Do you have questions about Proctorio? Here are 21 important things to know about Proctorio and what this online proctoring service means for students.
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In a typical exam room, a supervisor monitors students to ensure there is no cheating.
However, with the increase in e-learning, students and teachers have had to adopt technologies that help ensure integrity in the exam room.
A popular tool that is being used by faculties today is Proctorio. Although the software is over five years old, people still have questions and concerns about using it for their exams.
This article will discuss some of the most important things you should know about Proctorio to get started.
1. What is Proctorio?
Proctorio is an online proctoring service that uses artificial intelligence to help guard the integrity of online assessments.
The software can integrate with a school’s learning management system for fully online courses to ensure academic integrity and that students are graded fairly.
2. How Proctorio Works
Proctorio is a web browser extension, meaning you have to download and install the extension for whatever browser you use.
Proctorio works with the following browsers:
- Google Chrome
- Microsoft Edge
- Opera
- Brave
Once the extension is installed and you log in to your exam platform, Proctorio is active. The program will monitor your facial movements, screen, audio, and keystrokes during the exam.
However, the instructor can decide to disable some of these settings for a particular course (more on this later).
3. How to Download the Proctorio Extension
Follow the steps below to add the Proctorio extension to your browser:
- Go to getProctorio.com
- Select click here, and you will be redirected to a page where you can download the extension for your browser
- Select download.
- The extension will appear on your browser window, ready for use.
This download process should take you no longer than 30 seconds. Any extension updates will be made automatically.
4. What Does a Student Need to Use Proctorio?
If your online exam is using Proctorio, you will need the following items:
- A working laptop or computer with a webcam and microphone
- Internet access
- Proctorio extension on your browser
- Student ID for verification
If you do not have a computer or internet access, the next best option is to take the exam at your local library or the school library if you can access it.
Ensure the library has everything you need for the proctored exam. If your computer does not have a webcam or microphone, you must buy these items before taking the exam.
The Proctorio extension will do a system checkup to confirm that your computer has everything needed for the exam. If there is an issue, the program will notify you, and you can take the necessary steps to rectify the problem.
Students are advised to take practice proctored exams to ensure they are well prepared for the test.
Doing this will help you know whether there are any issues with your system, and you can fix them in good time before the assessment.
5. Can Proctorio See Your Screen?
Yes, Proctorio can actively monitor your screen or even record it for later review. During your exam, Proctorio will likely take regular screenshots of your screen.
If you are flagged for suspicious activity, these screenshots and recordings will be used as part of a manual review to determine if you were cheating.
However, Proctorio does NOT see or collect your previous web browser history. The program will only monitor activity during the proctored exam, and does not have access to past web searches or website history.
The program will also clear the cache at the end of the exam session so no exam information can be shared with others.
6. Can Proctorio Track Your Eye Movement?
According to Proctorio’s own FAQ section, they do not track eye movement.
Rather than tracking eye movements, Proctorio uses facial detection to determine if you are looking away from your exam for an extended period of time.
This facial recognition is meant to determine if you are looking at off-screen notes or glancing down at a phone.
7. Can Proctorio See Your Keyboard?
If your webcam is angled towards your face, Proctorio will not be able to see your keyboard.
However, your test administrator may require you to do a desk scan. If you are selected, you will have to use your webcam to show your desk area.
This ensures that no unauthorized materials are being used while taking your test.
8. Can Proctorio Track Which Websites You Are Visiting?
If your instructor has enabled you to visit other websites during your exam, Proctorio will be able to monitor which sites you visit.
However, many instructors choose to lock your web browser completely. This will prevent you from visiting any other websites during your exam period.
Although Proctorio can track websites you visit during your exam, it does not have access to your web browser history. This means that they do not track which websites you visit before or after your exam period.
9. Does Proctorio Always Use A Webscam?
Your test administer can decide if they want to enable the webcam feature or not. If your instructor enables it, then the webcam will be active for the duration of your exam.
10. Can Proctorio Detect Phones?
No, Proctorio can not detect phones unless they are in view of the webcam.
However, Proctorio does track your gaze. So if you are constantly looking offscreen at a phone or your notes, Proctorio may flag you for suspicious behavior or cheating.
11. Your Personal Data is Safe
Proctorio only has access and control over the following items during an ongoing exam:
- Webcam for screen recording, screenshots, student ID for verification, and facial movements
- It will manage your downloads, apps, extensions, and themes.
- Read any data on websites visited during the exam.
- Computer microphone to record sounds and identify student’s keystrokes
- The extension will recognize and eject any devices connected to the computer, like additional monitors and storage devices.
