5 reasons why remote proctoring is so incredibly scalable

We now use computers to track business performance, collaborate with colleagues, organise events and so much more, all done much more efficiently than in the past.

For organisations that set assessments, many have embraced digital testing and invite their candidates to sit in-venue computer-based exams, which can be quickly marked, processed and analysed. But for those wanting to take things up a notch, there’s another digital solution that provides even greater efficiencies: remote proctoring.

In this article, we talk about how remote proctoring can free up vast amounts of time and money for your organisation, giving you back the resources you need to scale.

1. No exam venues to manage

Companies that run in-person tests know how expensive and time-consuming venues are to arrange. Assuming that spaces are even available, they must be the right size, in the right locations, and with the necessary equipment for students to sit their tests. This makes them a huge constraint to growth.

With remotely-proctored tests, however, candidates take their tests at home (or another place of their choosing). This negates the need to organise and manage not just extra exam venues, but any exam venue, saving a tonne of time and money that can be redirected towards growing your business.

2. No invigilators to organise

Remote proctoring software uses AI-driven monitoring technology to catch shady activity, like a candidate staring at something beside their computer screen, or audio playing in the background. The software proctors a candidate’s test in a similar way to a human invigilator, timestamping possible violations to be reviewed later, warning candidates when they break the rules, or even ejecting them from the test entirely.

With the software handling the invigilation, there’s no essential need for a human to monitor candidates. Instead, a staff member can view the flagged violations once the test is complete and decide whether the candidate broke the rules. While this process takes time, it’s a fraction of the time and money spent by human invigilators hired to walk around exam venues. To make reviews efficient, rigorous quality assurance (QA) guidelines are crucial. We discuss these in point 3 of this article.

In some instances, you may want human invigilators to monitor candidates alongside the software. Many remote proctoring apps – such as our own – provide this flexibility, which might be adopted for assessments that have extremely high-stakes.

3. No computers to manage

Candidates tend to use their own computers for remotely-proctored tests. You just need to provide them with clear instructions and requirements, and a little support when they’re stuck.

That means your IT team doesn’t have to buy or manage a single computer for test-takers – a huge and expensive undertaking for companies that set large-scale exams. In addition to the price of the computers themselves, they can cost anywhere between $1,500 to $5,000 AUD per device per year to manage. Then there’s the salaries of IT staff to manage them. For companies setting thousands of tests each year, computer costs can run into the hundreds of thousands.

4. Digital tests are cheaper than paper tests

If you’re running in-venue paper tests, you’ll know how expensive printing and shipping is. Colour printing costs can range anywhere from 5c to 15c (AUD) per page. For a 30-page exam taken by 10,000 candidates, that’s about $30k in printing, not including assembly or getting the papers delivered.

Shipping the assembled tests during the exam process is equally expensive. First, they’re shipped to test venues, then to markers, then potentially to other markers before going back to your organisation. When there are lots of tests, this can add up to tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Digital tests have their own unique costs – an assessment platform, IT costs, setup costs, and more – but because software is easily accessible by any candidate with a computer and internet connection, and the tests don’t have to be shipped multiple times around the country, over time it’s far, far cheaper.

5. Students from anywhere in the world can take the tests

When you’re running in-venue assessments, your targeted candidates are limited because they need local exam venues to sit their tests. If you want to start targeting candidates in Newcastle, for example, you need to arrange and manage an entirely new venue in the city, which bumps up your costs and creates extra work for your staff.

Digital tests are accessed through the internet, so don’t have this constraint. If you have a solid strategy and the resources to execute it, in theory you can target any candidate in the world for your assessments. This opens up huge possibilities for growth.

Remote proctoring software allows candidates to sit digital exams at home, using their own devices, and be invigilated by the software itself. It removes the most expensive and time-consuming constraints of in-venue testing, allowing your organisation to redirect efforts towards what is most important: growing the business.

References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer