How to Prepare for Online Proctored Exams

You have probably heard the term “proctored exam” in your syllabus or course announcement, and if you are an online student, this process will likely be part of your academic experience. Online proctoring is a technology-enabled method that remotely supervises your test-taking session. The goal is not to catch you doing something wrong — it is to maintain the same exam integrity that exists in a traditional classroom, so every student is on a level playing field.

There are three main types of online proctoring you may encounter. Live proctoring connects you with a real person who monitors your session in real time through your webcam. Automated (AI) proctoring uses artificial intelligence to flag potentially suspicious behavior and records your session for later review. Recorded proctoring captures your entire exam session on video, which an instructor or proctor reviews afterward.

According to research from the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, automated AI proctoring was the preferred method among fully online students, followed by live proctoring. Your school typically selects which method to use, so check your syllabus or LMS for specifics.

Proctored exams exist because research consistently shows that monitoring deters academic dishonesty and helps maintain grade integrity across all students. You should view the proctor as an ally, not an adversary — they are there to ensure fairness and to help troubleshoot technical problems if something goes wrong during your exam.

You do not get to choose your proctoring platform — your school does — but understanding how each one works will help you prepare. Here are the platforms you are most likely to encounter as an online student.

Respondus LockDown Browser with Monitor locks down your computer so you cannot open other websites, applications, or files during the exam. If your instructor enables Monitor, your webcam records your session. It is compatible with Windows 10/11, macOS 12 and later, Chrome OS, and iPadOS 15 and later. You will need to download and install it before exam day.

Honorlock uses a Chrome browser extension, AI monitoring, and live human proctors who “pop in” only when the system detects an issue. You install the Honorlock Chrome extension, log into your LMS, verify your ID, and begin. According to Florida State University’s Testing Center, students pay approximately $4.45 per exam for the Honorlock service, though many schools cover this cost.

ProctorU connects you to a live human proctor who watches your session via webcam. You typically need to schedule your exam session in advance, and the proctor may remotely access your screen to verify your testing environment. The University of North Dakota and the University System of Georgia are among institutions using this platform.

Proctorio is an automated, on-demand proctoring service that uses a browser extension. Oregon State University’s Ecampus provides free Proctorio proctoring to its online students, and no scheduling is required.

Getting your technology right is the single most important preparation step, because technical failures during an exam can cost you time, increase your stress, and potentially invalidate your session. Here is your baseline checklist.

You need a desktop or laptop computer running Windows 10/11 or macOS 12 or higher. Chromebooks are supported by some platforms like Respondus and Proctorio, but not all. Tablets and smartphones are not supported for proctored exams across virtually any platform.

Your computer needs a functioning webcam and microphone — most modern laptops have both built in, but if yours does not, an external USB webcam will work.

For memory, Respondus recommends at least 4 GB of available RAM when using webcam-based proctoring. If your computer has 8 GB total, that is usually sufficient, but 16 GB gives you the most comfortable margin. You also need approximately 200 MB of free hard disk space for the software installation.

Your internet connection is critical. Use a wired Ethernet connection whenever possible — it is significantly more reliable than Wi-Fi. If you must use Wi-Fi, sit as close to your router as possible, and ask others in your household to avoid streaming or downloading large files during your exam window.

Cell phone hotspots are generally not acceptable because they lack the stability needed for a sustained proctoring session. The University of Kentucky specifically advises students to use wired connections over Wi-Fi to reduce the chances of connection interruptions or lag.

Your testing environment is part of the exam. Before your session begins, most proctoring platforms will ask you to show your surroundings on camera — a 360-degree room scan is standard. Planning this in advance eliminates last-minute scrambling and helps you stay focused.

Choose a private, enclosed space. Public locations like coffee shops, bookstores, or shared library tables are not acceptable for proctored exams. According to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s online testing guide, the best space is a quiet, private room, like a home office, a bedroom with the door closed, or a reservable study room at a library.

If you live in a shared space, let your roommates or family members know your exam time and ask them not to enter the room or speak to you — if someone walks into frame during your exam, the proctor must flag it as a testing incident.

Clear your desk of everything except your computer and any materials your instructor has specifically approved (calculator, scratch paper, textbook for open-book exams). Remove phones, smartwatches, tablets, extra monitors, textbooks, sticky notes on the wall, and any other items not authorized for your exam. Some proctoring AI can detect secondary devices in your testing area.

Lighting matters. Make sure your face is well-lit from the front — sitting with a bright window behind you will make your face appear dark on camera, which can trigger flags in automated proctoring systems. Overhead lighting or a desk lamp facing you works best. The University of North Dakota advises that your room should be well-lit with no one else present and that you should not speak aloud during the exam.

Exam day for an online proctored test follows a predictable sequence, and knowing what to expect removes much of the anxiety. Here is the typical flow, regardless of which platform your school uses.