- Display notifications
Proctorio strives to abide by FERPA laws.
Any information collected during an exam is only made available to the relevant institution to be accessed by your instructor.
The instructor decides which settings to enable for an exam, including how long the data stays on Proctorio.
Proctorio will also inform you how long and where your data will be stored during the exam pre-checks. Generally, the extension will store data for 30 days before destroying it or sending it to the relevant institution.
Finally, Proctorio is only active when you log into your exam platform and lose all access and control after you log out.
12. What to Avoid During a Proctorio Test
Your general environment plays a big role in judging your academic integrity during a Proctorio test.
Here is what you should avoid doing during an exam that is monitored by Proctorio:
- Constantly looking away from the screen
- Getting up or leaving the camera’s view
- Reading aloud
- Having many people in the room or around you during the exam
- Using a calculator, sticky notes, or scratch paper unless it is required for the exam. Before starting the exam, you must show the camera any tools required for the test.
- Using your headphones
- Copy/pasting information
By following these guidelines, you will ensure that you won’t be flagged for cheating or suspicious activity.
13. Does Proctorio Give You A Warning If You Are Flagged?
Proctorio can flag you if they detect that you are cheating or engaging in suspicious behavior.
You will not receive a warning from Proctorio if you are flagged, but your instructor may give you a verbal warning if they notice you looking off screen or hear excessive background noises.
A flagged test does not automatically mean you will be kicked out of the exam or failed. Flagged exams are typically sent for manual review to determine if anything suspicious took place.
14. What Happens If You Get Caught Cheating On A Proctored Test?
Proctorio detects cheating by using screen monitoring, facial recognition, and audio and video recording during the exam.
If you are caught cheating on a Proctorio proctored test, your exam will be flagged for your instructor to review.
If it is determined that you cheated on the test, it will be up to your instructor or the school to determine the best course of action.
You may fail the exam, be required to retake it, or even be suspended or expelled if you are caught cheating, depending on your school’s policies.
15. Why Proctorio Needs Your ID
Proctorio needs your ID because your instructor set it as an exam requirement to verify that you are indeed a student of that institution and are taking that particular course.
It is common for webcams to have trouble picking up an image. This is usually because of a background or lighting issue.
Adjusting your camera position or changing the location should fix the problem. Locations with ample natural or artificial light and blank or plain backgrounds are the best.
If you face any more issues after attempting the solutions above, contact Proctorio for further technical assistance.
16. Can You Use Proctorio On Your Phone?
Proctorio does not work on mobile devices. You will need a laptop or a desktop to take your exams.
17. Can You Use Proctorio On An iPad?
No, Proctorio will not work on an iPad. You must use a laptop or desktop computer to take an exam with Proctorio.
18. Does Proctorio Flag Background Noise?
Proctorio will flag excessive background noise. If you live with roommates or family members, be sure to let them know ahead of time that you need a quiet environment for taking your test.
However, a flagged exam does not mean an automatic fail. Your instructor will be able to review the audio recording to determine if there was any inappropriate behavior during the exam.
19. You Might Need to Perform a Room Scan
Room scans are usually a random request during a Proctorio test. It usually happens if the instructor has requested the program to do it at a certain time during the exam.
A Proctorio room scan requires you to give the webcam a 360 tour of your location.
This task is doable with a laptop but not a desktop because a desktop is bulky, and carrying something heavy around the room might result in shaky and unacceptable footage.
In this case, ensure you get clear instructions from your teacher on how to do the room scan. After the scan, ensure you return the laptop to its original position.
20. Proctorio Will Not Notify the Test-Taker of any Suspicious Activity
Any suspicious activity during a test will be reported to the instructor, not the student.
This means that a student cannot tell whether they have been flagged or not.
Instead, the instructor will go through the report provided by Proctorio and determine whether the suspicious activity qualifies as cheating or not.
21. How to Contact Proctorio Support
Relying on Learning Management Systems (LMS) and other online software comes with its fair share of challenges. For example, the only option is to contact customer care when Proctorio cannot verify your student ID after several attempts.
Fortunately, Proctorio has 24-hour support for instructors and students using the extension.
You can contact Proctorio support through phone, email, or live chat options in the extension. However, the fastest way to get help is through live chat, and you can use it before, during, or after the exam.
Here is how to contact Proctorio support via live chat;
- Open your browser where you have installed the extension.
- Click on the extension icon.
- Select the live chat option.
- A chat box should pop up on your screen.
- Type in your issues in the chat box and get help.
The official email for Proctorio support is [email protected]
This post went over the most important things to know about Proctorio.
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