Best Online Exam Software

Table of Contents

What is Exam Software?

Exam software is a computer program used to conduct exams online over the internet. It allows you to create question banks and tests, define instructions, and evaluate the results, all from a single platform.

Online exam solutions eliminate the need for offline examinations where both students and instructors had to be present at a specified location. With exam software, you can conduct an exam from anywhere, and candidates can appear for the exam regardless of location.

Online exam solutions were already popular, but their demand has surged amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Now, all schools, colleges, and institutes utilize online learning and examination solutions to easily conduct assessments.

Benefits of Having Exam Software 

With online education becoming the new normal, education providers need to embrace e-learning and assessment system solutions. But aside from the increasing demand, examination tools also offer some tangible benefits, such as:

1. Best-Quality Distance Learning

Due to the current scenario, online learning is something all schools and colleges need to implement. But even when the impact of COVID-19 subsides, e-learning will remain the primary mode of education.

An online examination system allows you to provide high-quality distance education. It also allows your students to study from anywhere, resulting in a pleasing experience for both you and your students.

2. Seamless Assessments

Exam systems enable you to conduct hassle-free assessments. You don't need to engage in time-consuming tasks like task allocation, record management, room allocation, and the creation and printing of question papers. You can develop question banks for different grades and courses within minutes without juggling through the studying material.

3. Better Experience of Students

The rise in technology has increased the expectations of students. They're no longer in favor of sitting for hours in an examination hall and writing pen-paper assessments. Exam software provides students with a unique, virtual classroom experience. Students can attend classes, give exams, clear doubts, and interact with instructors and other students, all from their preferred location.

4. Enhanced Security

Unlike offline assessments, online exam builder tools keep the exams confidential, eliminating any possible room for malpractices. The exam questions are also generated automatically from the question bank, so there's no risk of paper leaks. Additionally, the questions are saved in an encrypted form, and only authorized users can access them.

5. Cost-Effectiveness

Think about the costs involved in conducting an exam by the conventional methods. Question and answer sheets, logistics, invigilation, electricity, and more – the list is endless. With an exam system, you don't need to incur any of these costs.

Features of Exam Software

Online examination tools include a wide range of features that help you conduct and manage online assessments. The following are the key features of an online exam system solution.

1. Planning and Schedule Automation

Exam registration, scheduling, and planning should be perfect in an online exam. Online exam builder tools come with planning and scheduling automation features that allow you to optimize an exam's pre-phase process. This feature can help you generate timetables and process candidate applications and hall tickets.

2. Question Bank Management

Exam software solutions allow you to create intuitive question banks with different types and categories of questions. This makes it easy for instructors to create unique question papers. A randomization feature is also available in many cases to create different question papers by randomly picking questions from the question bank.

3. Assessment Patterns

This feature lets you give a clear pattern to your assessments. You can use it to specify how many questions will be in the exam, how many marks each question carries, and how the evaluation will be conducted. It allows you to clearly specify the assessment method and guidelines to the appearing candidates.

4. Online Proctoring

Online examinations have attracted criticisms due to an increased risk of cheating. To avoid this, most vendors now offer high-level online proctoring features that help you identify the true identity of every candidate appearing for the exam. This feature also enables you to monitor candidates during the examination process to ensure that all instructions are being followed and assessments are completed fairly.

5. Integration with LMS

The online education industry is on the rise, with most schools, colleges, and institutes now offer classes online. Many exam software solutions come with in-built LMS capabilities, allowing you to conduct classes and examinations from the same platform. Some examination tools lack LMS features, but they offer seamless integration with other e-learning solutions.

6. Roles and Permissions

Online exam solutions allow you to configure role-based permissions for an examination. You can easily appoint invigilators and administer who can create, access, view, and monitor the exam. This feature helps promotes collaboration and enhances the overall management of an online exam.

Things to Consider While Purchasing Exam Software

The rise of the online exam industry also means there are more examination system software vendors in the market than ever. Therefore, it can be challenging to select the right exam solution that aligns with your requirements, objectives, and challenges.

Here are a few factors to consider when searching for an examination system.

1. Features

Though at its core, every exam solution is designed to conduct online examinations, different vendors can differ a lot in terms of features and functionalities. Be sure to clearly determine what features you need, and pick the software accordingly. If you don't plan to conduct online classes at all, there's no point in paying for additional LMS capabilities.

2. Cost

Cost is the second-most important thing to consider when looking for an exam software solution. Don't forget that you're investing in an online exam builder tool because you want to reduce your operational expenses. Going for an extremely expensive system can affect your overall budget. Therefore, keep an eye on the cost of ownership of the software.

3. User Interface

Keep in mind that most teachers, and probably even students, aren't used to an online learning ecosystem. They might need some time to get used to a new way of learning and conducting assessments. To make the transition smoother, go for a simple, easy-to-use exam software system.

How Can Cheating Be Prevented in Online Examination Systems?

The only known drawback of online examination is the ease with which candidates can cheat. But by implementing these best practices, you can prevent cheating in online examination systems.

1. Remote Proctoring:

Mandate the use of a functioning webcam and mic, and allow a candidate to appear for an exam only after proper identity verification.

2. Candidate Authentication:

This step is critical, as impersonation is one of the major online examination malpractices. Make sure each candidate logs in to the system using valid, predefined credentials. After logging in, the candidate should provide the original ID proof. After the candidate has submitted ID proof, he should turn on the webcam to allow the proctor to match the provided ID with the actual person giving the exam.

3. Exam Timer:

Every exam should have a fixed time duration. Once the designated time is over, the appearing candidates should be automatically logged out of the system.

4. Data Encryption:

Choose an exam system that offers powerful data encryption capabilities. You need to make sure your question bank and student information are secure and encrypted.