Fast technological development along with the COVID-19 outbreak has significantly altered the way we learn and teach. Nowadays, a growing number of educational institutions are switching from traditional pen and paper to online exams, which have proven to be more flexible, convenient, and effective for both teachers and test-takers.
Fast technological development along with the COVID-19 outbreak has significantly altered the way we learn and teach. Nowadays, a growing number of educational institutions are switching from traditional pen and paper to online exams, which have proven to be more flexible, convenient, and effective for both teachers and test-takers.
In this article, we will dive into the concept of the online examination process, outline its key features and benefits, find out how online exams are conducted, and how to effectively implement them in your classroom.
An online exam is a term used to describe a modern way of student assessment conducted on a computer, mobile phone, or other device with an internet connection. It is a convenient, more time- and cost-efficient way to test student knowledge in a wide range of fields. Thus, more and more educators tend to implement online exams in place of traditional class-based tests.
An online exam usually implies using a special platform and such elements as a login page, where students enter their username and password; an exam interface, where the examinees view the questions and complete their answers; and a submit button, which sends the completed exam to the instructor.
Online exams stand out with some distinguishing features. Here are the most important of them:
An online exam usually works on the basis of special online examination software , which allows examiners to set up a user-friendly and secure testing environment. It could also include features like automatic question generation, exam scheduling, automatic grading, and more.
The process of online examination can be represented by the following steps:
The COVID-19 pandemic has become an important factor that fostered the development of remote learning solutions. Although coronavirus restrictions and lockdowns are already in the past, the widespread adoption of e-learning and online exams will continue gaining momentum. Let’s have a closer look at the benefits of online examinations that lure more and more educators to implement them in the teaching process.
To conduct an efficient online examination it’s crucial to choose test software that will comply best with your needs, expectations, and objectives. Here are some tips to consider when opting for test software.

Nowadays, online test solutions come with different sets of features and abilities. However, there are some basic steps that are necessary to conduct any type of online examination.
The majority of online proctoring solutions fall into three main categories: live remote, recorded, and AI proctoring.
Live remote proctoring implies that an online exam is supervised in real time by a human invigilator through the webcam and microphone of examinees. This type of proctoring is not as flexible as the other two since students have to determine the date and time of the examination, but it fits best for important assessments that may require communication between participants and a proctor.
Recorded proctoring solutions are based on special software that records and stores the entire examination process, so after the end of the test, a human proctor can review the audio-visual feeds to eliminate any forms of cheating.
AI or automated proctoring is a cutting-edge solution that monitors the whole examination process without any human intervention. This type of software involves features of machine learning and human analysis to identify undesirable student activities by analyzing suspicious eye movements, repetitive behavior, irregular heartbeat, etc. If academic cheating is spotted, the software will flag the exam for further review.
Since the popularity of online exams is increasing, it’s important to be aware of how to conduct and take such types of assessment most effectively. Here are some tips to keep in mind.
For educators :
For examinees :
Online exams are a fast-growing trend in the educational sphere. They allow for greater flexibility, time, and cost efficiency, which is not always possible with traditional, in-person exams. What’s more, online examinations have the potential to reduce the level of academic dishonesty since they come with improved proctoring solutions that are able to protect the integrity of online learning courses.
Nowadays, there is a wide choice of online exam solutions that offer numerous test formats and proctoring features. All you need to do to pick the most suitable one is to research their functionalities and compare them with your educational needs and objectives.
We’ve rebranded to reflect who we’ve become: a science-based, privacy-focused proctoring platform designed for modern education, certification, and workforce assessments. OctoProctor represents our commitment to smarter, more adaptable, and test-taker-friendly remote proctoring.
Try proctoringIn the post-pandemic period, the educational system has developed and adapted to the demands of the technological era by offering online examinations. They are conducted remotely using a computer or other device with an internet connection. Online exams can be of various formats and can include a great number of features such as online proctoring, which helps to eliminate cheating and protect the reputation of educational institutions in the digital environment.
Since an online exam is regulated by similar rules to a class-based exam, examinees are usually not supposed to use mobile phones or other devices while taking an online test. Undesirable activities and the use of forbidden objects can be deterred by some proctoring solutions that can analyze the examination settings and unusual student behavior.
Cheating is one of the greatest concerns in the educational sphere. E-learning and online exams are also prone to this problem. However, rapid technological development has introduced new advanced proctoring solutions that are more effective, scalable, and customizable.
Online exams are becoming more and more popular among educational institutions since they have proven to be more effective, secure, and less prone to cheating. They usually come with a multistep authentication process and wide variety of anti-cheating features, such as blocking browser, noise detection, video-audio monitoring, recording, content protection, and more.