Exam cheating has been a problem that educational institutions worldwide have attempted to address for a long time. Because of technological advancements and the widespread use of the Internet, putting an end to it has just recently become increasingly necessary.
Exams are available to be taken online, which is extremely convenient. As a private learning center or educational institution, you don’t have to worry about location restrictions because students can take the exam anywhere. If students have access to a computer with an internet connection, administering online tests is relatively simple and inexpensive. Cheating is the most typical issue that comes with increased convenience.
What are the most common ways for students to cheat on online exams?
There’s no need to scribble math formulas on your palms any longer. Nowadays, students have created creative cheating strategies, most of which use the technology at their disposal.
When it comes to screen sharing during online assessments, a student doesn’t require much. Because the tests are administered remotely, the student can have a friend log in from another computer to access the exam questions and provide answers or assistance. Students have also used software such as Team Viewer, which allows a third party to manage a student’s computer remotely and finish the exam on their behalf.
Using state-of-the-art technical devices
Secret operatives utilize high-tech devices on espionage missions and by students to cheat on exams. Students have employed micro Bluetooth-powered earbuds, invisible timepieces, and augmented reality glasses to study during exams. These gadgets may appear normal and go undiscovered, particularly during online exams where video surveillance may not be as effective or visible. Students can stow additional devices under the table.
Using a smartphone to take notes and use apps
Students have begun to use smartphones to store exam-related notes, such as formulas and vocabulary, which they can use in secret during online tests. Additionally, mobile education apps such as Cymath and Brainly may help pupils solve exam problems more rapidly. For example, you can ask questions on the apps and get automatic recommendations or real-person responses in minutes.
Creating a false identity to get help from a third party
An exam facilitator or proctor can authenticate students during in-person exams. However, when examinations are administered online, it is far more difficult to ensure that only the right persons are allowed to take them, especially if they are not proctored or monitored. Even if a proctor is monitoring via webcam, students can be impersonated by others by exhibiting fabricated identifications such as a fake driver’s license or a fake school identification card, which are difficult to verify remotely.
What Can We Do to Make It Stop?
The most common approach is to use proctoring exam software. This option provides a plethora of options for ensuring a true and honest test-taking experience.
Scoring
Confidence in test findings is automatically assessed, and biometric identity verification is performed, among other things.
Mobile devices
Proctoring functionality is supported for Android and iOS.
The SDK’s integration
It works in the browser without the need for extensions, plug-ins, or third-party software and integrates smoothly with various testing platforms.
Using video to communicate
It provides communication with a live proctor via video, audio, and chat. The ability of a student to converse with many proctors at once.
Adding a second camera
For a 360-degree view, connect a second mobile camera.
Observation
It is possible to monitor up to 30 participants online at the same time for each proctor.
As an alternative to exam proctoring software, several schools have selected a more simple and cost-effective technique of testing students. Questions, for example, can be sent as document attachments via email. Students can be seen with a camera from the moment they access the questions and throughout the exam.
- One possibility is to add a document security solution to the mix to protect the integrity and security of online tests:
- Limit who has access to the question, and you can revoke permission at any time. You can add email verification as an extra degree of security to validate the authentication.
- Self-destruct the exam documents within a specified time frame to maintain the fairness of the exam session for all test takers.
- You can prevent unauthorized access and circulation of exam questions by restricting forwarding and downloading.
- Use a screen shield and a watermarked filter to minimize the document viewing area during online tests to avoid screenshots.
- Tracking records that reveal the user’s location and IP address can be utilized to spot possible third-party help.
Conclusion
Instructors may need to approach online assessment design differently in a traditional brick-and-mortar classroom. Still, they can use some of the ideas above to secure their online exams better and maintain academic integrity while also assessing their students’ overall course learning.
Students have found it easier to cheat during online assessments because of the lack of in-person supervision and readily available technologies. Understanding how students cheat in unique ways might assist you in determining the correct answer and reducing security problems.
