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Traditional or online examinations conducted by any schools, colleges, institutes or companies play a major role in evaluating an individual. However, many students/candidates tend to cheat in the examination which questions their credibility. Cheating is an unfair activity that is followed by many individuals to clear their exams. It gives an undue advantage to the individual to clear the exam without actually working hard for it. If the exam is conducted in a traditional way i.e. in a classroom then we can normally see the teachers rushing their way to manage the entire classroom. It becomes difficult for them to keep an eye on each and every individual
On the other hand, if it is an online examination, individuals can easily cheat by searching answers on their mobile phones, on the browser or actually looking at their books. This is when Proctoring comes into the picture. The concept of a Proctored exam is that a teacher or any person (also known as a proctor) can assess the examination from far away i.e. any location. It, therefore, avoids the physical barrier of the examiner and the examine to conduct and attend the exam. The examiner is able to ensure the integrity of the examination process and if any individual tries to cheat in the exam, the proctor reports it and can stop the examination immediately.
How does Remote Proctoring Work?
The major prerequisite for remote proctoring is a stable internet connection. A candidate is first required to login to a proctoring software and then enter their personal details such as name, date of birth, gender, age, etc. Further, the candidate has to authorize themselves by providing a valid ID Proof. Then the face recognition feature is automatically enabled. Here, Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a major role where the face of the candidate is detected by the use of a facial recognition feature.
The microphone and webcam are tested after this step to ensure there is no hindrance in the examination process. After this, the examination starts where the screen of the candidate is shared with proctor. This assures that the candidate is not searching for the solutions by opening their browser on the device. Similarly, any suspicious activity of the candidate is monitored by the proctor. If they try to cheat in the exam and the proctor finds it then they can stop the examination or send the candidate a warning message. There is a chat box available at the bottom of the software which can be used by the proctor to send a message to the candidate.
The proctor can monitor around 5-10 candidates in a single session. It is feasible to keep an eye on all the candidates as the software provides a grid view of them. As the examination time ends, the test is submitted automatically even if the candidate has not submitted it. Lastly, the proctor provides the Proctored exam report to the candidate which contains how they have performed in the examination. It also contains a detailed analysis of whether the examination was held sincerely or some suspicious activity was detected on the candidate’s part.
What are the types of Remote Proctoring and How do they work?
The Remote Proctoring is broadly divided into three categories
- Live Remote Proctoring
- Recorded Remote Proctoring
- Advanced Automated Proctoring
1. Live Remote Proctoring
As discussed above, it is the same process where a person is required to invigilate the examination process. The proctor is able to keep an eye on the candidates by making the most of the real-time features provided by the proctoring software.
2. Recorded Remote Proctoring
In this type of proctoring, no proctor is needed to sit and invigilate the candidate during the entire exam. Instead, the entire examination process gets recorded automatically and the proctor can check the recording anytime they want. If anything is found suspicious the proctor can flag the activity of the candidate. Here the audio-video and screen sharing feature is recorded from the start of the exam.
3. Advanced Automated Proctoring
This is the most advanced type of proctoring. The examination gets recorded from the start using audio-video and screen sharing feature. Also, there is a separate system that monitors any suspicious activity of the candidate.
What is the need for Remote Proctoring?
The primary need for remote proctoring is to verify the integrity of the online examination. The rise in online exams is growing tremendously and it is definitely going to hold a significant part in the future. Be it a school exam, college exam or corporate exam, it is important to assess candidates based on how sincerely they have prepared for the examination.
Cheating has become a common thing among candidates that allows them to easily score during the exam. Remote Proctoring works wonders in this case where each and every detail of the candidate is captured by a single software. The proctor can keep a check if the candidates are giving the exam honestly or trying to cheat. Based on that, the proctor can report the candidate or stop the examination immediately.
The next aspect is that it saves a lot of time and gives the flexibility of location. As compared to a traditional examination where a single invigilator has to manage the entire classroom such as distributing the papers, signing the papers, keeping an eye on candidates, checking the papers, etc. It becomes really difficult for the invigilator to do so. Hence, remote proctoring can help proctors to invigilate the candidates from anywhere. It provides the flexibility of location and saves time as well.
Remote proctoring is completely reliable and it offers various features such as security, audio-video, screen sharing, etc. The proctor can enable or disable a specific feature that they want and carry the assessment without any hassle.
To conclude, remote proctoring is very beneficial while conducting an online examination. A proctored exam helps both the proctor and the candidate to carry out the examination process smoothly. Now candidates cannot cheat in the examination knowing that someone is actually monitoring them. It is also flexible as candidates and the proctor can conduct the exam regardless of geographical boundaries.
