Preventing cheating in online exams the right way: a how-to guide

One of the major concerns for institutions conducting online examinations is the risk of students cheating during the exam. There have been instances of students coming up with creative ways of cheating in exams, even in the traditional setup. For instance, a student with Photoshop skills removed the label from a Coke bottle, scanned it as an image file, and replaced the ingredients on the label with answers. He, then, printed the edited image on a glossy paper, and carefully glued it to the bottle. How ingenious! A lack of a physical invigilator during an online exam can make cheating even easier. So, in such a scenario, how do you stop students from cheating in an online examination system?

Authenticate candidates

A critical step to prevent cheating in an online proctored exam is to verify the candidate’s identity to ascertain that the right individual is taking the exam. The online proctored exam tool should have features like secure login (unique ID and password) and live video verification by having candidates complete a specific task, as instructed by the automated system or the remote invigilator. For example, the student can be asked to write a particular number on a piece of paper and hold it in front of the camera in a particular way (in their left hand or in front of their chest with both hands). The candidate should be allowed access to the online examination system only after their identity is verified.

Secure browsers

The online proctored exam system should prevent the opening of other tabs or other browsers on the students’ system. Similarly, the online exam tool should also prevent the minimizing of the browser window or allowing candidates to open or switch to other applications. 

Additionally, the online examination system should prevent the use of devices such as the keyboard for an MCQ exam. Similarly, keyboard shortcuts for copy paste and the mouse right-clicks should be blocked as these can be used to copy-paste an answer and cheat if students are expected to type answers.

However, one must ensure that the online examination tool takes control of only what’s needed and doesn’t perform unwarranted tasks such as collecting from browsers (history, cookies, and saved passwords). The candidate’s privacy should be respected at any cost while ensuring a fair examination process. 

Encrypt all data

Data encryption is vital before and after the examination is conducted. The exam-related data, such as the question paper and student login credentials, should be stored on highly secure servers, behind highly-secure algorithms. This ensures that no one is able to alter the examination results or misuse the candidate data such as their name, age, and other other data, even if the database is acquired through unfair means.

Use remote proctoring

With remote proctoring solutions like uLearn, students can be monitored remotely without any intrusion. However, to carry out remote monitoring, you’ll need access to the students’ webcam, microphone, and the computer screen. There are three types of remote proctoring you can opt for with an online proctored exam.

Live proctoring: This method involves an invigilator who assesses candidates in real-time by analyzing their webcam and microphone data.

Recorded proctoring: This method includes recording audio and video feed during the exam, which is analyzed manually by a proctor later.

Advanced proctoring: This involves the use of advanced technologies such as AI for ensuring that students don’t cheat. There is minimal need for a human invigilator with this proctoring method. The AI system monitors student’s activities and flags cheating instances in real-time, which can be reviewed by the invigilator.

The availability of information at fingertips through smartphones and the lack of human invigilation has made it much more difficult to prevent cheating in online examinations. However, with the right measures, such as the ones mentioned above, online exams can turn out to be more secure and effective than traditional assessments. The easiest thing you can do to ensure that your exams are conducted fairly is to employ a reputed online exam proctoring services provider that offers advanced automated AI proctoring features, such as AI-based vigilance and non-intrusive live proctoring.

To learn more about uLearn, visit our website: www.ulearn.io