Let students know ahead of time (and remind them at the start of the exam) what materials they may or may not use, and what your expectations are for conduct, for instance whether students can ask questions about the exam and how, and what the policy is for leaving the room. The way you run your exam may mean that students with accommodations will need to make additional arrangements, which is another reason for discussing these elements early.

With the advent of generative AI, options for getting exam help on your phone have increased dramatically. Many instructors will ask students to leave phones at home or store them in backpacks at the front or back of the room, and may ask them to turn phones in for restroom breaks. If that’s not possible, a “phones off and stowed under your chair” policy may still help minimize temptation. Although phones are the most common, students may also have internet-enabled watches or headphones, too.

Spacing out desks or chairs, where possible, can reduce distraction and make proctoring easier. If the room size or configuration makes this difficult, consider some of the design suggestions below.

Explain what it means to proctor actively, moving throughout the room and paying attention. Discuss in advance what to do if you suspect cheating. Generally, we don’t suggest trying to make final decisions about cheating on the spot, but you can intervene to fix problems, such as asking a student to move seats or to change to a different color pen or pencil so that you can compare parts of the exam written at different times. In cases of suspected copying, it helps to make note of where students are sitting or to use a prearranged seating chart.

One person may be able to proctor effectively for 15-20 students. Above that, what you need to preserve a fair environment will vary depending on the exam and the room. Please enlist your teaching fellows and if necessary, reach out to your department or the Poorvu Center for additional proctoring support.

This allows for “passive coverage” across the room, including the back, and reduces the chance of unnoticed behavior.

Some instructors find it helpful to check bathrooms for phones or materials shortly after the exam starts, and to let students know they will do so.

You might ask students to come with only a pen and pencil, and then distribute exams to ensure no other materials are present. If you typically allow a notes sheet, consider preparing and distributing one uniformly.

When possible, try to use the same procedures during a low-stakes quiz earlier in the semester. This gives students a chance to adjust and gives instructors a “dry run.”

This can mean writing different questions (say an A and B version of the exam), or you could just vary the order of the questions. In larger classes or those with many similar answers, alternating two versions of an exam across rows can reduce the temptation to copy.

If using special browsers or other technology, plan for potential failures. Have a backup plan and know who to contact for troubleshooting.

Instructors should take the following steps to help ensure a successful online exam with a proctor. 

• Schedule each Zoom session on behalf of the proctor. All proctors should provide instructors scheduling privileges for their Zoom accounts. This feature allows instructors to schedule meetings for the proctor that will be hosted by the proctor. All instructors must schedule the sessions through the Zoom website or desktop app and not through the Canvas-Zoom integration in the Canvas course site to which the assessment is connected. This recommendation safeguards the privacy of session recordings. (Click here for instructions on scheduling the Zoom session on behalf of proctors.(Link is external))
• Select “record to the cloud” for every proctored session.
• Inform the students as soon as possible that their exam will be proctored remotely using Zoom and recorded for review.
• Set clear expectations for the students about appropriate behavior during exams, and provide a way for individual students to communicate in advance about specific concerns they may have (internet reliability, potential interruptions, accommodations, etc.).
• Confirm that the proctor knows the exam procedures.
• After the exam, review any recordings flagged by a proctor for further attention.
• If an instructor believes a student violated exam procedures, we recommend that the instructor start by talking to the student about the activity. It is possible the student can provide an explanation for their actions that lead to the determination there was no academic dishonesty. Evaluating actions on a recorded Zoom session is challenging; the student should have the opportunity to discuss the situation with the instructor.
• If the student is unable to provide a satisfactory reason for their actions, the instructor should follow the process established for the “Submission of matters to the Executive Committee: 1. Reports of possible Academic Offenses(Link is external).”

Proctors for remote exams should take the following steps to help ensure a successful online exam. 

• Ensure your Zoom account is configured to allow cloud recordings to display the “Gallery View.” (Click here for instructions on enabling your account to capture the “Gallery View” in cloud recordings(Link is external).)
• Provide the instructor “scheduling privileges” on your Zoom account. (Click here for instructions on providing “scheduling privileges” to another user(Link is external).)
• Know the specific exam procedures implemented by the instructor and review them with the students prior to starting the exam.
• Ensure the session is being “recorded to the cloud.”
• Keep the Zoom session in “Grid View.”
• Disable chat between students and only allow chats between the host (the proctor) and students. (Click here for instructions on allowing chats only between participants and the host(Link is external).)
• Email the link to the Zoom cloud recording to the instructor as soon as it is available, typically 3 – 5 hours after the session is recorded.
• Include in this message to the instructor any observed violations of exam procedures or other behaviors by students that require review. For example, if a student lost internet connectivity during the exam.

We recommend the following procedures for proctored Zoom exams.

• The student-to-proctor ratio should not exceed 10:1.
• Students should leave their microphone and video on so the proctor can hear and see them while they complete the exam.
• Students should lower their audio so they do not hear other students.
• Proctors should take student attendance asking each student to present photo identification.
• Proctors should communicate via Zoom private chat if they need to contact a student.
• Students should communicate via Zoom private chat if they need to contact a proctor.
• Students should show the proctor their desk and surroundings prior to starting the exam to ensure there are no aids specifically restricted by the instructor (ex. course textbook).
• Instructors may implement specific guidelines based on the exam type. Common guidelines for students taking remote proctored exams include the following:
  • No talking
  • No headphones
  • No phones or tablets, other than the devices being used to actually take the exam
  • No books (if you are comfortable allowing students to refer to books during the exam, a proctor may not be necessary)
  • No searching the Canvas course site to locate lecture videos, notes, etc. (if you are comfortable allowing students to refer to the Canvas course site during the exam, a proctor may not be necessary)
• Instructors might also consider the following procedures:
  • If the students are taking a paper-based exam, they should not be allowed to type on their computer
  • Specifying whether students are allowed to have blank paper on their desk to use as scratch paper
  • Specifying whether students are allowed to have a calculator on their desk
  • Specifying whether bathroom breaks are acceptable
  • Students should be permitted to have food and drink on their desk
• Students should send the proctor a message via private Zoom chat after they submit the exam. The proctor will acknowledge receipt and, if applicable, confirm the submission has been received. The student can then exit the Zoom room.
• The proctor will remain in the Zoom room until all students submit the exam.
• Exams should not use both Respondus Lockdown Browser AND a remote proctor on Zoom for the same assessment. Doing so will present significant technical complications. Instructors must choose between Respondus Lockdown Browser OR a remote proctor on Zoom.