11.4.3. Including Proctored Exams In Your Course¶

11.4.3.1.1. Learner Requirements for Taking Proctored Exams¶

Learners who agree to take an exam with online proctoring must install proctoring software, which checks that the person taking the exam is the same person who is taking the course for credit, and also detects any attempts to cheat on the exam. Learners perform a series of checks on their computer and test environment and must also provide photo identification before being allowed to proceed. The proctoring software then runs in the background, monitoring the test environment and screen activity as the learner takes the exam.

For more information about the technical requirements for taking a proctored exam, and edX’s online proctoring rules, see Preparing Learners for Proctored Exams.

11.4.3.1.2. Proctored Exam Session Results¶

When learners complete a proctored exam, either by submitting their answers or when the time expires for the exam, the proctoring session data is uploaded to the third party proctoring service provider. A team of reviewers examines the data to determine whether the learner complied with the Online Proctoring Rules. When the review is complete, the proctoring service returns the results for each learner.

Before proctoring session results are available, learners see a Pending result. After their proctoring sessions are available, learners can receive either a Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory result.

Learners can check their proctoring session results by returning to the proctored exam in the course. Their proctoring session review results are updated there when results are received. In addition, learners can go to their Progress pages, where they can check their proctored exam results as a part of their overall credit eligibility status.

Course staff can download a report that lists proctoring results for learners in their course. For more information, see Proctored Session Results.

11.4.3.1.3. The Learner Experience of Proctored Exams¶

Only learners who have signed up for the verified track in your course have the option of taking proctored exams. When they access a proctored exam, learners on the verified track can choose to take the exam with online proctoring, or to take the exam without proctoring and as an open exam with no time limit.

If learners choose to take the exam without proctoring, they are not eligible for credit for the exam, and will not be offered the proctored option for that exam again.

Learners who are not ready to make the choice or take the exam immediately can defer their decision and return to the exam again at some other time before the due date.

11.4.3.1.4. Preparing Learners for Proctored Exams¶

Well before the exam is due, provide learners with information about the grading policy of your course, and make it clear what the requirements are for earning credit.

Explain what proctored exams are, and provide learners with links to the Learner’s Guide topics about proctored exams, and to edX’s online proctoring rules.

Emphasize that learners must be aware of the requirements before taking the exam, and that some of the requirements might take some preparation.

You can also create a practice proctored exam that is visible to all learners. This ungraded exam provides an opportunity for learners to experience the proctoring software setup process and make sure their computers are compatible with the software. For more information, see Create a Practice Proctored Exam.

The following list represents only some of the requirements listed in the online proctoring rules.

• System and environment checks that learners are asked to perform for the proctoring session include taking a photo of a government-issued photo ID, and a photo of themselves, using the webcam on their computer. In addition, they must use the webcam to provide a room scan that includes the desk area, the area under their desk, and a view around the whole room.
• Learners must sit at a clean desk or table that has been cleared of all materials such as phones, books, notebooks, pens, and papers. They cannot sit on a bed or couch to take the proctored exam.
• No writing can be visible on the desk or walls in the test environment.
• The computer on which a learner takes the exam must not have a secondary monitor connected.
• Once the exam starts and until it ends, the learner cannot leave the room for any reason.
• Once the exam starts and until it ends, no other person can enter the room for any reason.
• The learner cannot talk to anyone or communicate by any means with another person during the exam.
• Learners cannot have music or the television playing in the background during the exam. They cannot use headphones, ear buds, or any other type of listening equipment.

11.4.3.2.1. Create a Proctored Exam¶

To create an exam that includes online proctoring, follow these steps.

1. Add and develop a subsection as you would any other subsection.

2. Select the Configure icon for the subsection.

   

   The Settings dialog box opens to the Basic tab.

