How to Cheat in Online Viva Exam
Online exams have become the standard for many students. Unfortunately, online examinations can also be susceptible to cheating, particularly high-stakes assessments such as exams or tests.
Students have been known to use screen sharing in online exams in order to cheat, giving another person access to their computer in order for them to answer exam questions on their behalf.
1. Copying answers
Since many students find copying answers easier than writing their own, copying answers during online exams is a serious threat to exam integrity and less fair assessments of student abilities. Students need to understand the significance of cheating in online exams and how it could undermine their capacity for learning.
Viva questions can be extremely diverse and span a wide variety of domains, testing both your breadth and depth of knowledge. Therefore, it is vital that you prepare a wide range of answers that cover every possibility; reviewing relevant literature such as recent papers is recommended in this regard.
A viva can be an emotionally taxing experience, so it is crucial that you remain calm under pressure. Therefore, it is crucial that any obvious signs of anxiety be avoided such as shaking hands with examiners as this could give the impression that you are nervous. Also make sure all presentation equipment works before beginning the exam.
At your viva exam, examiners will ask questions regarding your research and thesis. Some questions may be technical in nature and it would be beneficial if you have a copy of it available as reference during this phase. Using highlighters or sticky notes to highlight sections that you wish to refer back to may help avoid wasting both time and energy during this step of your test.
2. Sharing answers
Students often share answers during online viva exams by using screen sharing software or simply calling friends to exchange answers with. It only takes minutes or so and enables students to cheat without getting caught. Luckily, smart technologies exist which can prevent this from occurring.
In order to perform well during a viva, it’s crucial that you know your thesis inside out. Draft a summary if necessary and revise this continuously as the viva approaches (and before). Ideally, compile it into a booklet, adding color-coded sticky notes so it is easy for examiners to quickly locate chapter titles, important tables, main hypotheses/RQ’s/implications of findings etc during your viva session.
Be familiar with any literature you cited in your thesis to enable you to respond easily if questioned about it by examiners. They might inquire into any references they haven’t read as well as material that was left out.
There are also viva revision books that can help, though these are by no means exhaustive and must still be supplemented with more extensive research on your subject. It would also be prudent to plan out how your answers are structured so as not to rely solely on memory during an oral viva examination.
Practice answering any potential viva questions with someone acting as your examiner, preferably before scheduling the actual event. Have a test call before your actual viva date to ensure you have an uninterrupted internet connection, camera working properly, and can communicate clearly.
3. Using a computer
Online education has revolutionized how students study. But despite this advancement, cheating on exams remains widespread; students continue to devise clever schemes to cheat in both online and offline tests alike. This shouldn’t come as any surprise since smart and resourceful students spend more time coming up with clever ways of cheating than studying for exams themselves.
Cheating in online exams often relies on computers; exam takers can utilize second monitors attached to PCs or smartphones/tablets/smartwatches/laptops in order to search for answers during examination. Furthermore, test-takers may alter hour settings on their computers in order to access answers during the exam without getting caught.
An additional strategy involves virtual machines. This type of software creates an image of another operating system within your own, and allows you to run it separately on another screen during a test – for instance if using a MacBook for your exam, installing Windows 11 as a VM would enable you to google anything and answer questions while the proctor sees only your Mac OS screen.
These methods of cheating may not be as common, but they are still effective. Proctors can implement software to block logins from different IP addresses or block pages; additionally they may make the exam fill the entire screen to prevent students from switching screens to hunt for answers; additionally they could install systems to detect and prevent content leakage that undermines exam integrity or causes damage to reputation.
4. Using a mobile device
Online exams have become an industry dominated by companies offering solutions for sale to students. While colleges and universities employ remote proctoring technologies to prevent cheating, students often devise creative means of bypassing them – further undermining exam integrity as well as credibility of learning progress.
Students using mobile devices during an online examination can use them to access prohibited materials and share this knowledge with fellow students. They can take photos of the exam and send it off to friends taking it later; this method is particularly popular when administered across multiple time zones. Furthermore, some students even pay someone else to take their exam on their behalf.
As another way of cheating during an online exam, using video cameras on smartphones, tablets or smartwatches may allow students to avoid detection by their teachers while concealing their cheating from other people. Furthermore, students can install software which intercepts their teacher’s video camera feed and provides them with pre-recorded material instead.
Some students attempt to deceive a proctor by pretending they need a break or have an emergency, which allows them to access information online, chat with helpers or review notes from previous exams. They could even engrave their phones with information they plan to use during an exam but cover it with paper bags so the proctor cannot see.
No matter the method employed, cheating during an online exam can have serious repercussions for students involved. Being caught engaging in this behavior could result in losing scholarships, expulsion from school or even arrest charges being issued against them.
5. Using a software
Students have found inventive ways to cheat in online viva exams. These students have used various tools and tricks to bypass proctoring software, such as switching the images on their webcams backwards, changing camera settings or tonality, altering voice tone etc. Additionally, mobile phones are frequently used to take photos of exam questions and answers before uploading them via websites or social media platforms; some even use software which lets them copy-paste answers directly.
Some students have attempted to employ traditional forms of cheating during an online exam by writing notes on their palms or taping them to the computer screen; however, these students don’t realize that proctors are keeping an eye out for any suspicious behaviors and are quick to notice suspicious activity.
One way to circumvent these issues is through using software that restricts candidates from accessing other windows during an online exam process, or restricts copying, pasting and screen capturing functions while an exam is taking place.
One effective strategy to discourage Cheating during tests is limiting the number of questions. This makes it more challenging for a student to share answers with others and also ensures the exam runs on schedule; for instance if taking an e-viva with tests it is essential that all questions can be answered quickly.
Students often resort to cheating during an online viva exam, and one way of combatting it is utilizing advanced technology. Proctoring tools such as Digify are designed to safeguard exam documents and reduce security concerns; for more information about our secure document management solution contact us for a complimentary demo!