Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic became a reality, things have changed for students. Now, they are required to give tests online. However, there’s a human test proctor given to them for handling test-related anxiety.

The students feel a lot more satisfied when the test proctor is there to guide them about the test in a proctored exam.

Apart from that, they also feel more satisfied when a proctor is there.

Online proctoring
The test proctor makes sure that students don’t cheat. They also make sure that the exam rules are explained well to the students. In online proctoring there can also be a human being checking the live feeds of a webcam. Therefore, the student can be monitored without the constraint of a proctor present at the location of the test. Such a proctor can check upto 16 or 32 students’ feeds.
So, students feel better when they know that test is being executed fairly and no one is being allowed to cheat.

Recorded proctoring
This proctoring is different from the online proctoring in the sense that the feeds from the webcam are recorded. So, the feeds from the webcam and the software are not checked in real-time as in the case of online proctoring. A representative of the proctoring service provider later checks these feeds and looks for any suspicious activity. The advantages are that the human proctor does not have to sit down during the duration of the test monitoring the student’s activity.

How do online and remote proctoring work?
Now, the question arises is how do these proctoring exams work. Well, for the starters, a student has to install proctored software on the PC. Such software is installed on the PC, it checks whether the student is using any non-allowed site on his computer. It’s better to have some space on the PC so that the proctoring software can be installed.

The students also have to make sure that their identity is well checked with the help of a webcam. This webcam also checks whether there is someone else sitting with you in the room of the test assisting you. This webcam is also used to check whether there are any unauthorized materials kept on the desk where the personal computer is kept. Apart from that, the test is timed so that the students don’t have time to cheat at all.
There is also the submission of the test results along with the proctoring report to a proctoring service vendor in case it is remote proctoring. If such a service detects any use of unwanted sites and persons your proctoring report won’t be positive.

Why offline proctoring is not happening any more?
In the case of online proctoring, the student is caught during the test if there is any unwanted activity.
Offline proctoring which includes the presence of a human invigilator at the test centre is no longer possible now. It’s because many countries have implemented travel bans so the invigilators can’t go to every country possible where the exam is conducted.
Offline proctoring is also not happening these days because there is no way you can verify the background of a proctor. It’s not possible to check whether he was fair in his last conducted exam or not.