Proctoring has multiple uses in education and business. There are many institutions and organizations that need to evaluate students, candidates, or employees online.

It is undeniable how online exams have skyrocketed in the last decade to meet academic and professional demands. The teaching methodology is evolving rapidly, resulting in virtual teaching thanks to the availability of advanced e-learning tools.

This article tells you what virtual proctoring is, how you can exploit its advantages, and what features a reliable proctoring tool has.

 

What is proctoring?

Proctoring is the set of techniques that allow the reliable supervision of online exams. Therefore, it is remote monitoring within the framework of students’ evaluation that is carried out through cameras, user identification, and other technologies.

As for the origin of the concept, the word comes from English, in whose language the term is equivalent to the supervision of an exam in person, and e-proctoring or online proctoring to the online supervision. In Spanish, the meaning of proctoring refers only to virtual supervision.

Student takes an online exam through a platform with proctoring

What is online proctoring for?

Proctoring is used to verify the legality and compliance with the rules of an examimination. On the one hand, it serves to identify students and verify that it is the same person throughout the test. In this way, identity theft is prevented.

On the other hand, it prevents the examinee from cheating, consulting information during the exam or contacting other people. This ensures that during the test, students perform using only their own knowledge.

 

In what type of tests is proctoring used?

Proctoring helps prevent fraud in each of the online exam activities. Therefore, it is a technology with a wide range of applications.

The following are some of the most frequent uses in education:

  • Official exams at universities, institutes, and vocational schools
  • Language certification
  • E-learning tests

In business:

  • Assessment in company training programs
  • Exams in recruitment processes
  • Monitoring of employee training in teleworking
  • Language level tests
  • Occupational risk prevention training

 

E-learning software provider with proctoring technology

At CAE, we have designed an online exam supervision software available on our LMS platform and on Dexway language certification exams.

Thanks to the proctoring software that we provide, your training center or company can carry out examinations with all the quality guarantees and in accordance with GDPR compliance. Both the identification of the user and the capture of images are framed within the current legal framework.

Here’s how a reliable proctoring system works.

 

How to monitor exams online with a proctoring software?

Virtual supervision with a proctoring system is carried out through the examinations platform that provides the necessary technology and applications to have effective and automated monitoring.

The proctoring software works with individualized and automated visual and audio monitoring, together with a set of utilities that prevent fraud in online exams:

  • Use of copy protection protocols: immediate answer registration, time limit per question, content randomization, among other features.
  • Automatic software controls: force full screen, app switch lock, browser lock, as well as other search-inhibiting tools.
  • Individualized supervision: identification with an identity document, face photograph registration, facial recognition throughout the exam, or complete visual and audio webcam monitoring that detects changes in behavior. The tool is capable of providing relevant data on the performance of each student.

 

Language certification with virtual proctoring

Proctoring is especially relevant in the official language proficiency certification. First, it allows you to test students who are geographically located anywhere in the world.

Second, tests are designed to reliably assess students in less time and with better results.

Can you imagine being able to certify the English proficiency level with the same guarantees as in a face-to-face exam? Today it is possible thanks to the international Dexway certification exams.

 

Who is proctoring for?

As we have seen, educational centers and companies can benefit from proctoring. It is designed for organizations that, due to their context, need to evaluate remotely with the same confidence as a face-to-face examination.

Therefore, e-learning platforms that incorporate virtual supervision tools are aimed at high schools, universities, postgraduate schools, and any other online training centers.

Of course, also to all kinds of companies. Particularly, those that have employees who work remotely, who conduct job interviews with candidates located in other cities, or who carry out internal training and have different locations.

 

Advantages of implementing online proctoring tools

Proctoring implies advantages for students and for examining bodies:

  • Students do not have to travel to take the exam, so they save time.
  • The centers can expand their geographical scope of action. They can offer their courses to people who live far away.
  • Fewer resources are required. There is no need of a physical location for students or people to supervise the classrooms.
  • It allows greater scalability, since it is possible to examine more people at the same time.
  • Greater control than in a face-to-face exam thanks to technology.
  • Reduced administrative costs due to automation of virtual monitoring software tools.

Do you want to take advantage of all the benefits and utilities of proctoring in your tests? We are experts in EdTech technology at CAE. This means that we will be able to better inform you of the solutions that best fit your teaching methodology.

 

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