Remote exam proctoring: The human factor remains decisive

With the rise of remote exams, the role of the proctor has evolved. While computers and electronics handle a significant part of the process, it’s still a human who makes decisions affecting the candidate’s future.

Step one: remote candidate identification

We’ve all experienced the stress of losing an ID card the day before an important exam or test, even if it usually turns out to be right where it should be—in your bag. Phew!

Digital identification is common today

For a remote exam without a proctor present, you also need an ID. The only difference is that you need to present it to a camera. Although this might have been disconcerting a few years ago, the widespread use of account creation, particularly for banking apps, has made the process almost routine. Presenting both sides of your ID card and your face to your computer’s (or smartphone’s) camera is now one of the preferred tools for banking « compliance. » It’s the same process for an exam.

Human identification is also possible

Some courses, certifications, or remote exams take place in third-party exam centers. These could be a school, a training organization, or a service provider like the Post Office for driving theory tests (auto and boat). In these cases, identification is handled by a proctor provided by the exam organizer. This situation is « traditional »: you need to show your ID, and often an exam invitation, when entering the exam room.

Step two: monitoring during the exam

This is what Americans call « proctoring, » a term derived from « proctor, » meaning the person who supervises. In French, the concept applies to remote, digital exam monitoring.

Monitoring the environment

When a candidate takes an exam at home, in their office, or in an isolated room, it’s necessary to verify the environment of this « exam room. » First, it’s essential to ensure there is no assistance: no course materials, no computer, no other student—anything is possible. To do this, the candidate is asked to scan the room with their computer or smartphone camera.

Ensuring the candidate remains the same throughout the exam

It would obviously be foolish to identify a candidate at the start of the exam and then not follow up. Without revealing all the secrets of proctoring specialists, it’s important to know that many methods exist. The most common is the random capturing of photos of the candidate. It’s also possible to record ambient sound, particularly to prevent someone from feeding answers like in a theater.

Limiting the candidate’s computer functions

Similarly, it’s pointless to check for another computer in the room if the exam computer allows access to documents or the internet. The principle is to limit the computer’s functionality to access the keyboard, operating system, camera, and microphone.

A final check of the remote exam by a human

This is primarily a matter of fairness.

Cheating or a glitch?

All candidates must have the same exam conditions. But it’s also essential to ensure that no candidate falls victim to a « glitch in the matrix. » Often, digital monitoring involves sending alerts to a controller or proctor who reviews the images and ambient sound. This person makes the final decision: cheating, attempted cheating, or a platform error.