How to Ensure Online Test Security| ExamTesting.com

Integrating Security in the Test Design

One great way to enforce security is to design the test in an unpredictable way using an online test creator. There are several ways to do this:

·         Instructors can shuffle the options in true/false and multiple choice items, making it impossible for students to copy answers from others.

·         Online examination software generally comes with an option to create randomized tests that allow you to shuffle the order of questions, and create several versions of a single test, making it very difficult for students to share answers. Since the order of questions is different, it deters students from copying each others’ answers.

·         Test administrators can also use a question-by-question format. In this type of test design, only one question appears on the screen at a time, which makes it extremely hard for any student to share the answers with others.

·         Another great option is to use questions that require structured responses. Such questions are often open-ended, and require students to give unique answers based on their understanding of the question, rendering it impossible to cheat or copy answers.

Restrict Access during Examination

During a test, a good way to ward off cheating and security breaches is to restrict login access of students. Instructors using an online exam software to create tests can easily use this option to enable or disable access at any point they desire. This ensures that students are not able to log in during the exam, or until the instructor enables the option.

Lock Screen Feature

Some online testing software offer the lock screen feature that can be very helpful for instructors to fortify online test security. There are several ways to use this feature. Instructors can prohibit students from going to back to a previous question and change or modify its answer. They can also use the ‘forward only’ option which prevents students from going backwards and reviewing or changing their answers. An online test creator may have the option to disable Copy/Paste and Print Screen functions, and also lock the screen, preventing students from switching between windows to retrieve answers.