The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all areas of the world, and the education sectors were among the most affected ones. Here, exam proctoring software came to the rescue and gained huge fame during the lockdown period.
But then, the question arises which remote proctoring software should be used, and what features must it have? It is quite a tricky question but do not worry; we have got you covered.
Read the article below to learn about the remote proctoring features that should be kept in mind while choosing one.
What is Remote Proctoring Software?
Remote proctoring is basically software that allows the students to solve the exams remotely, sitting at any location while upholding the exam’s integrity. This software approves the identity of students and then monitors them during the exam via webcam. And, if something suspicious is happening at the student’s end, they get caught.
Verification of the identity of exam takers is a must to avoid any kind of academic misconduct. So, the remote proctoring tool plays its part in the entry of students by ensuring multi-factor biometric authentication such as face scan, ID scan, and room scan.
They also come with a lockdown mechanism that averts students from logging onto web browsers or other applications while the test is going on.
What are the Key Features to Look Out for When Choosing the Remote Proctoring Software?
To make the process of choosing the remote proctoring software easy, here are the following features that you must look out for:
1. Scalability and Flexibility
While looking for remote proctoring software, the most important feature to keep in mind is the scalability and flexibility of the software.
It is very important to check whether it is flexible enough to handle the changing scales of examinations or not. The software should not crash down even after occupying many students. Moreover, it also needs to be flexible to work in correspondence with the current system perfectly.
Some institutes work globally, and the candidates take exams worldwide. So, the online proctoring software must have sufficient scalability and flexibility to conduct exams on multiple time slots. If the software has these remote proctoring features, then it is your perfect go-to option.
2. Cost
The cost of remote proctoring should be minimal. As the pandemic has caused the education sector to conduct online learning mode and institutes have deployed LMSs and associated IT infrastructure, it has also cost them a heavy price.
In such a situation, if the proctoring software is also expensive, it can be troublesome for institutions to manage. Therefore, the more economical the price is, the better it is for educational institutions.
3. Integration
One of the most vital remote proctoring features of exam-conducting software is that it should effectively integrate with the existing software of universities and schools.
Just in case there is non-integration of the online proctoring platform, it will cost institutions the additional costs to buy online exam conducting software. So, having integration in remote proctoring is a plus.
4. Robustness
The remote proctoring software must be robust and should avoid human interference in various activities. It is because human beings can make mistakes. So, there is a solid chance that any kind of manual error can occur, which can be dodged using software in which there is zero chance of faults.
5. Accessibility Across Devices
There might be different devices for the purpose of online examinations. For remote proctoring software, compatibility and accessibility across those devices and the operating system is crucial.
If the software offers this kind of flexibility, it will assist educational institutes in taking care of remote proctoring solutions effortlessly while conducting exams.
6. 2-Step Candidate Authentication Mechanism
There are some students that try to cheat during examinations. To stop those cheaters from messing around during online examinations, online remote proctoring software must have a 2 step candidate authentication mechanism.
This 2-step candidate authentication mechanism should detect students’ faces and identify their identities to ensure the right candidate is taking the exam. Moreover, it must also access the audio, video and devices of the candidates to keep a check on them during the test.
7. User-Friendly
For any software, user experience matters a lot. And, for the proctoring software, it must be simple or else users will face challenges before or during the exam.
The online remote proctoring system should be automated and have built-in navigation to interact with the software. Moreover, the software must be compatible with every device, as students use various devices to take the exam.
8. Reporting
It is often more tedious to check the question papers online rather than checking them physically because, along with checking the answers, invigilators also have to use the software properly. And any mistake might end up in consequences unthought of.
So, keeping in mind all this, the remote proctoring software must evaluate candidate answer sheets in detail and provide them to the instructors without human interference. It is quite effective in analyzing whether the candidate’s obtained marks are the same as the ones he/she could get in physical exams.
9. Security
If you are using the remote proctoring software while conducting the exams, it will ask candidates to share personal information to verify their identity. It is done to ensure that no misconduct is happening. But, during this process, students’ personal information is stored, which, if leaked, can become a huge matter of concern.
So, to safeguard this, the online remote proctoring software must protect the data at any cost, which will give confidence to the candidates to take the test with ease.
10. Customer Support
Many instructors and students face difficulty dealing with remote proctoring software. So, to be more effective in proctoring software, endless support should be provided to the customers. The software must have a customer-support mechanism that provides 24/7 services to the client.
It will make life easier for candidates and instructors conducting examinations because customer support is there to answer all their queries if they have any issues.
Sum Up
Online proctoring software has certainly become the need of the hour. It comes with some amazing benefits, like providing convenience for examiners and students, protecting data, and ensuring that no unfair practices occur during the examination. All these benefits make it well worth it.
However, before purchasing remote proctoring software, make sure to consider the above-mentioned features. The software should be scalable, flexible, cost-effective, secure, user-friendly, and robust. Moreover, it should integrate the existing academic software, evaluate candidates’ answers, and offer 24/7 customer support service.
