Typical Methods Used by Students to Cheat on Remotely Proctored Tests

Approach 1: Utilizing External Resources
Some candidates believe that it is quite simple to use outside resources to cheat on remotely proctored tests, which refers to using anything that is not permitted to be accessed or used during an exam.

Even though scrawled notes smuggled into test rooms are probably as old as exams themselves and are discouraged by a variety of measures, such as physical proctors, the truth is that remotely proctored exams can also be equally secure from attempts at cheating.

There are a number of reasons why an organization could select online proctoring versus test center proctoring when deciding which method is better. However, the response regarding exam security is the same for both: there is no foolproof method to stop test cheating. Rather, to offer exams the best chance of being secure, all test cheating precautions should have these three essential components:

DETER: Measures taken to discourage applicants or students from thinking about cheating on tests.
PREVENT: Measures taken to stop or make it more difficult for candidates or students to cheat on examinations and exams.
IDENTIFY AND REACT: Steps to determine whether test fraud is occurring and take appropriate action if it is.
Watch the recording of our most recent webinar to find out more about this: A Precautionary Step: Test Security and Proctoring in 2023

Here are a few typical instances of outside resources utilized for cheating. No matter how secure remotely proctored exams are, some candidates still think that using test proctoring techniques to cheat is easy.

Instances of external resources utilised in deception
databases and search engines on the internet
As previously indicated, a new technique for test-cheating emerged with online proctored exams: Google. Candidates who are determined to cheat might try to open a new browser covertly and utilize the internet to get help, or these days, they might use the amazing ChatGPT.

Using a locked-down browser, which can make it challenging to launch other applications, use the print screen command, and determine whether you’re running a virtual machine, is one of the most helpful tools for managing this. To put it briefly, it makes a device (mainly) exclusively usable for exams during the actual exam period.

Cell phones
Smartphones have revolutionized the way that exams are cheating, whether they are taken in a remotely proctored exam or in a classroom setting. Proctoring is a helpful aspect of using the three safeguard factors stated above to counteract phone use, as is the case with any attempts at cheating.

Books and notes
In the realm of cheating, trying to smuggle notes and textbooks into exams—whether in person or via remote exam—is nothing new. Although it may appear to be a very simple way to cheat in a distance, in reality, it can still be prevented with a comprehensive anti-cheating strategy provided by the organization.

prewritten assignments and essays
Regardless of the technique used, there is never a certainty that anything will stop someone from cheating on an exam. Exam cheating frequently involves using prewritten or written-for-you assignments, but this can be better prevented with a combination of deterrents (such as a clear policy on consequences for cheating), tools (such as proctoring solutions), and continuously updated exam questions.

preventing exam cheating by using phony outside resources

There are many different approaches to preventing cheating, and as we’ve discussed previously, they should usually be taken into account as a component of a comprehensive strategy.

Using a thorough proctoring tool will be a helpful tool to assist combat potential cheating when it comes to addressing the usage of outside resources during an exam. With automatic record and review options, this can assist in identifying a variety of behaviors that may require examination. It also makes it possible to assess an exam after it has occurred.

Comparably, to prevent students from simply opening a new browser to look for answers, platforms like Questionmark’s online assessment solution come equipped with a locked-down browser that prevents students from leaving their exam environment without changing the AI system.

Method 2: Working in Partnership
While working together is typically regarded as a positive human trait, cheating can make this a particularly concerning situation. The “collaborative cheater” poses a greater threat than an individual in certain situations, as they may seek to get an unfair advantage by distributing exam questions ahead of time or by trying to take the test as a group. Studies have indicated that as an atmosphere of dishonesty normalizes, it also has the potential to spread.

Here are a few scenarios of cooperative remote cheating.

distributing the solutions to others
Exam cheating has always involved taking a test and giving the answers to friends, and the advent of digital exams hasn’t changed that. As with many forms of cheating, there are several ways to address it. For this specific type of cheating, one helpful strategy is to employ randomized questions, which present each group of applicants with a fresh set of unpredictable, random questions.

Taking the test in tandem
With remote tests, it can be very difficult to have a second person help with the exam while hidden from view. This calls for a strict anti-cheating policy and deterrents to dissuade test takers long before the exam is given.

Sharing knowledge using communication tools
The potential for messaging systems to be abused is a known problem, with examples ranging from Whatsapp groups to the leaking of exam questions on TikTok. However, a candidate’s desire to divulge material during an exam can be significantly decreased with correctly installed proctoring technology in addition to all other deterrent techniques available to an organization.

Keeping group test cheating from occurring
The regrettable outcome of people having the chance, the motivation, and the capacity to justify their actions as “not so bad” is test cheating. Even though cutting-edge technologies, such as browser lockdowns and online proctoring, might be excellent deterrents, preventing exam cheating requires much more than just tech-based strategies. Organizations need to take a comprehensive strategy when addressing this area of learning and development, including question design, communication about why test cheating is more than just failing, and preparing test takers for success from the start.

Method 3: Cheating Using Technology
Like any progress, there’s a risk that it may be abused, thus people tend to avoid it. This is often the case with technology, and it is true that technology can be abused in connection with cheating. Some examples of how a candidate can use technology to cheat on a remotely proctored exam are shown below. You can use software emulators or share your screen with someone else to see questions.

Tools for remote control and screen sharing
One fairly prevalent method of cheating on proctored tests is to share screens or use other remote tools. These techniques are usually handled with locked-down browser capabilities.

Emulators for software and virtual machines
Proxy testers pose a serious hazard by using a virtual computer and gaining access to a candidate’s or student’s keyboard to assist them in answering questions. This kind of test cheating is challenging to control and calls for a concerted effort on the part of the concerned organization to publicize the repercussions well in advance of the exam. As a clear warning to others who might be thinking of taking a similar strategy, numerous Varsity Blues students who had exams completed for them (during an in-person exam) via proxy test takers were discovered and expelled from their universities.

Wearable technologies and mobile devices
Smartphones are among the most popular tools for exam fraud and are seen to be a simple alternative to test proctoring software. In order to discover an answer, candidates may utilize social media groups, message one another with queries, or just use a search engine. It is all feasible, of course, but the likelihood of success can be decreased with the right tools and deterrents, such as remote proctoring solutions.

Keeping technology from being fraudulently used in tests
Organizations may improve test integrity and prevent cheating by putting all the required precautions in place, such as understanding motivations, communicating clearly about consequences, and, of course, employing proctoring solutions.

Technologies for Proctoring to Stop Cheating
Solutions for remote proctoring can be helpful in maintaining the integrity of exams. Live online proctoring, commonly referred to as “remote proctoring,” is a popular proctoring method used by organizations all over the world. It enables a proctor to observe a candidate’s conduct and halt a test at any time by using the candidate’s webcam and microphone features.

One more widely used technique is automated proctoring. Automated solutions like our Record and Review proctoring tools, sometimes referred to as AI proctoring, are very useful in supporting a human reviewer both during and after an exam. The exam is observed by the automated system, which also records it on video for future review.

In addition, the technology highlights certain irregularities, including the presence of a second person on screen, so that a proctor or other concerned party can examine them later on without having to go through the complete recording. Compared to a standard exam, this strategy significantly increases the exam’s resistance to cheating.

Of course, there is also the conventional approach of proctoring tests in person.