Securing Your Online Assessments: Best Practices

As online assessments become increasingly common, maintaining academic integrity is more important than ever. Cheating can undermine the validity of your tests and devalue certifications.

The good news? With the right strategies and tools, you can significantly reduce cheating risks.

Understanding the Threat Landscape

Before implementing security measures, it's important to understand common cheating methods:

Security is not a product, but a process. — Bruce Schneier

Technical Safeguards

1. Browser Locking

Browser lockdown software prevents test-takers from:

• Opening new tabs or windows
• Taking screenshots
• Accessing other applications
• Using copy-paste functionality

2. Question Randomization

By randomizing the order of questions and answer choices, you make it much harder for candidates to collaborate.

// Example: Shuffling questions in Examinator
const shuffleQuestions = (questions) => {
  return questions
    .map((q) => ({ q, sort: Math.random() }))
    .sort((a, b) => a.sort - b.sort)
    .map(({ q }) => q);
};

3. Time Limits

Setting appropriate time limits prevents candidates from looking up answers. However, be careful not to disadvantage:

• Non-native speakers
• Test-takers with disabilities
• Those with slower internet connections

Design Strategies

Build Better Questions

The best defense against cheating is designing questions that are difficult to cheat on:

1. Application over recall — Ask how concepts apply, not just definitions
2. Unique scenarios — Use specific, detailed situations instead of generic ones
3. Multi-step problems — Require thinking through a process
4. Open-ended responses — Include explanations, not just multiple choice

Example: Weak vs. Strong Questions

Weak (easy to Google):

"What year was the Declaration of Independence signed?"

Strong (requires understanding):

"Based on your knowledge of the historical context, explain how the Declaration of Independence influenced subsequent democratic movements. Provide specific examples."

Proctoring Options

Depending on your security needs, consider these proctoring approaches:

Policy and Communication

Clear Academic Integrity Policies

Before the exam, clearly communicate:

1. What constitutes cheating
2. The consequences of violations
3. The tools being used to detect misconduct
4. How to report suspicious behavior

Example Policy Statement

"By starting this assessment, you agree to complete it independently without assistance from others, unauthorized resources, or AI tools. Violations may result in immediate disqualification and reporting to your institution."

Balancing Security and User Experience

Remember: Overly aggressive security measures can create a hostile testing environment that disadvantages honest test-takers.

Find the right balance based on:

• Stakes — Higher stakes justify more security
• Context — Consider your audience and their needs
• Resources — Match security to your available tools

Quick Implementation Checklist

• Enable browser lockdown for high-stakes exams
• Set appropriate time limits
• Randomize question and answer order
• Use question banks to generate unique exams
• Implement AI detection for written responses
• Clearly communicate academic integrity policies
• Train proctors on monitoring best practices
• Have a response plan for detected violations

Conclusion

Securing online assessments requires a multi-layered approach. Combine technical safeguards, thoughtful question design, and clear policies to create a fair testing environment.

Examinator provides the tools you need to implement these best practices effectively. From browser locking to AI-powered proctoring, we've got you covered.

Ready to secure your assessments? Get started with Examinator today.

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