Key takeaways
- Proctoring is a deterrent first and a detector second; visible rules prevent most cheating.
- Every method has a cost: bandwidth, privacy, installation friction or human time.
- Match the method to the stakes: practice tests need none, ranked exams need browser rules and camera checks.
- Decide what a flag means before the exam, not after.
The main proctoring methods
| Method | What it catches | Cost to candidates |
|---|---|---|
| Browser rules (full screen, tab-switch limits, copy blocked) | Searching answers in another tab, copy-paste | Almost none |
| Camera snapshots | Someone else writing, a second person in the room | Camera permission; little bandwidth |
| On-device face detection | No face or multiple faces, in real time | Camera permission; runs locally |
| Continuous video recording | Most visible behaviour, for later review | High bandwidth, privacy concerns, review hours |
| Live human invigilators | Behaviour in real time, with judgement | Scheduling, cost, stable video connection |
| Lockdown browsers | Other apps and tabs entirely | Installation, device compatibility issues |
No method catches everything. A phone below the camera's view defeats most of them. That's why proctoring works best as a visible deterrent combined with question design that makes copying less useful: shuffled order, application questions and a time limit that leaves no room to search.
Match the method to the stakes
- Practice and homework: no proctoring. The point is learning.
- Weekly tests and mocks: browser rules, with tab-switch auto-submit.
- Ranked mocks, scholarship tests, internals: browser rules plus camera snapshots and face checks.
- Certification and hiring: the above, with a camera required to start and a clear violation limit.
Decide what a flag means
A flag isn't proof. Cameras lose focus, siblings walk past, Wi-Fi drops. Decide in advance whether flags auto-submit after a limit or only get recorded for a human to judge, and say so in the instructions. Candidates behave better when they know the rules, and you avoid arguments later.
When you review, look at the timeline: one 'no face' event during a 90-minute exam is noise; a cluster of tab switches followed by a jump in correct answers deserves a conversation.
Privacy is part of fairness
Streaming video from a teenager's bedroom is a big ask. Methods that run detection on the candidate's device and upload only occasional stills collect far less, which is easier to justify to parents and easier to store responsibly.
Where Examezy fits
Examezy's proctoring is deliberately light: full screen, tab-switch warnings with auto-submit on the third switch, copy and paste blocked, and optional camera proctoring that counts faces on the candidate's device and uploads small snapshots, never video. You choose auto-submit after 3, 5 or 10 flags, or record only.
It doesn't offer a lockdown browser, ID matching or live invigilators. If you need those, we'll tell you so in the demo.
Frequently asked questions
Can online proctoring detect a phone?+
Most camera-based methods can't reliably see a phone held below the camera. Use time limits and application questions to reduce what a phone can help with.
Is AI proctoring legal in India?+
Collecting images of candidates is personal data processing. Tell candidates what you collect and why, collect the minimum, and follow your institution's data policy.