Frequently Asked Questions
General: What is Proctorio?
Proctorio is a remote proctoring software that will be used when you take quizzes or exams in Canvas. Proctorio may record your webcam, your screen, or other actions during the exam session and share that information with your instructor. Proctorio is NOT a spyware.
General: What are the requirements for taking a Proctorio exam?
In order to take your exams via the online proctoring service, you must have access to a computer equipped with a functioning video camera and microphone. During the exams, you must also have an isolated environment with an Internet connection (wired connection always preferred but a strong, reliable Wi-Fi is OK). Any loss of network connectivity and the exam will end automatically, please make sure your current connection is stable during the entire exam. You will not be allowed to print the exam.
Before you take the exam, you MUST make sure that your computer meets the minimum system requirements. Check the minimum system requirements here.
General: What if a student needs an accommodation due to a disability?
Proctorio is VPAT certified, 508 compliant, and fully accessible to those with disabilities. However, the software captures eye, head, and mouth movements, talking to self, pacing, and may flag the use of a screen reader or other devices which may be reported as “suspicious”. If you are a student with a disability that may manifest in these activities and/or you require accommodations, which include any of these activities, please contact your Instructor and Disability Support Services.
Students: What happens when I take a Proctorio exam?
To ensure exam integrity, during the exam period, Proctorio will lock down a number of your computer’s capabilities, including locking down your browser and disabling new internet tabs, disabling printing, disabling the clipboard, disabling the right-click feature on the mouse (to prevent copying and pasting activities), forces full screen in the browser window to prevent the exam participant from accessing outside programs, and clears memory cache of temporary internet files to prevent retention and redistribution of exam materials.
Students: Proctorio is asking for a password. What is the password for the exam?
You do not need a separate password to take the exam. If Proctorio requires a password, that means you are not connected to Proctorio properly. Please check the following common Procotorio issues:
For additional assistance please contact
Proctorio Support
If you are still being prompted for a password, contact your instructor - as there may be an issue with how the exam was setup by your instructor.
Faculty: Proctorio is asking for a password. What is the password for the exam?
Proctori does not require students to enter a password to take an exam. If Proctorio is promptiong students to enter a password, it could be due to:
- The exam was not enabled correctly on your Canvas course. Proctorio will automatically add a password or access code for you. This unique code is managed by Proctorio to prevent test-takers from entering an exam that isn’t secured with Proctorio. When you enable Proctorio on an exam, the Require an access code box will automatically be selected and an access code or password for your exam will be entered. If after enabling Proctorio, the access code or password from the exam settings - then this could be a cause why students are being prompted for a password.
- The student is not using a browser supported by Proctorio or does not have the Proctorio extension installed.
Faculty: Can a student opt-out of Proctorio?
Students must work with their instructor on an alternative. Students will be given an option for being assessed in another format but there are no guarantees on the availability of another section without online proctoring. In some instances, the online mode of a class is essential for progress toward degree and should not hinder such progress.
Solutions for departments to allow options may include, but are not limited to:
- Other alternative option for test format, mode or location, worked out with the instructor
Faculty: What communication should be made to students?
Students need to be notified that Proctorio will be used during selected assessments as early as possible. Notification should be in the course syllabus, the course description, and throughout the course by the student load date or student access date.
Student Support Information
- Provide students with Proctorio’s support
- Instruct students to contact Procorio support when presented with any barriers to a test.
- Make it very clear and post in multiple places that tests with Proctorio will ONLY work in supported browsers with the browser Proctorio extension. Include instructions on how to install the Proctorio browser extension.
In-Course Student Notifications
- Students will be informed that an online proctoring solution for assessments will be used and for which assessments it will be used.
- Students will be informed in advance how to access and use online proctoring through Canvas.
- Students will be offered, and encouraged to complete, a practice test early in the course as a way to troubleshoot equipment and ensure they are ready before the higher stakes exams/quizzes. Students who experience technical difficulties on an exam following a failure to complete the practice test may not be validated for an alternate testing option.
- Students will be encouraged to start their test(s) early to allow time to seek assistance and support if problems arise.
- Students will be encouraged to take proctored exams in a quiet place with a strong internet connection free from distractions or high traffic.
- Students must have access to a computer with strong internet access, a video camera and microphone (web cam or laptop with camera and microphone built-in).
“Opt-out” Language
Students should work with their instructor for other options if there are issues or barriers to completing the Proctorio test. Students can be given an option for being assessed in another format but there are no guarantees on the availability of another section without proctoring.
Solutions for departments to allow options may include, but are not limited to other alternative option for test format, mode or location, worked out with the instructor.
Faculty: Other Considerations
Practice Test
Only use Proctorio for assessments AFTER the students have had a chance to configure their machines and ensure Proctorio readiness through a low-stakes practice assessment (like a syllabus quiz or other practice test) and after all students who reported difficulties with the tool have satisfactorily resolved all issues.
Adhere closely to the recommended Proctorio settings and choose carefully (with consultation) when electing to use Proctorio for other types of assessments (such as those with complex answers, or which allow groups, open note, open internet access.)
Recommended settings for test bank integrity
The final step in deploying a Proctorio test is the setting of the test options. Within the set of “Test Options” are the Feedback, Presentation and Remote Proctor which contribute to test bank integrity. Thoughtful consideration of these settings will provide a secure test delivery and feedback that does not lend itself to the creation of copies of the questions and answers.