3. In the Grading section, set the assignment type and due date for the subsection.

4. Select the Advanced tab.

5. In the Set as a Special Exam section, select Proctored.

6. In the Time Allotted field, enter the length of time that you want learners to have to complete the problems in the subsection. Enter the time as HH:MM, where HH is hours and MM is minutes.

7. Optionally, in the Review Rules field, enter any additions or exceptions to the default rules for proctored exams. For more information, see Specifying Exam Rules and Exceptions.

8. Select Save.

For information about how learners experience a proctored exam, see The Learner Experience of Proctored Exams. For information about creating a practice exam that learners can take, see Create a Practice Proctored Exam.

11.4.3.2.2. Create a Practice Proctored Exam¶

You can add a practice proctored exam to your course so that learners can confirm that their systems are compatible with the proctoring software and familiarize themselves with the steps to perform the identity and environment checks.

Practice exams are not linked to credit eligibility requirements and no monitoring by the proctoring software is actually done, but learners will be guided through the same steps as in a real proctored exam, to install the proctoring software, perform the identify checks and room scan.

Learners who have performed the proctoring software installation for a practice exam are required to perform the same installation step when they prepare to take an actual proctored exam, to ensure that they are using the latest version of the proctoring software.

To create a practice exam, follow these steps.

1. Add and develop a subsection as you would any other subsection.

2. Select the Configure icon for the subsection.

   

   The Settings dialog box opens to the Basic tab.

3. In the Grading section, set the assignment type and due date for the subsection.

4. Select the Advanced tab.

5. In the Set as a Special Exam section, select Practice Proctored.

6. In the Time Allotted field, enter the length of time that you want learners to have to complete the problems in the subsection. Enter the time as HH:MM, where HH is hours and MM is minutes.

   For a practice exam, edX recommends that you specify a relatively short duration that is appropriate for the number of example problems you include in the subsection.

7. Select Save.

8. Optionally, add a unit with a text component to the practice exam subsection. You can use the text component to provide learners with information about the proctored exam in your course.

The practice exam is added to the course, and is visible to all learners regardless of their enrollment track.

11.4.3.2.3. Specifying Exam Rules and Exceptions¶

The team of reviewers who examine exam attempt records determine whether learners complied with the Online Proctoring Rules. By default, the team of reviewers uses the standard set of rules for taking proctored exams.

You can provide custom rules and rule exceptions if the content of an exam requires them. If your course allows learners to use tools and techniques that the default rules for proctored exams prohibit, you must provide information about these rules and exceptions both to your learners and to the team of reviewers.

To specify custom proctored exam rules and rule exceptions, follow these steps.

1. In Studio, open your course outline and select the subsection for the exam.

2. Select the Configure icon to open the Settings dialog box.

3. Select the Advanced tab.

4. In the Review Rules field, describe any additional rules or rule exceptions.

   Write clear, English-language descriptions of your exam rules. For example, you could enter the following rules.

   Allow one blank sheet of paper and a pencil or pen. Allow a hand-held calculator on the desk.

5. Select Save.

11.4.3.3.1. Do Not Allow Verified Learners to Opt Out of Proctored Exams¶

To remove the option for verified learners to opt out of proctored exams in your course, follow these steps.

1. In Studio, select Settings, then select Advanced Settings.
2. Locate the Allow Opting Out of Proctored Exams policy key. The default value is true, which gives verified learners the option of taking proctored exams without proctoring.
3. Change the value of the setting to false.
4. Select Save Changes.

After you enable this setting for your course, options for taking exams without proctoring are no longer available to verified learners.

11.4.3.4.1. Handle Requests for Additional Time¶

In some situations, for example to accommodate learners with disabilities, additional time allowances can be provided for specific students. Consult with your organization’s Disability Services resources to decide whether and how a learner with specific needs can be accommodated for a timed exam.

If it is confirmed that additional time should be allowed for a specific student to take the exam, follow these steps.

1. Contact edX Support to ask them to set up a time allowance for the learner.

2. Provide edX Support with the learner’s username or email address, and the amount of additional time that this learner should be allowed to complete the exam.

