Proctoring:
All you need to know

Admission tests with monitoring from home

This page offers participants in a proctoring procedure all important information, e.g. on prerequisites for the procedure. If your university or organization is interested in conducting a study aptitude test with proctoring, you can find more information here.

Proctoring - what's that?

With proctoring, you can take a test or exam from your home computer. You are supervised live by a so-called proctor via a webcam, microphone and screen sharing (see more about the technical requirements here). The proctor takes on the role of the supervisor in the test room and you can communicate with the proctor via a chat function or your computer’s microphone. The task of the proctor is to prevent or report forbidden behaviour. No other person may be in the room during the entire duration of the examination.

For this reason, all tests are usually recorded (webcam image and screen view) and stored for a limited time. The identity check – i.e. the verification of the person taking the exam / registered for the exam with a valid official photo identification – is also carried out via proctoring. For this purpose, one photo each of the valid official photo ID (with concealed ID number) and of the test participant is taken. Both the record of the examination and the photos are usually deleted without undue delay.

Here you can find more information about data protection

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Preparation and test procedure

What do you need to know about a test that is monitored with proctoring?  What do you have to prepare? What are the specifics? We answer these and similar questions here.

Do you want to know immediately what the technical requirements are? 

Basic Requirements

For a test with proctoring you should first check whether your computer meets the technical requirements. Only then is it possible for you to take a test with proctoring. In addition, you need to be alone in the room and completely undisturbed on the test day for the duration of the test (please allow for a time buffer). If it is difficult for you to fulfill one of the two points, please get in touch with your contact person (e.g. the university) or us (e.g. for GTEBS proctoring tests) as early as possible so that a solution can be found.

Preparation and procedure of the test

Before the test

  1. REQUIREMENTS: If you are reading this, you have come to the right place! 😉 Inform yourself early about proctoring, the necessary requirements, the test procedure and the required materials. Organise everything you need for the test day.
  2. TIME SLOT: Before the test you will be informed about your specific time slot, i.e. you will be assigned a certain period of time for your test day in which you have to start the test. A later start of the test is usually not possible. The time span is between 15 minutes and 1 hour. This depends on the particular test. The duration of the time span is of course the same for all participants of a test.
  3. SYSTEM CHECK: Next – about 2 to 3 working days before the test date – you will receive an automatically generated e-mail with the subject “EXAM INVITATION”. The system check is used to determine whether your device meets the basic technical requirements. Please carry out the system check by clicking on the link in the e-mail a few days before the actual test, if possible, in order to have enough time to solve any problems that may occur. The check can be performed until directly before the test start. Make sure to use the same hardware and internet connection for the system check as you will use on the day of the test. Please keep this email until after the test.  Further information about the system check will be provided here.

  4. LINK TO THE TEST – After a successful system check, you will be forwarded directly to the test. This is only active during your start time slot. Before that, a countdown is visible to you. If you have carried out the system check a few days before your start time slot, you will be taken directly to the test via the link in the “EXAM INVITATION” e-mail during your start time slot. Therefore, keep this e-mail in a safe place and do not delete it.

Important: All e-mails will be sent to the e-mail address given in your application or registration! So make sure that you have access to this account.
 

If you do not receive the e-mail, please contact your contact person (e.g. at the university) or us in time (e.g. for GTEBS proctoring tests). We can send you a new e-mail if the first e-mail has not been received.

If you have not received the mail to the test, please contact us at the latest before the start of your start time slot. In most cases you will be informed about the sending date of the mail in another invitation mail, so that you can contact us the following day if you did not receive the mail. A look into the spam folder is also worthwhile.

Important: The start time slot or the end of the start time slot refers to the start of the test (see testing process point 4.). Therefore, make sure that you plan enough time in advance to carry out the previous steps. Usually a few minutes are sufficient.

The testing process

  1. DIRECTLY BEFORE STARTING – Before clicking on the session link, please close all programmes except the browser and the mail programme with the mail to the session. After opening the link in the browser, please also close the mail programme. During the test, only the two browser tabs with the proctoring session and the test may be open.
  2. START PROCTORING – Within your start time slot you can start the proctoring by clicking on the link. If you have not already done so, the system check will be carried out first. Before you start the test, you will be asked to release your webcam, microphone and screen.
  3. IDENTITY CHECK – The second step is the identity check. You will be asked to hold your valid official photo ID into the webcam so that the ID number is covered. Your name (first and last name), the date until which the ID is valid, and the photo must be visible. A photo will be taken of the photo ID. Afterwards a photo of your face will be taken – unlike with biometric passport photos you are allowed to smile 😊. The system will guide you through this process. You may have to wait a few minutes. We put a lot of emphasis on a thorough identity check, so there can be a kind of “queue” if many people want to start the test at the same time. This is one of the reasons why there are different start time slots.
  4. RECORDING START – Afterwards, recording via webcam and microphone starts – i.e. proctoring. You will be assigned a proctor (m/f/d) who will “accompany” you during the test. All proctors speak German and English.
  5. TEST START – By clicking on the link behind the link on the left-hand side of the screen under “Individual Information” you will enter the test environment and receive further information relevant to the test execution – regardless of proctoring.
  6. DURING THE TEST – You can run the test “normally” like any other online test. In the ideal case, you will hardly notice the proctoring. During the test it is possible that the proctor will contact you via the chat, e.g. in case of minor technical problems or if the proctor wants to check if all rules are followed. There is also a technical support for emergencies.

