents any type of unauthorized access on the platform. High-level encryption algorithms are integrated to encode the data which cannot be decoded easily. This ensures the confidentiality of the question papers being exchanged between the server and the client.
Timer for each question
When creating the test the administrator can assign overall time duration for the test and can also assign time to every question on the test paper. Assigning timer to every question assures that the test-taker won’t get enough time to waste here and there for finding ways of cheating.
Once the time is over for the particular question the screen moves to the next question automatically.
With all these steps mentioned above the schools, universities and coaching institutes can seamlessly conduct secure online exams by using online exam software.
