How To Cheat A Proctored Online Exam
Online exam cheating is a serious offense with serious repercussions that extend far beyond simply failing the exam itself, such as damaging your academic reputation at school and possibly leading to legal proceedings against you.
Students often attempt to gain an unfair edge during online exams by accessing unauthorised materials, such as smartphones or textbooks. Furthermore, they might try concealing their movements or employ techniques such as answer hacking software in an effort to gain an unfair edge.
1. Copy and Paste Answers
One of the easiest and most prevalent methods of cheating during an online proctored exam is copying answers. This can be achieved using texting apps or messaging services to communicate with another student during their test and obtain answers that they then copy into their browser for use during it. Doing this constitutes cheating and violates all terms and conditions associated with proctoring services.
Many students also utilize social media during online proctored exams, using messaging apps, video calls or online chat forums to collaborate during exams with classmates, friends or tutors. This unauthorized collaboration can be extremely hard to detect and prevent; some even share passwords with impostor takers who use them take an exam on their behalf!
Students often employ non-technical means of cheating during online proctored exams. For instance, they might arrive early at the testing center and place a textbook or smaller laptop atop their main computer to help access Google and search answers during an exam – an often-used tactic since proctors cannot monitor every screen during an online examination session.
Covering up webcams with tape or Vaseline can also help a student avoid detection by proctoring software which tracks head or eye movements that might flag them as suspicious. Furthermore, using beanie/headphone techniques allows the student to cover up their face so it’s less likely a proctor will notice anything amiss on their screen during online exams.
One way around online proctoring is using virtual machines as an alternate operating system during remote exams. For example, students using MacBooks can create virtual Windows 11 machines on Mac OS and use these VMs during remote exams; this will enable them to search Google in the VM while remaining monitored by proctoring software installed on their main computer.
2. Change the Hours of Your PC
Exam proctoring software often uses webcams to monitor candidates during online proctored exams. One technical way of cheating during such an exam involves using software like ManyCam to intercept live feed and replace it with prerecorded footage.
Smartphones have changed the face of cheating in exams both physically and remotely proctored; but this type of cheating can still be stopped through a comprehensive anti-cheating framework including three safeguard elements:
3. Share Your Screen
Technological progress has allowed for an explosion of online education. While this has proven beneficial, it has also created new avenues for cheating during online exams and tests; some methods being more technical while others more subtle and covert.
Cheating during an online test is most commonly accomplished using devices such as tablets or phones to share your screen with another person and ask them to search for answers or even take the exam for you. Proctoring software detects this method.
Use of video cameras or smartwatches as another method for cheating during online exams is becoming an increasingly popular method to cheating, as you could easily be caught by the proctor, leading to invalid results and invalidated results.
Programmers and coders can circumvent multiple-choice exams by hacking into the exam system. Once they highlight an answer on a test, they’ll run it through software designed to translate coded answers into letters (1s) and numbers (0s). Unfortunately, this method won’t work on locked down browsers because most software prevents accessing external devices during exams.
Some students go so far as to hire another individual to take their online test for them, known as impersonation, which can be very hard to detect – this tactic has even been employed by twins or those who look alike.
Some students attempt to fool proctors or test administrators by intentionally logging out during tests. They might claim a power disruption, poor internet connection, or unplugging their device as reasons. While this method of cheating has worked before, it should not be recommended as an approach towards passing exams and receiving high grades.
4. Use a Reflective Device
Online proctored exams provide students with a great way to complete assessments without disrupting classroom learning environments, yet their lack of direct supervision leaves room for cheating and fraudulent practices to occur. With more students opting for these platforms than ever, innovative ways are emerging for cheating during assessments.
One dangerous method involves the use of a mirror to capture answers on the test screen, which may cause eye strain and other physical complications for exam takers, including accidental clicks that could result in disqualification from tests. An alternative technique involves recording test questions via video camera – but this approach could even more potentially dangerous due to being edited post-recording.
Tech-savvy test takers attempt to hide their cheating activities with various gadgets such as cell phones, smartwatches, earbuds and so forth; however, these gadgets can be detected using Alemira’s live proctoring tool which detects even minute movements during tests as well as suspicious activities.
Some students resort to impersonation during online proctored exams, including creating fake profiles or sharing login details in order to bypass identity verification processes. Others even hire impostors who will take the test on their behalf with the goal of altering their results.
Another method of online exam cheating is using virtual machines (VMs). A VM is a virtual environment that runs a different operating system than your primary OS; for example, on a Macbook running Mac OS, you could enable the VM while proctoring software monitors only its main OS.
Some students use an effective trick when taking online exams: drawing a grid on the back of scrap paper to give the illusion that they are answering questions from proctors, though this strategy can only work successfully if no one is watching closely enough to detect eye and body movements that indicate cheating.