These days, any institution or organization can afford NOT to secure the exams. Progressive institutions and organizations have however embraced the online examinations and are integrating within their systems the proctor-less online proctoring platform applications to allow secure, reliable and easy wider implementations. The seemingly obvious AI based measures such as closing browsers and face monitoring are used by many, however there is one useful function that is often omitted – geolocation.
Leaders in secure comprehensive artificial intelligence equipped proctoring such as “Think Exam” support geolocation services in their proctoring systems to ensure the utmost security and credibility. This blog will look into the importance of geo-location tracking, with emphasis on how Think Exam has utilized it far better than any of its competitors such as Mercer Mettl and how it is constrained to change the way education, corporations and governments will conduct remote testing.
Geo-Location Concepts in Remote Proctoring
Geo-location tracking is the use of sensors and technologies within a radial distance of two wards, to determine the exact location of a candidate taking any exams. In an online proctoring platform this would mean that:
- The examinee will only be taking the examination at the approved or designated place and nowhere else.
- The attempt to take the examination at unpermitted places will be restricted.
- Participant’s locations can be recorded for inspection and regulations purposes, afterwards.
Such measures become increasingly important in high-stakes examinations such as those conducted by governments, universities for final exams and corporate bodies for recruitment purposes, test integrity and surety must be ensured.
The Importance of Geo-Location Tracking in an Examination Monitoring System
Prevent Proxy Incidents
Geo-location functionality helps reduce instances of proxy candidates appearing for exams. If a student in Delhi suddenly appears to be sitting an exam from another state or country, the test can be flagged or stopped for such a session.
Limitation of Access Based on Regional Laws
For instance, some exams are location bound. Some certificates may also be available only in some regions due to licensing of the distribution of the certificates. Location restrictions can be more easily imposed through geo-location.
Secure Corporate Assessments
Geo-location tracking is used in pre-employment tests to make sure candidates take the tests within appropriate areas. This adds to the value of pre-employment tests.
Useful Audit Trails
Teaching institutions will avoid a heavy burden of combing through AI-Video flagged suspicious cases, as long as location records and video or behavior analytics containing such activities are stored.
Comparison of Proctoring Tools Forabilities: Think Exam And Mercer Mettl – Which One Does It Better?
Several proctoring solutions claim to have geo-location capabilities, however, what matters most is their implementation and how well they can perform.
Mercer Mettl, for example, offers a rudimentary location based on the test taker’s IP address. However, it is easily defeated by VPNs and changing IP addresses, especially if the test taker uses a mobile device.
However, to meet this requirement, Think Exam does not only have one geo-location tracking feature, but web browsers, GPS, sensors, and even device sensors are used to present a holistic solution.
- Multi-Sourced Verification: At Think Exam, we do not take IP addresses as the only facilities for verifying the candidates’ locations. It CFs with the IP address while then with the GPS and the browser additional services.
- Real time Fencing: In Think exam, examinees’ managers are able to define geo-fencing options. The access to the exam will automatically be denied if the applicant attempts to open the paper from a zone that is not permitted.
- Intelligent Screen Management: Whereas the bought Mercer Mettl will apply uniform parameters to monitor all applicants, Think Exam has adaptive AI which employs geo-location constraints per the exam type, duration, and stakes.
- User Experience : Think Exam has designed the system in such a way that while enforcing strong protection for a given examination, its interface does not intrude much of the examinee’s screens in any sense: it does not front many permissions and it generally gets along well with quick examination setups and downstream servers.
Use Cases of Geo-Location Tracking in Education
Online Education and Extension Programs
Universities offering distance learning with online exams may require students to take eyelash exams at home or any other approved center without the need for an invigilator.
Merit Based Or scholarship Examinations
Through geolocation, students participating in merit-based examinations are able to take exams from required zones only, guaranteeing no advantages among students.
School Level Assessment Tests
During a hybrid learning model, schools can conduct online internal evaluations for students at the school level, providing the basic levels of invigilation without intruding tools that would make the learners uncomfortable.
Geo-Location in Corporate Hiring: An Advantage
Everyone conducts remote hiring, which is convenient; however, so is cheating on the test or hall’s embarrassment. Think Exam provides peace of mind for HR looking to ensure that candidates are undertaking assessment in a proper environment devoid of distractors, using geo-location tracking technology.
There is a certain segment of Companies using Mercer Mettl where they almost always accompany the geo-location tracking either with a manual review process or additional verification which becomes expensive and time-consuming. Because Geo-verification and manual intervention are not in the equations with Think Exam, the cycle of hiring is cut dramatically, in time and the least to say, there is confidence in the decisions made in each case.
Get Around Data Protection
One concern that is likely to arise regarding geo-location tracking is, “nap,” this type of service is invasive? It is non intrusive and does not carry geo positioning of the candidate unless it is required in accordance with the GDPR or the local standards. It respects the candidates’ right to privacy by informing them of the information that is being collected and stored, encrypts every packet and offers a menu of permissions that organizations can choose from.
There is also the fact that the data collected only concerns the supervision of the examination and it is completely disposed of according to the data retention policy.
Think Exam – Is it the Better Option
It can be agreed that what makes or breaks an online proctoring system is not its mere ability to access a webcam nor the efficiency of its AI warnings but complete security of the exams. Think Exam is not just another bot for online exams, in fact it provides institutions and other organizations with:
- Geo-location, that is facial detection, browser lockdown and audio surveillance.
- A SES for simple and easy construction and violation of exam parameters.
- Sends push notifications and makes real time decisions.
- Offers greater customization than Mettl and works at a high level of scalability and ergonomics while providing the same services.
In a realm inundated with generic tools, the Think Exam is meant to be accountability added to the AI: no matter where the student is they will always come back with an honest answer.
Conclusion
Gone are the days of optional geo-location tracking in online assessments. People have all turned to Think Exam, understanding that selecting a secure online proctoring platform involves more concerns than video cameras–an AI-based partner that will meet the demands of distant learning is more than appropriate.
While Mercer Mettl may offer one or two features of proctoring, Think Exam has been known for its amount of features, core functionality, and bias free AI. With options from universities to schools, business or certification bodies, the best bet for assessment in the future is a secured, autonomous, scalable and competent Think Exam platform.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What do you mean by online proctoring platform?
An online proctoring platform is a digital solution employing tools for an AI or manual form of invigilation that assures exam integrity for candidates taking remote exams. Some of its basic proctoring mechanisms include webcam monitoring, screen recording, facial recognition, and geo-location tracking.
2. How does geo-location tracking hold in online proctoring?
Geo-location tracking involves the attempt to identify the candidate’s physical location based on IP addresses, GPS data, or location services in browsers. It is used to prevent impersonation and make sure that candidates take exams from approved locations only.
3. Is geo-location tracking secure and legal?
Yes, several platforms such as Think Exam comply with all international data protection laws, including the GDPR. Test-takers are notified regarding the mode of usage of data, and all geolocation data are encrypted such that it is used solely for ensuring the integrity of the exam and generally deleted after the retention period.
4. What differentiates Think Exam from Mercer Mettl geo-location tracking?
Think Exam uses a multi-layered approach in which GPS-based location, IP mapping, and Wi-Fi triangulations together contribute to an unrefined tracking accuracy and resistance. Other than that, it supports the geo-fencing feature and real-time violation alerts—something only weakly supported by Mercer Mettl.
5. Can I use a VPN for bypassing geo-location tracking?
A VPN can allow basic IP-location tracking to be bypassed. Think Exam, however, equips itself with much more complex geo-location mechanisms capable of detecting suspicious VPN or proxy use and blocking them; thus, it stands as a better secured online proctoring platform.
