ProctorU, a Meazure Learning subsidiary, was established on a foundation of ongoing education and enhancement. We have implemented more substantial modifications and upgrades in the last 18 months since the pandemic first affected the globe than we achieved in our initial decade of operation. When our clients were compelled to transition online or suspend exams completely, we took initiative to intensify our commitment to advancing individuals in their academic and professional journeys. 
 
As the realms of education and professional assessments shifted to digital formats, we faced unparalleled growing pains, tested our limits in every capacity, and identified gaps in the market that had previously gone unnoticed. Throughout this period, we learned from the obstacles, heeded our clients’ concerns, and swiftly responded to the requests of our test-takers. As a result of all those months of relentless effort, we are delighted to announce that our offerings, services, operations, and procedures have never been better.

Here are seven tangible enhancements we’ve enacted on our products and services over the past 18 months to better cater to your needs. 

1. Expanded Global Presence

With the rise in demand for remote proctoring, we broadened our physical presence to serve more test-takers across various time zones. We ensured there was sufficient redundancy to manage locations that might become unavailable during natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes) or due to the ongoing pandemic and subsequent quarantine orders.

In 2019, we operated 8 offices across 5 nations. By 2021, our number grew to 16 offices in 8 countries, with the flexibility to adjust up or down according to the daily testing demands. 

2. Enhanced Operational Staffing  

If you encountered a long support queue or prolonged wait times to access an exam during 2020, know that we understood your frustrations. We took every possible measure to alleviate that strain, short of halting time itself to give us more hours in the day (though we would have jumped at the chance!). It became evident we needed additional personnel to assist our clients and test-takers through this unprecedented time in history. 

By the end of 2019, we had just 350 proctors managing our live and review services, along with merely 35 support representatives. By 2021, we had recruited and trained an extra 775 professional proctors and customer support staff, raising our operational workforce to over 1,160 individuals globally.

3. Chatbot Algorithm Enhancements for Support

While adding locations and personnel was essential to fulfilling the new demand, the challenges necessitated fundamental adjustments to our support response protocols. Even with the new support staff, we struggled to keep pace with the heightened support requirements inevitably brought on by onboarding new test-takers and administrators. We needed the assistance of chatbot technology and streamlined operations. Given the complexity of our business and the varying issues each user encounters, we required a chatbot capable of navigating a complex algorithm. 

After numerous trials, we identified the right solution. The impact has been substantial: we improved our chatbot support resolution rate from 30% in 2019 to 70%-75% in 2021. 

4. Training & Documentation for Support Staff

We also ramped up training for our personnel to better manage inquiries and added more self-help documentation to our support center. These enhancements yielded a significant rise in efficiency and competency: 

• A 99.4% reduction in ticket resolution time 
• An 88%-90% customer support satisfaction rate

5. Product Training for Administrators

Before 2020, we were capable of offering personalized training sessions for new exam administrators without significant capacity constraints. With a 292% surge in new instructor accounts, we had to devise a more efficient onboarding process. This challenge ultimately resulted in the establishment of a new department comprising Product Training Specialists, responsible for onboarding each new instructor and providing ongoing training throughout their tenure as ProctorU administrators. 

6. Renewed Emphasis on Customer Success 

We have always maintained a client-focused, service-driven approach when engaging with clients. However, when the world came to a standstill due to the pandemic, it became crucial to assist our clients with their business continuity strategies. Consequently, we formed a Customer Success Team, designed to promote the success, growth, and development of our clients by providing dedicated support, training, and direction as necessary. 

7. Enhanced Communication Channels

One of the recurring requests we receive from clients is for more transparent communication. In response, we implemented additional communication channels:  

• A monthly client newsletter featuring company updates, product and feature release notes, practical tips, and industry news  
• A webinar series focused on online testing and remote proctoring subjects that are most pertinent to our clients and their test-takers  

In summary, adapting through experiences is what ProctorU excels at. We persistently evolve and upgrade our products and services to align with the ever-shifting landscape of online testing. In addition to the aforementioned changes, we navigated a multitude of other scenarios during the pandemic to assist our clients in executing comprehensive business continuity plans. For insights into modifications made to our proctoring platform, user interface, new user training initiatives, technical support adjustments, and more, explore our recent blog series, Can It Scale: Online Proctoring in a Pandemic, Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.  

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