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Issues in Online Examination Systems

Most online examination software tools have revolutionized the examination processes, which used to be lengthy, time-consuming, and costly. The number of benefits online examinations offer is immense. However, along with the benefits, there are certain challenges as well. In order for the examination process to be effective, these challenges mustn’t be left unaddressed.

Challenges Posed by Online Exams

Let’s take a look at some of the challenges in online examination systems.

Availability of Hardware

One of the major challenges with online examinations is the unavailability of computer systems and other forms of hardware students need. To solve these problems, a lot of questions need to be answered. Some of those questions are mentioned below. How many candidates will be taking the exam? What kinds of devices are required for particular exams? Is there any minimum hardware requirement to run the online examination system? Do educational institutions have sufficient electrical capacity? What kind of technology is required to make sure everyone attempts the exam at a given time? How can schools that are financially challenged afford to bring in new devices and also pay for their maintenance?

The Possibility of Impersonation

The identity management capabilities can easily be compromised, if a good authentication system is missing. When penetration tests are not conducted, weaknesses and bugs can be easily exploited, within the source code. As a result, any person can impersonate the candidate appearing for the online exam. Things can get even worse if there is no physical authentication at the examination venue. Online examinations are not bound by geography, which is both a blessing and a curse. If special arrangements are not made, impersonation occurs.

State Continuity

The problem of state continuity arises out of sudden disruptions that happen due to network failure and power outage. If the systems are not designed accordingly, this problem continues to happen. IT illiteracy is a big cause of this problem. There is nothing much that can be done to pick up from where the candidate left off. In such a situation, the test creator might be forced to formulate a new exam, which will be held on another date.

IT Illiteracy

We have discussed in the previous paragraph how IT illiteracy is a big constraint. There are certain exams that not user-friendly in nature. Others need significant amount of practice for the candidate to come to terms with them. A user applies all the instructions that are displayed on the screen. However, if the system is complex in nature, things are meant to get tough for the user.

Security

An online exam system needs to have proper encryption of the exam questions. In the case of insufficient encryption, fraudulent access to the exam questions can compromise the standard of the examination. Fraudulent access can lead to manipulation and loss of valuable examination data.

Conclusion

These were some of the most common challenges to online examination systems. If left unaddressed, these challenges can turn into bigger problems and compromise the examination standards.