People have been cheating in exams for ages. With technological advancements, it is important to keep up with the changes and use the same technology for anti-cheating measures. Let’s check out how to prevent cheating in online tests and the various technologies used for this.
With more exams being conducted online, there’s an increasing concern that it encourages the participants to cheat. However, there are equally effective technologies and proctoring solutions to prevent unethical actions during online tests. After all, students still come up with unique ways to cheat in offline examinations, so the mode of test is not the root problem. Those who want to cheat will do it no matter how and where the exam is conducted.
It’s up to the test conductors and invigilators to take preventive measures and minimize the incidents. That said, the methods to prevent cheating when you conduct online quizzes will be different from the methods used for offline tests.
So, how to avoid cheating in online tests? What steps can you take to stop cheaters from gaining the upper hand during the exam?
Let’s check out below!
8 Effective Ways to Prevent Cheating in Online Tests
Cheating in online tests is not a new phenomenon. It may have increased over the years due to easy access to technology and cutthroat competition. Some people think cheating is justified if they can achieve what they want.
The best way to prevent cheating in exams is by identifying the ways a cheater might adopt to achieve their goal. When you know how they will cheat, you can block their attempts with a counter move. Usually, it is recommended to implement more than one method to ensure there is no chance for a participant to cheat.
Use Artificial Intelligence Tools
Artificial intelligence has brought many developments across industries. We have test makers for teachers, online test conducting platforms, and automated proctoring software with premium features. But how does AI detect cheating on online exams?
AI might help students cheat using ChatGPT but it also prevents them from cheating through facial and voice recognition technologies. AI-powered antivirus and antimalware software can be used to block their attempts to hack into the systems and access the questions in advance. It can flag suspicious activities, detect plagiarism by comparing the answers with texts from the internet, verify keystrokes, etc.
Moreover, AI can randomize the questions in real time forcing the participant to read the question and provide an answer instead of copying from others.
Mobile Phone Detection Technology
Another way of online test cheating prevention is to use technology that detects the presence and use of smartphones in the room. As the name suggests, this software can detect if someone has brought a mobile phone to the test. The software can spot multiple devices, especially Apple hands-free devices (EarPods) in real time to send alerts to the test conductor. The apps can be used as a plug-in or integrated with the LMS/ online test tool through APIs. It combines human and technical expertise to ensure accurate results.
Block Chatbots and Browser Extensions
Generative AI has been of great help to many people. However, it has also made it easy for students to plagiarize assignments and cheat in online exams. All they have to do is copy-paste the question to one of the genAI platforms like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Meta AI, Grok, etc. The AI chatbot will write the answer which they can copy or type into the test platform.
Similarly, certain browser extensions facilitate seamless cheating. Such attempts can be stopped by using software to block chatbots and extensions. Plagiarism checkers and AI content detectors are not always effective. That’s why, it’s necessary to stop the participants from using generative AI tools instead of trying to detect whether or not they cheated.
ID Screening and 360-degree Cameras
Impersonation is one of the common ways of online test cheating. The participants get someone else to take the test on their behalf. This is highly possible when the tests can be answered from their devices or locations. Such attempts can be identified and blocked by using ID screening tools.
In this, every participant has to clearly show their ID proofs and their faces through the camera. Their features are compared with the ID provided using facial recognition or biometric software. They will be allowed to start the test only after the ID has been verified. To prevent any change in between or after verification, 360-degree cameras are used to record their movements in real-time. The presence of another person will be captured and flagged. The participant has to face the camera at all times from start to finish.
Movement and Background Voice Detection
Modern cameras are powerful and come with extensive features like motion detection, audio detection, etc. The camera not only scans the surrounding areas but also listens to any sounds that might indicate the presence of another person or a voice assistant. For example, a participant may have someone sitting in the corner of the room away from the camera to read out the answers. Such attempts can be detected using advanced cameras and relevant software.
You can conduct practice tests to check how the software works and make changes to the instructions if necessary. Combining this with mobile phone detection software will ensure that participants don’t use voice assistants and hands-free devices to source answers from others.
Browser Lockdown
Another way to prevent cheating in online exams is to lock the browser once the test begins. The participants will not be able to switch from one browser to another or open a fresh tab on another browser. They have to stay on the same test interface until they submit the answers and close the test or until the timer ends. At the same time, right clicks are also disabled to prevent copy-pasting of the questions or answers. Screen-recording software can also be used to check if the participant has tried to cheat. This limits the attempts to cheat using the same device. When used with other anti-cheating tools, it becomes very effective in minimizing the chances of a cheater becoming successful.
Remote Proctoring Software
People can come up with innovative ways to cheat. For example, online test answers can be written on paper or skin (as they do for in-person exams). These may not even be noticed if there aren’t proper cameras or supporting proctoring tools. Moreover, it can become complicated when you have to combine different cheating-prevention methods. A simpler and more effective solution is to invest in reliable remote proctoring software. By including IP detection and other such features, you can further reduce the risk of cheating and track the devices used by the participants for the tests. Some service providers include human proctoring remotely to ensure what’s flagged by the system is verified by humans. This is like an additional security layer.
Talk About the Consequences
While technology cannot be ignored, human involvement is also necessary. Talk to the candidates in advance about the negative effects of cheating in exams and being caught. Be strict with the rules and take immediate action on cheaters. When people see that they cannot escape the consequences of their actions, they are likely to hesitate to commit the same mistake/ crime. Though it will not miraculously make cheaters give up their habits, it will make them rethink their actions. Use examples of what happened to cheaters to emphasize your point.
To Sum Up
You can try other methods like not allowing bathroom breaks during the exams. Create question papers that cannot be easily sourced online or offline. Go through practice tests online to cross-check the questions and rephrase or replace them. Make the test paper as authentic and unique as possible while ensuring the questions are within the scope of the syllabus. Use AI-powered question generator tools like PrepAI to create high-quality exam papers. The platform can be integrated with proctoring software to prevent cheating.