3. When the allowance has been set up, let the learner know their adjusted allowed time for the exam.

   When this learner starts taking the exam, the exam timer takes into account the adjusted time.

11.4.3.4.2. Handle Requests for Special Allowances¶

In some situations, for example to accommodate learners with disabilities, special allowances can be provided for specific students. Consult with your organization’s Disability Services resources to decide whether and how a learner with specific needs can be accommodated.

If it is confirmed that a special allowance should be made to the exam policy for a particular learner, follow these steps.

1. Contact edX Support and ask the support team to set up a special allowance for the learner.

2. Provide edX Support with the learner’s username or email address and the exception to the standard exam policy. For example, “Learner cannot see. Allow an additional person in the room to act as a scribe.”

3. When the allowance has been set up, let the learner know that their special allowance has been granted.

   When the learner’s proctored exam results are reviewed, the reviewer is aware of the special allowance and takes that into account.

11.4.3.4.3. Handle Requests for Retaking a Proctored Exam¶

Course teams might have to assist learners who have experienced technical difficulties with online proctoring, or have other reasons to request permission to retake a proctored exam. Learners can contact edX support to request that their proctored exam attempts be cleared. Clearing a proctored exam attempt allows a learner to retake a proctored exam.

If a learner needs to retake a proctored exam, follow these steps.

1. Instruct the learner to contact edX Support and request that the support team delete the exam attempt.
2. When the exam attempt has been deleted, instruct the learner to retake the exam.

11.4.3.5.1. Viewing Proctored Session Results¶

At any time after learners have taken the proctored exam in your course, you can download a .csv file that displays the status of the proctoring session for participating learners.

To generate and download a file of proctoring session results, follow these steps.

1. View the live version of your course.

2. In the LMS, select Instructor, then select Data Download.

3. Select Generate Proctored Exam Results Report.

   

   A status message indicates that the report generation process is in progress. This process can take some time to complete, but you can navigate away from this page and do other work while it runs.

4. To check the progress of the report generation, reload the page in your browser and scroll down to the Pending Tasks section. The status of active tasks is shown in the table.

   When the report is complete, a linked .csv file name becomes available above the Pending Tasks section. File names are in the format {course_id}_proctored_exam_results_report_{datetime}.csv. The most recently generated reports appear at the top of the list.

5. To open or save a report file, locate and click the link for the report you requested.

   

   You can open .csv files in a spreadsheet application to sort, graph, and compare data.

11.4.3.5.2. Understanding the Proctored Session Results File¶

The .csv file that you can download to view the status and results of learners’ proctoring sessions contains the following fields.

The following table describes the possible values in the Status column.

11.4.3.6.1. Navigating to Another Part of the Course During an Exam¶

While they are taking a proctored exam, learners can navigate (using the same browser session) to other parts of your course.

If learners navigate to other parts of your course, they see an alert message indicating that the timer on their exam continues to count down. When learners return to the exam, they resume where they left the exam. The timer has been continuing to count down during the learner’s time away from the exam.

11.4.3.6.2. Running Out Of Time In an Exam¶

If the timer reaches 00.00 before a learner has completed the exam, the exam ends, and all answers that the learner has submitted up to that point in time are submitted for grading.

The proctoring software detects that the edX exam has ended, and prompts learners to confirm that they want to quit their proctoring session. Learners must go back to the proctoring software and confirm that they are quitting, so that the proctoring session ends and the proctoring session data is uploaded for review.

11.4.3.6.3. Closing a Browser Window Before The End of the Exam¶

Several situations might arise during the exam. This section describes the result of each of these situations.

In some cases, course team members will have to decide whether the exam results that were obtained are valid, or whether the exam attempt should be cleared and the learner given an opportunity to retake the exam. For more information, see Handle Requests for Retaking a Proctored Exam.