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Read more Louella Morton

Executive Director

TestReach

Remote Invigilation is the

future for high-stakes

assessment

So, you decide you want to buy a new watch

on the internet. You browse the various styles;

you spend time choosing the colour, the

brand, the size and you meticulously go

through all the steps to check out. Now comes

the bad news, you have to drive to a

warehouse 200 miles away to collect your new

purchase.

This is what happens every day with online

learning processes, especially for formal, highstakes qualifications. The growth in online

education means that a student can access

their education online, but when it comes to

being formally assessed - they still have to

travel to a test centre on a specific day and sit

their exam at the same time as many other

students. Why move most of the process

online, only to have a last step that requires

significant time and effort?

Assessment of learning and for learning is a

key part of the education process. The

phenomenal worldwide growth in e-learning

means that technology needs to deliver

reliable and valid assessments, for any

number of candidates, in any location and in

any time zone. The digital generation expect to

have their assessment delivered conveniently

and the industry has to invest in new

technologies to meet this demand.

Is remote invigilation the answer?

Remote invigilation, also known in the US as

'online proctoring', is the process by which an

exam candidate can sit an invigilated exam

online. Essentially the exam hall experience is

recreated in an online environment. There are

different ways that it can be provided, and the

most secure one is where a live invigilator, or

proctor, monitors the candidate in real-time

while they sit their exam.

The technologies vary for this, but usually will

involve some form of video and audio link.

Some more advanced systems also have

remote screen share, instant messaging and

video recording.

This can have a huge impact on how

qualifications can be assessed. Many

professional membership bodies now provide

accredited high-stakes examinations using

remote invigilation. It is important to these

organisations that their members have the

flexibility to sit their exam at a time that suits, in

the privacy of their own home or office, and

close to the period of tuition.

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