As more people and organizations work remotely, online proctoring is becoming increasingly popular. While meeting in person has reduced in some industries, the necessity to assess and certify students as well as professionals, has not. If you’re curious about how online proctoring works, whether or not it’s the right fit for your organization, and how to look for the best product, this article is for you.
What is online proctoring?
Organizations that test, qualify, or certify people must meet rigorous standards for maintaining academic integrity and exam security. Online proctoring solutions can help. Especially in today’s increasingly remote world, it’s not always possible for a test proctor to be physically present at every candidate’s location. Online proctoring services fill that gap.
Online proctoring solutions use online monitoring software and video streaming to supervise exam takers. Proctoring software ensures integrity, authenticity, and credibility for both the student and the organization administering the exam.
Who uses online proctoring services?
Most professionals in our economy, from nurses to real estate agents, must pass exams at some point in their careers. Remote proctoring is often associated with college exams, but there are many industries benefiting from online proctoring solutions:
Let's take a look at these industries:
- Higher Education
Colleges and universities that offer online learning of any kind use proctoring solutions. While higher ed was an early adopter of online proctoring, the rate of remote exams skyrocketed in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 lockdowns. - Certification and Licensing Bodies
Licensing bodies use online proctoring for everything from personal training certificates to real estate licenses. Proctoring services come in handy in these industries because continuing education and recertification are necessary for these professionals to keep their licenses valid. - Corporate Entities
Some common exams given by corporations are the Series 7 exam (also known as the General Securities Representative Exam) or the CPA exam allowing people to become certified public accountants. - SMBs and Entrepreneurs
Companies offering rigorous certification programs benefit from online proctoring—especially in tech and consulting. Certifications serve as resume-builders, adding accolades to an individual's reputation. Google, for example, has well-known certifications for marketers. Some of the most in-demand certifications for IT professionals come from Cisco and VMware. - Government
Police officers and firefighters are responsible for passing exams before being hired. Social workers and postal service workers all perform civil service, helping to maintain and improve their communities. To become one of these professionals, they need to pass the civil service exam. - HR / Pre-hiring Assessments
HR professionals can reduce hiring time by using pre-employment testing and new screening tools and technologies to select the most qualified candidate for their organization. In addition, online proctoring ensures that their selection process is legal, reliable, valid, and fair.
What do proctoring services include?
Fully automated proctoring with an AI component
Online proctoring solutions automate everything from identity verification to the final review. Your chosen technology solution will record videos of students taking their tests and then use AI to analyze and flag behavior that looks like cheating.
ID verification
Your online proctoring solution will verify a student’s identity before testing begins. Like they would in a regular test environment, test-takers must prove they are who they say they are by providing a photo ID at the beginning of every test.
Human-assisted proctoring
While the AI used by proctoring solutions is advanced, it cannot replace human judgment and ethics. For example, there have been concerning reports where people of color and people with disabilities are flagged with higher frequency for things like involuntary movements, muscle spasms, or wearing religious garb like hijabs.
To prevent inequity, your software must submit all flagged anomalies to a human exam administrator (preferably with bias training) to make the final judgment call.
A secure web browser
A secure web browser feature opens its own exam browser rather than opening the URL in a default browser. Using a secure, universal web browser keeps students from clicking anywhere other than the exam so they can stay focused and maintain academic integrity.
What are the top considerations when evaluating proctoring services for an organization?
Get clear on which features are most important to your organization to choose the best proctoring solution. Knowing your institution's priorities is key to choosing the right features. A proctoring system should support both your bottom line and the test-takers' needs.
To ensure your online proctoring vendor meets your requirements, keep the following questions in mind:
What measures does your online proctoring solution take to protect the security and data privacy of you and your students?
Proctoring online has opened up a new world of benefits for test-takers, but it also raises legitimate concerns about student privacy. Protecting test item content and safeguarding sensitive candidate or student information are the two most prevalent security concerns.
In addition, exam-takers will use their own equipment, making software and hardware compatibility crucial. In most cases, test-takers will use the equipment they own for taking exams at home. Therefore, you need to make sure your team picks a proctoring solution that works with a wide variety of equipment.
Will the proctoring solution be compatible with your existing tech systems?
For the sake of your organization and staff, you should choose an online proctoring solution that fully integrates with your learning management system (LMS) or testing software. In addition, the online proctoring program should be able to act as a standalone program so that other system errors will not affect the ability to take exams.
Support
Since students won’t have the support of an in-person environment, timely tech support becomes even more critical. Your proctoring vendor should offer customer assistance that’s readily available to students and staff. Tech support should assist when the test-taker needs it and not just during the proctoring company's traditional business hours.
The bottom line on online proctoring solutions
Proctoring software is a monitoring tool that assures online exams’ integrity, credibility, and authenticity by observing test-takers with software and video. Proctoring solutions online are beneficial to a wide variety of organizations and industries, from government to corporate.
A good proctoring solution includes features such as a human-assisted AI that flags suspicious behavior, the ability to confirm that students are who they say they are, and a secured browser that ensures the accuracy and integrity of results. Consider critical elements like data privacy, tech support, and technology compatibility when evaluating an online proctoring solution for your organization.
Ready to learn more about online proctoring and how it could benefit your organization? Create your free ProctorFree account now to connect with our expert team.