Before you begin, close every application on your computer except the required browser or proctoring software. Restart your computer to clear background processes. Have your government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, passport) or student ID card within arm’s reach. Make sure your computer is fully charged and, ideally, plugged in — a dead battery mid-exam is a preventable disaster.

When you launch the exam, the proctoring software will walk you through a pre-test checklist. You will typically verify your identity by holding your ID up to the camera, taking a photo of yourself, and completing a room scan by slowly rotating your webcam or laptop to show your surroundings. Honorlock reports this process takes approximately 60 seconds.

During the exam, stay in the webcam frame at all times. Avoid looking away from the screen for extended periods, as this can trigger automated flags. Do not read questions aloud unless approved as an accommodation. If you need to use approved scratch paper, show the blank paper to the camera before you start writing.

If you experience a technical issue — a lost internet connection, a frozen screen, or a software crash — stay calm. Log back in, reconnect with the proctoring software, and contact support immediately. Most platforms offer 24/7 live chat and phone support. Then notify your instructor via email as soon as possible.

Start your exam early in the testing window — not at the last possible moment. If your exam window runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and you start at 1:30, you have only 30 minutes before the window closes, regardless of how much time the exam itself allows.

If the idea of being recorded during a test makes you uncomfortable, you are not alone. Research published in the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration found that many online students express anxiety about remote proctoring, and the University of Iowa’s Student Disability Services specifically recommends that instructors discuss with students what to expect from proctoring technology.

The anxiety is real, and it deserves acknowledgment. Being monitored by a camera while you think through complex questions can feel intrusive, especially in your own home. But here is what helps: familiarity. The more you understand the process — what the software does, what the proctor can and cannot see, and what triggers a flag — the less threatening it feels.

Take the practice exam your instructor offers. Get comfortable with the webcam. Know that the proctor is not watching your every blink — automated systems only flag specific behaviors, and human proctors only intervene when necessary.

On exam day, use grounding techniques before you begin. Take five slow, deep breaths. Remind yourself that you have prepared for this content and this testing process. Keep water nearby (most platforms allow it). If you feel anxiety rising during the exam, pause for a moment, take a breath, and refocus on the current question — do not spiral into worrying about the camera.

If your test anxiety is severe enough to affect your performance, you may qualify for testing accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Accommodations can include extended time, a separate or reduced-distraction environment, and stop-the-clock breaks. Contact your school’s disability services office well before exam time to begin the documentation process.

If you have a documented disability, learning difference, or medical condition that affects your ability to take exams under standard conditions, federal law protects your right to reasonable accommodations — and this applies to online proctored exams, too.

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that testing be offered in a manner accessible to individuals with disabilities, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s ADA guidance clarifies that accommodations should allow you to demonstrate your true aptitude.

Common accommodations for proctored exams include extended time (typically 1.5x or 2x the standard allotment), stop-the-clock breaks for students with anxiety, chronic pain, or attention conditions, a reduced-distraction testing environment, use of assistive technology such as screen readers or text-to-speech software, and access to food, water, or medication during the exam.

The University of Iowa’s Student Disability Services notes that some proctoring platforms may not support all assistive technologies; in such cases, your instructor may arrange alternative proctoring via Zoom or another method.

The process for requesting accommodations varies by institution, but you should generally register with your school’s disability or accessibility services office as early as possible — ideally at the start of the semester. You will typically need documentation of your condition (medical records, prior IEP or 504 plan, or a specialist evaluation) and a meeting with a disability services coordinator to determine appropriate accommodations for each of your courses.

Do not wait until exam week to start this process. Most schools require accommodation requests to be submitted at least two weeks before the exam. At Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Disability Resource Center, students are strongly encouraged to submit test requests at least 7 days in advance.

Privacy concerns about online proctoring are valid, and you should understand what data is being collected and what rights you have.

During a proctored exam, the software typically records your webcam video, your screen activity, your audio environment, and potentially your keystroke patterns or eye movements. This data is used solely to verify academic integrity and is classified as an education record under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

FERPA requires your school to protect personally identifiable information from your education records, including proctoring recordings. Under FERPA, your school must have a written agreement with the proctoring vendor that limits how your data can be used, prevents the vendor from using your data for purposes beyond exam monitoring (such as marketing), and ensures data is destroyed after the contract period.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Privacy Technical Assistance Center has published specific guidance on protecting student privacy when using online educational services, emphasizing that schools should define specific data use purposes and include data destruction requirements in vendor agreements.

As a postsecondary student, FERPA gives you the right to inspect your education records, including proctoring recordings. You also have the right to request corrections to inaccurate records. Proctoring companies like Honorlock state that they do not sell student data and that all data is encrypted both in transit and at rest.

If you have specific privacy concerns about a room scan or showing your living space on camera, you have options. Oregon State University advises students to consider taking the exam at a location other than their personal residence — such as a library study room or a publicly available meeting room — if they are uncomfortable with the room-scan requirement.