  7. END OF THE TEST – You can either actively end the test before the time expires or the test will be automatically ended at the end of the processing time. You can then close the tab with the test environment. By clicking on the red “Finish Session” button in the upper right corner of the proctoring tab, you will end the proctoring and the test if you have not already finished the test. Please only click on this button if you really want to finish the test. It is not possible to restart the test or proctoring afterwards.

    You may eat and drink during the test and leave the room for bathroom breaks. You are allowed to use earplugs or similar (no headphones or headsets).

Important! If you cannot continue the test (e.g. due to technical problems) and you are no longer in contact with your proctor or the technical support, please contact us immediately.

Forbidden behaviour

As with face-to-face testing in test centers, certain types of behavior are not allowed. To prevent cheating attempts, we use proctoring.

The following behaviors are not allowed:

  • The use of cell phones, dictionaries, etc. (no other materials or documents are allowed at your workstation except for the allowed ones)
  • Opening other browser windows and programs
  • Help from third parties (e.g. no other persons are allowed to be in the same room)
  • Photographing or duplicating the exercises (each attempt or action will be legally prosecuted and may result in claims for damages of up to 100,000 euros)

Required documents for the test day

Please ensure that the following materials are at the workplace before beginning the test. During the test you are not allowed to remove materials (e.g. paper, food) from the workplace or add new materials. No materials other than those allowed are allowed at your workstation.

  • Valid original official photo identification (e.g. passport, ID card) which you must present during the identity check (no student ID, club membership cards, bank cards, copies/scans of IDs, etc.) – if you do not present a valid official photo identification, you may be excluded from the test. This could also happen subsequently to the test.
  • Note paper: Have about 10 sheets of blank DIN A4 paper ready for notes. This amount is sufficient for notes.
  • Fineliner
  • an “old school” calculator (not the calculator function on a cell phone, PC or similar). Above all, this may not be internet-capable. 

Technical requirements

In the following you will find an overview of the technical requirements for proctoring tests. The testing is exclusively web-based. You do not need to download any other software.

Important: You are responsible for the functionality of the technical equipment. In case of technical problems, we will review each individual case.

  • You will need either a desktop PC or a laptop to take the test with Proctoring. Usually, it is not possible to take the test with a tablet or mobile phone.

  • Please make sure that your internet connection is stable!

  • If the monitoring is not possible due to a lack of internet connection and the proctor is not able to contact you, your test will be cancelled.

  • Connect e.g. your laptop to the power supply via the charging cable.

  • Both a webcam integrated in the laptop and a webcam attached separately to the screen are allowed. The camera of a cell phone may not be used as a replacement for the webcam.

  • You may use microphones of headsets or headphones if you place them visibly on the workstation. You are not allowed to wear headsets and headphones.

  • Please make sure that the speakers are set so that you hear the beep that announces a message from the proctor.

  • The proctoring system runs exclusively on these browsers!
  • Please download one of them before the test.
  •  

  • We recommend a screen size of at least 15 inch. The size of the screen is especially important so that you can see the tasks as well as possible on your screen. If you have a smaller screen, you can still do the test. However, you may need to scroll to see the entire task.

  • A separate screen may only be used if it has been set to “duplicate” the display and the webcam can record you as required for proctoring.

  • Please make sure to disconnect possible VPN connections before starting the test.

Due to the very strict security settings on MACs by default, it can happen from time to time that (despite a successfully completed system check) the sharing of the screen does not work properly. Should this be the case, please try the following settings:

  1. Go to Settings > Security
  2. Unlock (Lower left corner) to make changes
  3. Choose “screensharing” from the list > Choose “Google Chrome”
  4. Click on “end now” > Restart the browser

 

  • Please make sure that you have the necessary rights on the end device and that no firewalls or anti-virus programmes block proctoring.

System check before the test

In the run-up to the test (a few days before) you will receive a standardised invitation e-mail from the proctoring system. This e-mail is also connected with a system check – testing of some technical requirements (e.g. the functioning of the webcam). Only if this system check is completed successfully, you can start the test.

Important: Please carry out the system check on the device on which you want to run the test. If you want to change the device, we recommend that you repeat the system check with the new device. A successful system check only means that the basic technical requirements are met. Despite a successful system check, technical problems may occur on the day of testing. However, these are rare.

We recommend that you carry out the system check before the test day so that you have the opportunity to correct any problems. If you did not receive the system check mail and it did not end up in your spam folder, please contact your contact person (e.g. at the university) or us as soon as possible.

Data protection for proctoring

We record the exam with proctoring in order to be able to check for indications of disruptions and forbidden behaviour. The records therefore serve to ensure fair treatment of all participants. The records of examinations where there are no indications of special incidents are deleted without undue delay, i.e. on the working day following the examination. We are therefore only able to examine if we are notified in a timely manner. In addition, audits are only carried out with regard to a specifically named and time-limited event. 

The servers used are located exclusively in the EU in ISO 27001-certified data centers. All data is securely encrypted – both during transmission between your computer and the servers and during storage on the servers. Access to the data is restricted to a limited group of people at our company and our service provider for proctoring tests.

You can also make a contribution to data protection. When conducting the test, make sure to choose a background that is as neutral as possible. Remove or cover things with “personal data” of you and/or third parties (e.g. photos). In addition, inform all persons who are or could be in the same place (e.g. the flat) at the time of the test that your test will be supervised and possibly recorded via camera and microphone.

Contact us

  • test-info@itb-consulting.de
  • Koblenzer Straße 77, 53177 Bonn
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Information for participants

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