Before deciding to use proctoring for an online test, please consider the following:
There are currently three proctoring tools that NIU has an active agreement for: Respondus Browser/Monitor, Examity and ProctorU. All require that students use a laptop or desktop computer running Windows or MacOS, that they have a webcam and microphone and a reliable Internet connection. Students also need a clean, quiet place to take a proctored test and a form of identification.
Feature | Respondus | Examity | ProctorU |
Live Proctoring | No | Yes | Yes |
Live Support Available | Chat only | Yes | Yes |
Automated Violation Detection | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Blackboard Integration | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Students must schedule an appointment to take their test | No | Yes, with live authentication or proctoring | Yes |
Test session recording available to instructor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Fully automated solution available (no live interaction) | Yes | Yes | No* |
Faculty can access violation reports and video to review | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Proctoring session reviewed by human for violations | No | Yes, in top tier option | Yes, in top tier option |
Browser Lockdown | Yes | No | No |
Identity Verification | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Cost | NIU site license through June 2023, no cost to students | $4-$29 per student per exam | $10-$42.50 per student per exam |
Student Pay Available | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Institution Pay Available | Yes | Yes | Yes |
*ProctorU has an automated solution, it does not integrate properly with Blackboard
Respondus Monitor is a proctoring solution that is built upon an in-person proctoring solution called Respondus LockDown Browser. Respondus LockDown Browser is a proprietary web browser (i.e. an alternative to Chrome, Firefox, etc.) that strictly limits students' ability to do anything but take an exam in the browser/PC. Monitor adds an automated proctoring service to the Respondus LockDown Browser in place of the in-person proctor. The University has a site license with Respondus through June 2022 that includes use of Respondus Monitor. While available at no cost students and functional, Respondus Monitor is particularly susceptible to technical, software, and Internet connectivity issues. Frequent online training sessions are available and highly encouraged for any faculty considering use of Respondus.
Examity offers two primary solutions, live proctoring and fully automated proctoring. The cost for Examity proctored exam costs range from $4-$29 per exam depending on length and type of exam. Each solution has a standard option and a premium option with more features. Examity was recently selected by an academic unit to replace ProctorU and is available at NIU effective July 1, 2020.
Test Duration | Cost (Per student per test) |
60 Minutes or Less | $12.00-$15.00 |
Each Additional Hour | $5.00-$7.00 |
Test Duration | Cost (Per student per test) |
Any Duration | $4-$6 |
ProctorU also offers two solutions that work at NIU, live proctoring and a hybrid live/automated proctoring. The cost ranges from $10-$42.50 per exam depending on the length and type of exam. They do not appear to be currently offering any discounts. NIU does have an active contract with ProctorU. Service and support have been an issue, with at least one academic unit moving away from ProctorU in Fall 2020.
If automatic proctoring is acceptable, consider using Respondus Monitor, as it is fully funded and does not incur additional cost to the student or the institution. If live proctoring is needed, consider using Examity.
Test Duration | Cost (Per student per test) |
60 Minutes or Less | $17.50 |
61-120 Minutes | $25.00 |
121-180 Minutes | $33.75 |
181 Minutes or More | $42.50 |
Test Duration | Cost (Per student per test) |
60 Minutes or Less | $10.00 |
Each Additional Hour | $4.00 |
Online test proctoring is just one of many options for delivering exams via virtual instruction. For more details on all the options available or to discuss further on how to implement online test proctoring in your course, reach out to the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, citl@niu.edu.
This work was created by the NIU Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.