Proctored Tests

For those of you that attend an online school, you already know what a proctored test is. For those of you that haven't quite had the pleasure of a proctored test, it's a test that requires some level of observation by an outside party who meets the qualifications set forth by your school.

The purpose of a having a proctored test is to make sure that the student is following all the rules and guidelines for that particular test. Most students actually go to their schools if the school has a testing center where the test can be proctored. In my case, I went to the library to have the librarian proctor my test because my school was an hour away. The only problem was that the librarian didn't do any kind of enforcement when it came to library rules, like being quiet. In fact, one day, in the middle of my final exam, a cell phone went off right next to me. The woman answered it and proceeded to talk away right there. I informed her boyfriend that I was trying to take a test. His response was to shrug. The librarians response was even less than that.

WGU Indiana offers a whole new way to proctor tests. Now I can get my tests proctored without ever leaving my home thanks to the wonders of technology. WGU Indiana uses a monitoring service to proctor tests. The school sends the student a webcam, which they hook up to their computer. Before the test the student takes a picture and submits to a keystroke verification (the system compares your keystrokes with ones that were previously recorded) to make sure they have the right student.

As the student takes the test, the webcam allows the testing center to keep a constant eye on the student. Included in the image is the head shoulders and hands of the student as well as the keyboard. If there is any problem with the image, the test is paused and the student is informed that they need to contact the testing center.

Again, this is just another way that WGU Indiana shows me that they are the right school for me. They really do their best to make things convenient for the student so the student can concentrate on their studies rather than on the details of how to perform specific tasks.