Proctored exams are becoming more and more common in schools. They are a way for universities to test out of classes or for teachers to gauge their student’s class attendance and participation levels during spring and summer break.
As mobile devices become more prevalent in the workplace, whether proctored exams can detect phones or devices is becoming a hot topic.
Can Proctored Exams Detect Phones?
Proctored exams are an important part of your education but can be stressful. You might worry about missing a test or taking it again.
Or you might be worried about cheating or other students getting into your notes.
Proctored exams will not detect phones. However, the webcam will display if you gaze to the side to use a phone. There are several methods for detecting if you are using a phone during proctored exams. Also, the proctor may use the web camera to detect when you’re looking down at your phone.
If you’re looking down at your phone, we will know that you are using it because we’ll see movement in the image captured by our camera.
The proctor may use the microphone on the computer to detect any sound from the phone, and then we will see if it is consistent with what is being heard. You are in trouble if it is consistent with what is being heard on the phone.
How Students use Phones to Cheat
This is a list of ways students use phones to cheat.
1. Browsing Answers Online
There is a lot of information available on the internet. It is easy to find answers to almost any question. Unfortunately, this also makes it possible for students to cheat on exams.
The first thing that students do is look up answers using their phones. Some people do this to check their work before going to class or after coming home from school. Others do it to ensure they have the right answer and are not guessing.
The second thing students do is use search engines such as Google or Bing to look up answers.
As long as they are not caught, most teachers will not know that they cheated because they did not write down the answers themselves.
They will just check out what others wrote and then decide which ones to use in their writing assignments.”
2. Texting
Students often text their answers before taking a test or write them down in their notebooks or on paper. They then erase the message from their phone, so no one else can see it.
Students cheat on online tests and exams by using their cell phones to text, email, and surf the web. They do this to prepare for exams and other assignments, as well as to communicate with friends.
The problem with using this method is that if a student gets caught by the teacher or administrator, they will have no record of what they wrote down. This makes it difficult to prove whether or not they did cheat without destroying all evidence of their actions.
Some schools have introduced programs designed to combat cheating through text messages sent out during exams following questions that appear on tests.
These programs allow teachers and administrators to monitor students’ phone activity during testing periods and alert them when suspicious behavior occurs during tests themselves.
3. Taking a Picture of the Test
Taking a picture of the test is an easy way to cheat. It’s not always easy to see if someone has taken a picture of your test, but some telltale signs can help you detect it.
Students use their phones to cheat on exams. They use apps that allow them to take a picture of the test and send it to a friend who will help them with the answers.
Students also use apps to record their answers and then play the recording. This method is known as “cheating by watching.”
The students can see what they are getting wrong and correct their answers accordingly.
The video recording feature can be disabled in some apps, but in others, it remains enabled even if the phone is locked.
4. Apps
The most popular form of cheating in schools today is student use of mobile devices. Schools have made many recent efforts to curb the use of cell phones, but they continue to be a problem.
The most popular apps used by students to cheat are:
1. StudyMode – Free app that allows users to do their assignments on their phones during class
2. Feefo – Free app that allows users to upload and share feedback with teachers, peers and tutors
3. Piazza – Free app that allows users to submit assignments and get feedback from a classmate
4. TutorVista – Free app that allows students to check out tutorials, assignments, quizzes and exams from other students
How to Prevent Phones from Exam Rooms
Provide a Cell Phone Agreement
If you are using the exam room for patients, you must provide a cell phone agreement to everyone who enters the room. This agreement should state that all cell phones must be placed on the exam room floor and out of sight at all times.
Students should leave their phones in their pockets or bags when they enter the exam room, but once they are seated, they must be turned off and put on the exam room floor.
Make sure everyone understands what is expected of them before entering the room.
Switch them off
The best way to ensure your phone doesn’t interfere with the exam is to make sure it’s switched off. You can also ask your doctor and staff to do the same.
Staff must be aware of this rule and ensure they follow it. As a teacher, you are responsible for ensuring that no students are using their phones during an exam.
If you notice students using their phones during an exam, take action immediately by asking them to switch them off.
Can Proctored Exams Detect other Devices?
Proctored exams provide secure avenues to minimize cheating during examination sessions. They have specific features that enable that to detect other devices that students may employ while sitting for their examination to cheat and have an advantage over others. Some of these devices are as follows:
Scanning Hardware and Peripherals
The proctoring software can scan your computer to detect all hardware and other peripherals connected to it. This way, they will offer a full report of these devices. If the report contains unacceptable items during the exams, it will be a hit for further investigation.
Detect Virtual Machines
Proctoring software can detect virtual machines, which are often used to cheat on online proctored exams.
There are several ways that proctoring software can detect virtual machines.
First, proctoring software can check for the presence of certain files and programs that are typically only found on virtual machines.
Second, proctoring software can check the test-taker’s IP address to see if it matches the IP address of a known virtual machine provider.
Finally, proctoring software can monitor the test taker’s computer activity during the exam to look for any signs that they are using a virtual machine.
Furthermore, proctoring software can detect virtual machines, including checking for unusual network activity, looking for mouse and keyboard emulation signs, and checking for multiple monitors.
If proctoring software detects any of these signs, it will usually flag the exam as suspicious. It may take further action, such as notifying the instructor or preventing the student from continuing the exam.
Can Teachers take your Phone during Exams?
Teachers can take your phone away during an exam. However, there are a few caveats to this. First, the teacher must have a clear and reasonable policy regarding phone use during exams. This policy should be communicated to students before the exam.
Second, the teacher must be consistent in enforcing this policy.
If a student is caught using their phone during an exam, the teacher should take away the phone and not allow the student to continue using it.
There are a few exceptions to this rule. For example, if a student needs to use their phone for a medical emergency or to contact a parent, the teacher may allow them to do so. However, in general, students should not expect to be able to use their phones during exams.
