Remote Proctoring Software & Service

See also: Taking Exams

Innovation in the digital world helps us find new techniques to manage things at a distance, from starting a new job to even finishing relationships. Education is not an exception.

Nowadays, distance studying plays a considerable part in the busy lives of young people.

However, distance learning can overlap with examinations. In this case, they are also carried out remotely. The process of knowledge control is not similar to the usual remote classes with a teacher. If a student encounters remote exams for the first time, it is best to know the procedures and features of the exam in advance as this will help you understand what to expect.

But in a nutshell, how can students sit exams remotely? The answer is easy — trying an auto proctoring tool will assist you in ensuring fair exam results.

Remote proctoring software.

How Does Proctoring Work?

Proctoring is a system that confirms user identity, eliminates the prospect of cheating, and helps the teacher check the student’s knowledge.

Of course, you can also work as a proctor by hand, but this requires important proctor skills.

Soft skills for needed by a manual proctor

The most common core skills required by employers are clerical skills, communication skills, interpersonal skills, regulatory compliance, attention to detail, customer service, an ability to resolve conflict situations, as well as patience. Managerial skills will come in handy too..

This skills are necessary for a proctor to be able to lead other proctors over the course of several examinations, to coordinate meetings between proctors and students, organize and manage recreational activities in large groups, and resolve conflicts.

As you can see, the use of software can greatly facilitate this work.

Traditionally, proctor systems allow you to observe express testing or an exam online. The result verifies the user's identity, tracks their behavior by checking if there are any behavioral markers during the testing session, and issues a report on the integrity of the results.

These systems use algorithms based on biometrics, computer vision, and artificial intelligence technologies, which assist in revealing evidence of unfair testing such as:

  1. Identity substitution;
  2. Suspicious behavior, for example, disappearing from the surveillance area;
  3. The presence of open Internet pages on the computer, use of mobile devices, books, and other sources for cheating;
  4. Someone else's presence, other than the student.

Proctoring System for Online Tests Tracking

There are three ways to monitor online tests. Every institution can decide which is more suitable for their situation:

  1. Human as a proctor. A real-life administrator observes the exam process via camera and records any breaches.

  2. Auto-mechanism. The program automatically recognizes students. It observes their behavior and scans the movement of their eyes. AI (artificial intelligence) can even examine the appearance of foreign objects and extraneous sounds while students sit their exam. The system searches for breaches on video and makes reports based on the information acquired.

  3. Combined method. This involves both: an AI program and a person. The AI controls all the procedures and gives the proctor signals about violations. Another type is when the administrator in online mode monitors the activities of several students simultaneously. One proctor can monitor no more than six students. The second method is considered more reliable.

A proctor is not an examiner but an independent person who is not interested in exam results and does not participate in the educational process. They only monitor compliance with the rules of the exam and can be a teacher from another educational institution or a trained person.



Areas of Utilization of Remote Proctoring Software

It is not a secret that remote control software is widely used in the education sphere, and many students face this system while taking exams in universities. But let's have a closer look at where else remote proctoring comes in handy:

  1. Recruitment of personnel. HR managers can conduct interviews and check the professional skills of candidates from all over the country and even beyond without wasting time and money.

  2. Online training. It is a common practice for a company to send staff for training. Offline activities lead to the separation of staff from work and considerable financial investments. Online training of employees with subsequent exams in the proctoring system is a professional aptitude test. And the employer can be sure that their investments are justified since the authority will observe the participants during the test.

  3. Testing/certification of employees. This is used beneficially to determine the hard skills of staff. One may need this when deciding on allowances.

All in all, proctoring has a myriad of benefits during online exams. Try the ProctorEdu auto proctoring solution to make sure of this.

Advantages of Remote Proctoring

Here are five benefits of using remote proctoring:

  • Saving time and money. To organize offline testing, the company needs to find a location where exams can take place and hire people who will control the process. With online testing, proctoring needs to be connected and set up just once, and the results are no less reliable.

  • Scalability. You can check thousands of people at the same time. But any time, the number of people tested can be changed. To do this, the company will not need to look for a room with a larger space or hire more people to observe the tests.

  • No stress. Some people may give incorrect answers to test questions due to anxiety. Taking tests in a familiar atmosphere can be much more comfortable, so the pressure of the situation is less likely to affect the result.

  • The absence of the human factor. Personal relationships between the staff and supervisors cannot influence the results. Whereas in the past, a compromised inspector could choose to ignore a violation, this becomes impossible with AI systems.

  • Quick results. The algorithm will immediately check the answers and filter out questionable moments that can be considered manually.


To Sum Up

The developers do not disclose the technologies used in the online proctoring system. Therefore, they are not only a trade secret but also a way to prevent students from understanding and overcoming them. Today, you can find many different solutions on the market, which means you have a better chance of finding the option that is best for your circumstances.


About the Author


Ellie Yantsan is a digital marketer with more than 10 years of experience. She is a contributor to the Content Marketing Institute and is regularly quoted as an expert by large media outlets.

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