Faculty: Reviewing the Proctorio Report
After attempts have been completed, instructors will check the Proctorio report. The report sorts student attempts with “most suspicious” (red squares) on top. Click a student name to review the report. Clicking on any of the tall red bars will advance the screen capture and the audio/video playback to the moment of suspicious activity. Alternatively, you can play the video to scan for the behaviors that lend to the suspicion score. There are many options and advanced tools with regard to the reports.
Policy: Who determines if cheating has occurred?
Just like a traditional class exam, this is determined by the instructor. If Proctorio reports that a student has engaged in activities that may be considered to be high risk, the instructor reserves the right to change the grade. In addition, all incidents of academic dishonesty must be reported.
Policy: Student Sanctions or Discipline
If Proctorio reports that a student has engaged in activities that may be considered to be high risk,the instructor reserves the right to change the grade. In addition, egregious cases of behavior in conflict with the intent of academic integrity may be reported.
Policy: Why Do We Need Proctorio?
The University, faculty, and students all have a strong interest in ensuring academic integrity and that exams are graded fairly, impartially and expeditiously. Proctorio uses software, not people, to observe test takers for over 20 behaviors and prepares a report for the instructor to review.
For online education, institutions need to be sure that the student who registered for courses is actually the person completing the work. According to the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008: “all institutions in the United States that participate in Title IV student aid programs must verify the identity of students enrolled at their institution.” Under federal regulations, our institution's accreditation agency, WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), states in their Distance Education Review Guide:
In keeping with federal policy, WSCUC requires institutions that offer distance education to have processes in place through which the institution establishes that the student who registers in a distance education course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the course or program and receives the academic credit. To meet this requirement, the institution must employ, at its option, methods to verify the student who participates, such as:
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A secure login and passcode
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Proctored examinations
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New or other technologies or practices that are effective in verifying student identification.
In so doing, the institution must make clear in writing at the time of enrollment or registration that it uses processes that protect student privacy and notifies students of any projected additional charges associated with the verification of student identity.
Policy: Proctorio Privacy- What information does Proctorio collect?
During the exam period, Proctorio will collect a variety of information including:
- Screenshots of your TitanCard (DO NOT USE YOUR DRIVER’S LICENSE)
- Your IP address
- Recordings of your photo and voice
- A video scan of your testing location
- Recordings from your microphone
- Video from your computer’s webcam
- Your mouse location
- Your browser size
- Your open browser tabs and windows
- Your eye, mouth, and head movements
- Your entire screen
- Any website you may have been permitted to visit during the exam period (access to all additional web sites may be blocked)
- Any other applications running
- Number of display screens connected Information collected may be reported to the instructor as “suspicious” activity, which may result in academic policy violations. Rest assured the program itself does not determine if academic dishonesty has occurred or not. That determination rest solely with your instructor.
Furthermore, although the system is recording a number of metrics, no one is actually watching you during the exam period, all information is simply recorded, encrypted, and only accessed by your instructor should suspicious activity be flagged (e.g. system indicates phone present at minute 15:23).
Unlike other online proctoring services, Proctorio does not employ the use of biometrics or external human based proctors to observe the student while they take the exam. Proctorio will record the students' identity via webcam and, depending upon the exam settings controlled by individual instructors, record your exam attempt in various ways. A multitude of privacy provisions have been established to ensure student privacy and FERPA compliance.
- Proctorio has no file access of any kind. Proctorio cannot and will not access any of your personal files or documents.
- During an exam Proctorio may take screenshots of your desktop, detect the number of computer monitors connected to your computer, or record your web traffic. This information will only be recorded if the professor has enabled it within the exam settings. The information is stored with zero-knowledge encryption, which means the data is encrypted both in transit and at rest.
- Once an exam is completed, Proctorio no longer has access to this information.
- It is impossible for anyone at Proctorio or any of its affiliates to view exam recordings. They are only accessible to authorized users at your university and through Canvas and TITANium.
- Proctorio never stores academic information from any of its users.
- Proctorio does NOT see or collect anything on the clipboard. It may paste into the clipboard.
- Proctorio does NOT see or collect web browser history. It monitors web activity DURING the test-taking and consent is requested.
- Proctorio does NOT see or collect info from the cache. It clears the cache at the end of the exam so no exam content can be used to share with others.
- Proctorio does NOT see or collect information from the hard drive.
Review their privacy policy.
Policy: Academic Integrity Policies and Responsibilities
Academic integrity is defined as "a commitment, even in the face of adversity, to five fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. From these values flow principles of behavior that enable academic communities to translate ideals to action." The University, faculty, and students all have a strong interest in ensuring academic integrity and that exams are graded fairly, impartially and expeditiously.
Institutions need to be sure that the student who registered for courses is actually the person completing the work. According to the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008: “all institutions in the United States that participate in Title IV student aid programs must verify the identity of students enrolled at their institution.” Under federal regulations, our institution's accreditation agency, WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), states in their Distance Education Review Guide:
In keeping with federal policy, WSCUC requires institutions that offer distance education to have processes in place through which the institution establishes that the student who registers in a distance education course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the course or program and receives the academic credit.
Policy: Equal access, student rights to privacy and ensuring academic integrity
The University, faculty, and students all have a strong interest in ensuring academic integrity and that exams are graded fairly, impartially and expeditiously.
