The biggest challenges in online skills testing are establishing the test taker's identity and making sure that fair means are used during the testing process. LiveProctor is a remote proctoring mechanism developed by ExpertRating that has helped overcome these long standing obstacles in internet based skills testing. It has revolutionized the manner in which employers and recruiters rely on online test data.

Thanks to LiveProctor, online employee testing has moved to the next level. For the first time in the history of online testing, employers will actually get to see who had appeared in a remotely conducted online test, and whether or not he/she used any unfair means. LiveProctor has been designed to capture essential information about the test taker and his/her computer session. Besides a regular webcam, LiveProctor doesn't require any additional hardware to be installed on the test taker's computer.

With LiveProctor, employers who use online tests as a pre-employment screening tool can verify that a test was indeed taken honestly. LiveProctor will provide the following information about the testing session:

1. The test taker's photo identity
2. Random webcam shots of the test taker during the test
3. Random screenshots during the test
4. IP tracking
5. Keyboard activity monitoring 
6. Geographical location tracking
7. Monitoring of applications running on the test taker's computer
8. Test disconnection information

ExpertRating LiveProctor makes it virtually impossible for anyone to use unfair means during the test and also provides verifiable evidence of the test taker's identity. LiveProctor has been designed to work on any Windows based computer using any commonly available webcam. This makes the LiveProctor system compatible with most Windows based computers without the necessity of attaching additional hardware, other than the webcam.

The images below will help to explain a typical LiveProctor testing session.

 
A candidate has been asked by an employer to take a test. The computer is running Windows operating system and has a webcam attached to it.

 

LiveProctor downloads on the test taker's browser. The test starts. Webcam images & screen shots are sent to the ExpertRating server at random intervals. Information about the test taker's computer activity and location are also sent to the server.

 

The test ends and LiveProctor is disengaged. All activity related to LiveProctor is permanently stopped on the test taker's computer.

 
The Employer logs into his/her ExpertRating employer account to view the test scores and the LiveProctor monitoring report. This report will reveal whether the test taker used unfair means during the test. Click here to see a sample LiveProctor report.

 

The employee's testing information is automatically deleted from the ExpertRating server once it has been used for monitoring purposes. View ExpertRating Privacy Policy

Here are some common online testing scenarios and how LiveProctor works to detect unfair means (if employed) during testing.

Scenario 1.  An employer in New York asks a job applicant in California to take a C++ test. The job applicant asks his friend in Florida to take the test on his behalf.

Firstly, LiveProctor will detect the country and the state from where the test was taken, so the employer will immediately know that the test wasn't taken from California. Secondly, LiveProctor will ask the test taker to present a photo identification at the start of the test. Finally, LiveProctor will record images of the test taker's face during the test, which can be verified with the individual at the time of the personal interview.

Scenario 2.  An employer asks an employee to take a marketing skills test. The employee is not confident of his theoretical knowledge and opens up Wikipedia, Google and dictionary software during the test to find answers to questions he is not sure about.

Firstly, LiveProctor will provide images of the screen (screen shots) during the test. If the test taker had opened any window other than the test window, it will show up in the monitoring report. Secondly, LiveProctor will report the list of applications that were open during the test. The dictionary software as well as additional instances of the browser being opened for purposes other than taking the test will be detected. Finally, LiveProctor will record the key keyboard activity of the test taker, which will reveal that he/she was typing search queries in Google/Wikipedia etc.

Scenario 3.  A recruitment firm asks an individual to take a test remotely.  The individual asks his friend to chat online with him and assist him during the test.

The LiveProctor will detect any chat software running on the computer. The keyboard tracking feature will log the keys pressed during the test. Any such act will instantly arouse suspicion as most ExpertRating tests do not require key presses. The LiveProctor report will reveal any such instances of unfair means.

Scenario 4.  A company asks a candidate to take a MS Word test. The candidate takes the test from his residence, but uses a mobile phone to talk with a friend during the test.

The LiveProctor takes periodic webcam images of the test taker as well as part of the surrounding area of the test taker. This makes it virtually impossible for the test taker to use a mobile phone, read from printed material or talk to a friend who might be sitting alongside during the test.

With ample scope for cheating in online tests, the chances of mis-hiring are huge. Fortune 500 Companies estimate the cost of mis-hiring to be between two and four times a person's salary. The impact of a bad hire leads to business loss, customer dissatisfaction, poor team building and low morale.

Mis-hiring can cost between $5,000 and $7,000 within three months of an individual's joining. Mis-hiring an individual of the level of a supervisor, (who draws $20,000 per year) can cost about $40,000 to the company. Mis-hiring an individual of the level of a manager (who draws $100,000 per year) can cost the employer about $300,000. These losses include wasted salary, benefits, severance pay, headhunter fees, training costs and hiring time. Read more about the costs associated with mis-hiring. 

E-cheating is one of the biggest hurdles in online skills assessment. Employers commonly rely on inaccurate online testing information based on un-proctored skills assessments. In a Georgia Southern University study on e-cheating during online tests, 17 out of 33 candidates were reported cheating in some form during the test. The graph given below gives a break-up of the cheating methods adopted by the candidates during the study.

Source: Camille F. Rogers. Georgia Southern University. 2006.