Online Examination System Software

Conducting exams online can still be new for many institutes, as they are ignorant of the benefits of the online examination system or are opting for poor online exam substitutes. Thus, in the post-pandemic era, it can be considered a modern step up from the traditional exam methods.

Preparing institutes for the digital world ahead can be done by offering dynamic solutions that can be customized as per their changing needs. Below are some factors that need to be considered to better optimize the examination process:

Apart from using a proctoring tool, the instructors can follow the below methods to achieve a cheat-free exam.

Online examination systems are a digitized format of a paper-based test that include a large number of applications for different kinds of tests, including computer-based tests, offline tests, and web-based tests.

An online examination system works as follows:

Preparing for the Exam:

The faculty decides what types of questions need to be added to the tests, such as MCQs, descriptive questions, quizzes, etc. The teachers then have to arrange the schedule (time and date) of the exam as per different subjects. They have to create a timetable and ensure it doesn’t collide with other subjects.

Conduct Exams:

After deciding the questions and the time of the test, the duration of the test needs to be decided. Students are given their unique credentials to access the test. Mock tests are given prior to actual tests to give a thorough understanding of the real exam. After sharing the URL, login ID, and password, students can log in and start answering the questions.

Evaluate and Monitor Student Progress

After submitting the answers, the exam ends at the set time. The results are generated within a few minutes, and the faculty can then assess the academic performance of students on the basis of the scorecard. Graphical dashboards also provide teachers with a comprehensive understanding of where their students are falling short and can assist them in closing the learning gap.

To manage a secure online examination, the fundamental step is to choose the type of online test the institute wants to deliver and send email and SMS alerts regarding the tests to the students. The faculty must provide the procedure to conduct the test online, right from registration of the student to evaluation and publishing of exam results.

To effectively conduct an online examination, the institute should:

With digitization taking over every sector, it's high time that the institutes embrace online examination systems owing to the following prominent benefits:

Digital Test Evaluation:

An auto-evaluation function enables the software to automatically assess the test by comparing it with a set of predefined answers in the database. This saves a huge chunk of time, improves the accuracy of the evaluation, and makes it easier to get the test results quickly without any hassle.

Saves Time and Money:

Conducting online exams is simpler and more efficient. The institute can conduct the exam by emailing the link for the questions or sending an invitation to students to participate in the test instead of assembling students, printing test papers, and distributing them in a classroom. This, in turn, saves printing costs and saves time as students don’t have to commute.

Environmental-Friendly Nature

As it is a paperless approach and there is no need for hard copies of test papers, it saves a lot of trees, thus making it eco-friendly. The digital creation of tests has a lesser carbon footprint and is more sustainable in comparison to traditional methods of conducting exams.

No Need for Exam Halls

With an online mode of examination, the institutes are not required to rent multiple exam centres to accommodate thousands of students. As students can appear for the test from the comfort of their homes, there is no need for exam halls. This further reduces expenses and avoids the hassle of paying extra invigilators to monitor students.

Online examination software is gaining popularity among both private and public educational institutes due to its user-friendly web-based format and the geographical flexibility it offers. Its importance is increasing day by day, as it has made it easier for both faculty and students to conduct exams in a smooth manner.

In addition,

• The software evaluates tests and gives results instantly, thus saving a lot of time.
• It completely automates the manual process of taking written exams.
• Via remote proctoring, multiple candidates can appear for the test at the same time without any burden on the server.
• It is compatible with all devices and can conduct exams even with low internet bandwidth connectivity.
• Students get the opportunity to check their answers and score cards as instant feedback regarding their understanding of their course topics.
• It acts as an essential tool to assess and enhance student learning outcomes.
• With high scalability and reliability, the institute can increase the number of students appearing for the test.

Security in an online exam setting can be considerably increased by adopting the below strategies:

Secure Browser:

A secure browser prevents the students from checking any other tab or window while the online test is going on. The candidate is only allowed to access the examination window, thus preventing cheating. In addition, access to keyboard shortcuts such as screen capture, copy and paste, etc. is prevented. Also, if the student tries to move away from the test window, a warning message pops up, which further increases the security.

Online Remote Proctoring:

With image capture, the system can capture the picture of the candidate after certain intervals. This aids in identifying and authorising examinees who are sitting in a remote location.Video proctoring further checks the live streaming of the candidate throughout the exam and further monitors every activity of the student. In addition to this, screen capturing can be implemented, which takes screenshots of the screen to check for any suspicious activity.

IP-Based Authorization and Authentication

The institute can adopt IP-based authentication, which gives access to exams only to a certain, specified number of IP addresses that are already provided during student registration. In the case of admin login, it is possible to have IP-based authentication so that students trying to log in from only a specific address are allowed to access the system, thereby improving the safety and security of the test.