Online Exam Proctoring: How to Balance Data Privacy and Testing Integrity

During online exams, the stakes are high for your test-takers and testing organization.

Your test-takers want to do well and your organization wants to protect the integrity of its certifications. Add an online exam proctoring service to this stressful time, and you may raise concerns about data privacy and security. 

After all, your testing organization is using specialized software to observe/record the audio-video data of a remote test-taker in their personal space. Data privacy and security concerns are baked into this situation. 

Let’s define these concerns and discuss how the right technology and thoughtful management at exam time can go a long way toward lowering the stress of all parties and promoting a positive testing experience.  

What are the data privacy and security concerns of test-takers?

We can group the data privacy and security concerns of test-takers into three categories: 

Public disclosure of private details—An online proctoring service has several opportunities for capturing private information. For example, a 360-degree webcam scan of a test-taker’s personal space is often one of the initial steps in online proctoring. 

While the scan ensures the space is free of test supports, it can also record many personal details a test-taker may not want to make public, such as socio-economic status, religious affiliation, political views, and so on. 

Data security—What happens to the data collected, stored, and transmitted? Who sees it? How long is it kept? How secure is it? 

Biased treatment—Whether the proctor is human or special software, both may react in unfair or unjustified ways to, for example, test-taker appearance, nervous behavior (such as tics), and accidental intrusions by others into the test-taker’s space.  

What about the concerns of organizations using online assessments?

As a testing organization, you don’t want your current or potential online proctoring service provider to put your reputation at risk. So you need to do your due diligence.

We recommend asking your provider the following data privacy and security-related questions. 

Does your service comply with international data privacy standards?

Your online proctoring service provider must meet 100% of the internationally accepted global standards on data privacy and security. If they don’t comply, ask what they’re not doing. 

For your reference, the following are two widely accepted standards:  

PIPEDA—According to Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, private companies need the consent of individual Canadians when collecting or using their personal information. 

GDPR—All companies handling the personal data of EU residents or monitoring their online behavior need to comply with Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation. 

What private details of a test-taker are being recorded?

In addition to the 360-degree webcam scan discussed above, some online proctoring solutions record test-taker ID information and gather data about the computer in use, its settings, and its contents. 

Privacy is best protected when only a minimum amount of information is collected, stored, and shared.

So ensure that you get specific information about what data your online proctoring service provider collects, stores, and shares, and for how long.

What parties have access to test-taking data?

Several people can potentially have access to the test-taker’s data:

  • The trained proctor reviewing the data, in real time or recorded form 
  • A testing organization administrator evaluating a case of suspicious behavior
  • A technician of the service provider helping out an instructor or administrator
  • Potential third parties hired for support by the service provider

Have your service provider define who has access to the data.

What is your service provider’s data storage timetable?

Each service provider defines the length of time they will keep the test-taking data. A shorter storage duration lessens the risk of breaches or unauthorized viewing. 

What data security safeguards are in place at your service provider?

Data can be protected through several means: security protocols, data encryption, secure data transmission between the test-taker and the company’s server, robust encryption for data residing on this server, and so on. Have your provider walk you through their safeguards. 

To protect test-taking data on your organization’s side, ensure that access to proctoring systems and databases is restricted by administrative role and that users employ multi-factor authentication.

How to build transparency and trust in online exam proctoring

So what can your organization do to protect the integrity of your exams, while also addressing concerns about individual data privacy and security to create a positive test-taking experience?

Take two key steps:

  1. Communicate in an open, transparent, and timely way  

Well in advance of the testing session, explain the policies, procedures, and technology you have in place to respond to test-taker concerns. 

Remember, your test-takers want to earn certifications the marketplace finds credible. Plus, they value the convenience of taking tests in their personal space.

To fulfill these needs, a minimum of data collection through online proctoring is required. Due to this data collection, all test-takers will play by the same rules.  

Furthermore, share the answers your online proctoring service gave in response to the provider questions we listed above.

A proactive, thoughtful, and open approach to communication emphasizes your priority on data privacy and security. Such an approach will go a long way to building greater peace of mind and confidence in your test-takers and your organization. 

  1. Partner with the right online proctoring service 

Not all online proctoring services are created equal. 

We know of top-tier companies that prioritize individual digital privacy and security. Their solutions respond responsibly to the common concerns of test-takers and testing organizations. 

Ask us about them!  We’re here to help.

 

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