Over the past few years, the up-gradation of technology has changed a lot of operations taking place in our world. Earlier the concept of exams included students going to a particular location and writing their papers on a fixed date. However, this process has been completely revolutionized with the establishment of an online proctored exam. Invigilators can conduct examinations from various parts of the world with the help of the latest tools, software, interfaces, video conferencing apps, and so on. The rise in digital solutions is enhancing the exam experience of candidates from different parts of the community.
The concept of online proctoring: The basic principle of this method is to combine various aspects of an examination through digital assessments so that candidates can take part in it freely. The increased number of options has made it even more attractive. Students are exploring their freedom of choosing the exam centers and websites where they can give their tests without any stress. With the help of monitoring software, the exams are recording to prevent any student from cheating. Thus the safety and standard of the exams can also be maintained with the help of this model. Proper microphone settings allow the candidates to communicate with their teachers so that no one has to face any sorts of difficulties.
How do the exams take place: A proctored exam takes place through a genuine online platform under an invigilator who is commonly known as the ‘proctor’. The job of a proctor is to ensure that the candidates don’t face any kind of hardships while going through the various rules and regulations involved in an online exam. Problems may occur while signing in, accessing the digital question paper, download errors due to server issues, etc. Hence the invigilator needs to be properly trained and experienced in handling such technical errors that can hamper an individual’s career.
Requirements for an online proctoring exam: Various universities and institutes these days have special arrangements for students who cannot travel daily to continue their college activities. These universities however must receive special certification programs from the respective academia to continue such arrangements for the student. The teachers also must have the qualities needed to handle such digital environments. Many organizations and companies in the corporate world use online proctoring as a tool to hire employees in various fields. The exams are an ideal way of assessing workers remotely.
How to select a proctoring tool online?: The proctoring tool must be affordable and available to all the users so that people don’t get confused while using it. It must be authentic enough to maintain the integrity of the online exam. Different individuals rely on different interfaces for conducting activities online. Hence the tool must be easily accessible through various extensions present in the particular devices. Nowadays there is specialized software with anti-cheating features incorporated in it. They also provide unique diagnostic reports containing the details regarding the performance and activities of each student. It is important to validate these features to ensure that the proctoring tool is flexible enough when it comes to conducting a smooth examination process.
Importance of online proctoring examinations: The number of candidates appearing for job placements is increasing every year. Organizations and companies are completely dependent on online proctoring exams to shortlist these candidates who have the qualities to get selected. As the COVID 19 virus is spreading vigorously, companies are not taking the risk of conducting offline placements for college graduates. Especially aptitude assessments are widely used to test the potential of individuals and freshers who turn up for various internships. Here are some additional benefits that online proctoring examinations have brought in our system:
Promotes international educations: Many students want to pursue higher studies from international universities and institutes due to the increasing number of options related to the courses. For choosing such overseas streams and branches, proctoring exams play a vital role in our education system. These tests allow candidates to take part in the various admission tests that are conducted every year. Also, students don’t need to waste their expenses in travel and lodging for being a part of these live classrooms.
Schedules are more flexible: Students and teachers these days require a flexible environment where they can carry out their academic activities without any additional pressure. Online proctoring services allow these individuals to plan their routine accordingly so that their daily life activities do not clash with their educational commitments. With the help of prerecorded sessions and digital notes, students can easily keep themselves updated even if they miss their classes for some reason. The teachers can conduct doubt-solving sessions for the students who are weak in a particular area without any extra effort. Thus both the teachers and students can correlate their jobs harmoniously to achieve the best outcome.
Supports different categories of tests: The online exams allow the teachers to conduct exams in all multiple forms. There are specific boxes and options where the students can fill in the answer sheets by typing online. Even if they are not comfortable with expressing their answers in a digital format, they have the option to write them physically and upload them in the given links after scanning the papers effectively. As a result, teachers can conduct MCQs, quizzes, short tests, and so on regularly.
Can prevent cheating effectively: While giving the exams every student must turn on their webcams. Thus the invigilators can check what the students are doing besides writing their papers. With the latest trends in digital solutions, the invigilators can also inspect whether the students are opening other websites for accessing the answers online. The option to copy-paste the writings from other blogs and sites is also blocked by the software itself. Any suspicious activities will be captured by the proctor instantly.
Conclusion: Hence remote proctoring allows invigilators to conduct tests from different parts of the world. The teachers can easily observe the activities of the individuals through such cutting-edge devices and live recordings.
