With the growing demand for assessments on a large scale, the online test software is expected to become the future of exam management. It is important to have a fully functional online examination system.
This blog will serve you as a guide to help you make the best decision possible.
1. Cheating Prevention Mechanisms
One of the most searched questions on Google regarding online examinations is ‘‘How to Cheat in an Online Exam’’, proving the growing need for more mechanisms to detect and prevent such behavior. That is why you should choose a knowledge examination software that prevents cheating by offering:
- Browser lockdown
- Live monitoring
- Use question and answer generator
- Question and answer randomization
- Branching
2. Online Proctoring
High-stakes exams must be delivered securely to your candidates’ homes or offices. Proctoring, i.e., online invigilation, allows the organization to grow globally, administering more tests and reaching a wider geographic audience.
The online proctoring system, Proctorio, has many advantages, for example:
- It can recognize if there are multiple faces in front of camera
- Opening of any additional page in the browser – can be prevented
- Notification about exiting the full-screen mode
- Notification that there is a second screen connected
- Copy and paste can be disabled
- Microphone is muted or low volume
Automated and Live Proctoring reduces the possibility of cheating to the absolute minimum, allowing you to administer certain and valid remote tests.
2.1. Automated Proctoring System
Automated proctoring utilizes AI software to help you monitor the candidate’s behavior (mark suspicious moments, verify student’s identity, etc.) and can work alone without a human proctor.
Auto-proctoring allows your students to be tested at a time and place that is convenient for them.
The system:
- Monitors the test attempt using behavioral trackers
- Records the entire process and archives videos
- Generates a credibility report
2.2. Live Proctoring System
Live proctoring involves a human proctor that monitors candidates in real-time via a webcam and microphone on the candidate’s computer.
Live proctoring system involves certified proctors who:
- Supervise the exam in real-time
- Rule out cheating behavior personally
- Use an automated proctoring system as an additional security layer:
- behavioral trackers
- video recording
- reports generating
- Require candidates to connect an additional mobile camera for the view of 360°
3. Automated Scheduling and Management
To enhance productivity and save time for your candidates and staff, you should simplify the time-consuming test management and scheduling process. Look for the solution that provides end-to-end automation in terms of:
- Test creation
- Exam booking
- Payments
- Recertification
- Proctoring
- Grading
- Reporting
The pre-exam process might get complicated If suitable candidate management options are not provided inside the platform for large-scale 
tests. As a result, one of the first and most significant functions is the processing of student applications, which includes managing applicants in groups, generating test timetables, etc.
But don’t forget to look for eCommerce that will allow your candidates to purchase tests and do them on one platform.
The end result would be candidates’ smooth experience in exam booking and paying for the exam.
4. Integrations with LMS
Nowadays, many organizations already have a learning management system for learning purposes, but those LMSs have limited capabilities for knowledge testing.
Also, some regulations even restrict certain institution types from performing online training and examination on the same platform.
That is why integration with the knowledge examination platform is crucial. The ideal scenario for these organizations is integrating the LMS and powerful knowledge examination software.
Some of the important outcomes of integrating examination software and LMS are:
- Ability to retain LMS as a central system and use a powerful examination engine
- Synchronization of user and grade data
- Seamless navigation between those two systems for both students and test managers
5. Customization
If you want examination software to suit your institutional needs completely, look for this feature.
Customization in terms of flexibility to generate unique features, modules, notifications, and reports can make the whole test-taking experience better for you and test-takers.
A great knowledge examination platform offers:
5.1. White Labeling Options
5.1. White Labeling - Setting up your company logo and favicon
- Adjusting the application colors and theme according to your corporate standards
- Choosing a custom domain name
- Customizing in-app notifications and emails
- Modifying the language and text of the user interface
5.2. Developing Custom Features
The team behind the software is as important as the software itself. It will help if you are looking for an
agile product supported by a team of customer success managers and developers willing and able to customize the software according to your needs.
It would be best if you looked at other features such as:
- Help center and personal assistance that is always available to users
- An advanced reporting system that includes:
- Predefined reports
- Report builder
- Scheduled reports
- Multiple graders
- Takes data protection seriously
- Pricing plans for everyone
6. Personal Data Protection
The Internet has enabled information access and exchange, including personal data, easier and faster than ever before. Individuals willingly and unknowingly provide personal data online for various reasons, including purchasing goods and services, playing games, e-learning, and paying taxes.
Data protection consists of tools and policies that restrict data access.
It represents a set of techniques and procedures for ensuring your data’s privacy, availability, and integrity.
Any organization that gathers, processes, or stores sensitive data must have a data protection strategy.
A good approach can help prevent data loss, theft, and corruption and limit the harm caused by a breach or disaster.
What are some of the most significant dangers students, instructors, and administrators face?
- Software attacks – viruses, worms, macros, and denial of service (DoS) assaults are all present and accounted for in software attacks. These attacks can prevent users from accessing their programs, infect software, erase information, or damage programs, thereby causing costly and difficult challenges to a school or university system.
- Espionage – a hacker gains access to computer networks to retrieve confidential information in this cyber-attack. Organizations that store personally identifiable information (PII) about users and faculty pose a risk to those institutions and members it serves.
- Acts of theft – an attacker may steal everything from data to intellectual property. This may be extremely costly for educational institutions, both financially and in terms of brand reputation and trust.
- Authentication – most video conferencing tools send an email with a URL and meeting details. It’s great when this material is readily available to candidates, but it also means that it’s readily available to others. This can result in unsecured communications and possibly “Zoombombing,” which involves disclosing meeting information with people on the Internet who get illegal access to classes or meetings.
In YouTestMe, we place the most attention on our client’s data security and protection.
6.1. Security Roles
YouTestMe GetCertified features advanced access control to specific functions and data. User roles are formed based on the set of permissions that grant users different authorization rights within the application, whereas different authorization rights convey different access levels. All the predefined roles (administrator, student, proctor, and instructor) can be edited, while it is possible to create an unlimited number of new custom roles with specific permissions.
6.2. Data Encryption
To protect personal data, YouTestMe ensures:
- Hosting on FedRAMP-compliant servers
- GDPR compliance
- End-to-end encryption
- Limited access (to specific IP addresses only)
- Username/password-based authentication
- Security hardenings of our virtual machines
- Possibility of on-premise delivery
To check YouTestMe GetCertified out for yourself, please reach out to our friendly customer services team and schedule a live demo or a 30-Day Free Trial.
