Remote hiring is on the rise as more organizations realize the benefits of online talent acquisition. But, with the many advantages of remote recruiting comes the need to evaluate candidates reliably. That’s why using the right online proctoring settings is crucial.
As an employer, you’re undoubtedly searching for honest candidates with the right skill sets. But, if you’re leveraging online exams to vet applicants, filtering out dishonest candidates is vital to guarantee fair evaluation. You can’t afford to prioritize unsincere applicants based on inflated test scores.
To help you out, we’ll take a look at some vital online proctoring settings for cheat-proofing your assessments. Depending on the type of assessment whether technical interview or screening, you may want to consider using some (or all) of these settings.
How do proctored exams work?
Proctored exams are usually timed, and advanced online proctoring software monitors candidates’ browsers, webcam feed, and audio throughout the assessment.
The purpose of a proctored exam is to guarantee fair play by filtering out dishonest applicants. This makes the evaluation process fairer to sincere candidates and helps employers reliably determine the best performers.
7 must-have online exam proctoring settings
If you’re looking to guarantee fair evaluation, it’s important to leverage the right online proctoring settings for technical interviews. These settings reduce opportunities for malicious activities.
Here are 7 of the most crucial ones you might consider using
1. Fullscreen violation detection
Requiring test takers to stay in fullscreen mode prevents them from opening helping resources in new tabs, a vital part of cheating prevention. Of course, they can still use secondary devices to open resources, which is why fullscreen violation should be combined with other proctoring settings.
Exam conductors typically prevent fullscreen violations by leveraging lockdown browsers, which automatically operate in fullscreen and prevent candidates from opening multiple tabs. Lockdown browsers also restrict keyboard functions and close running tabs upon test commencement.
Employers don’t necessarily need to use lockdown browsers to detect fullscreen violations, though. For example, in tech, advanced tech recruitment software like We Create Problems (WeCP) has native IDEs with in-built proctoring settings to detect violations.
2. AI video proctoring
Video proctoring functionality uses AI to monitor applicants throughout the assessment from their webcam, checking for any suspicious activity. Some red flags include candidates’ using other devices, interacting with another party, or moving outside of the video frame.
During video interview, If applicants are flagged for suspicious activity, the AI typically takes a snapshot of them, so recruiters can investigate the matter later. You can also benefit from assigning violation settings for added security.
Video proctoring is also used to verify each applicant’s identity; candidates may be asked to take a picture using the software before proceeding. This functionality is especially useful for bulk testing because recruiters don’t have to manually verify each test taker.
3. Logging out-of-tab activities
If you have fullscreen violation settings enabled, this setting may seem unnecessary. However, employers sometimes allow applicants to switch tabs to access select resources.
For example, in a problem-solving test, you might allow applicants to consult theoretical resources. This is because the test is vetting practical skills, which can’t be acquired through consulting text.
Hence, in such cases, you might consider the online exam proctoring setting that logs out-of-tab activities. This way, you can monitor candidates to ensure they aren’t consulting external resources for the answers.
4. Permissible violations settings
Permissible violations settings give employers more control over the proctoring process. Instead of simply monitoring applicants with software, you can outline conditions for terminating the assessment.
For example, you might consider setting a condition for suspicious activity violations. In this case, applicants will have their test terminated if they are flagged by the AI video proctoring a certain number of times (e.g. three times). Additionally, candidates will receive a warning about each violation.
Since video proctoring monitors suspicious activity and not definite malicious intent, it’s important to keep the violation settings flexible. So, it’s better to give candidates three violation chances, rather than canceling the test after the first offense.
5. Disabling external copy/paste
The purpose of this setting is quite straightforward – it prevents applicants from copying answers off the internet. But, beyond this, it also reduces the chances of candidates unfairly collaborating during the test. Otherwise, if copy/paste is enabled, applicants can share answers during the exam, giving them an unfair advantage over sincere applicants.
6. Email Watermarking
Enabling email watermarking will prevent candidates from sharing or leaking questions.
It marks the test window with the candidate’s email address and uniquely identifies them.
7. Multiple Screen Detection
The purpose of multiple screen detection is to notify the candidate that they have violated the log-out-of-tabs setting.
It’s the extension of both the log-out-of-tabs proctoring setting full-screen browser setting.
Beyond online exam proctoring - online cheat-proofing
Online exam proctoring during the interview process encourages fair play by reducing the likelihood of cheating during the exam. But, beyond online proctoring, there are some additional cheat-proofing measures you might want to consider.
Read more: 20 Top Technical Skills Assessment Test Tools
Question uniqueness
Whether you’re conducting an MCQ-based assessment or a project-based test, it’s important to use unique questions for evaluating applicants. Otherwise, applicants might find the solutions online, increasing the chances of cheating.
Additionally, using unique questions helps employers evaluate candidates for their problem-solving skills and expertise. By asking questions that applicants are unfamiliar with, they have to showcase their skill set.
Plagiarism and fraud detection
Plagiarism and fraud detection acts as a second cheat-proof layer, making sure applicants’ answers are unique. It’s important to use plagiarism detection in conjunction with proctoring settings, like out-of-tab activity logging and disabling copy/paste. This way, if candidates contest the plagiarism flag or test cancellation, you can let them know the specifics.
Hiring In Tech? Leverage WeCP's online cheat-proof testing platform
Tech roles are highly skill-based, which means employers need to acquire the best talent. You’re looking for applicants with strong problem-solving skills, creative thinking, potential, and sincerity in their work.
So guaranteeing fair play is crucial. And here’s how WeCP can help you:
Merit-based testing strategy
WeCP (We Create Problems) is a leading tech recruitment solution that lets employers design custom skill assessment tests. You can test applicants for role-specific key skills, including programming knowledge, familiarity with different frameworks, and more.
WeCP’s testing strategy focuses on merit-based talent acquisition, guaranteeing a fairer evaluation process.
Online exam proctoring
WeCP’s native testing environment comes with essential online exam proctoring settings to ensure fair testing. Depending on your needs, you can toggle the proctoring settings on or off.
Employers can enable permissible violation settings, force full-screen browser, disable external copy/paste, leverage AI video proctoring, and log out-of-tab activities.
So if you’re looking to optimize your tech talent acquisition, or just have any questions, schedule a demo with us today.
