Guide
How to stop cheating in online exams (without proctoring software)
You do not need webcam proctoring to run a fair online test. Most cheating in a low-stakes exam is opportunistic — a shared answer order, a reloaded page, a second attempt under another name — and each of those has a setting that closes it.
Shuffle questions and options
Shuffling is the single highest-value setting. When every student sees a different question order and a different option order, comparing screens or passing an answer string stops working. Turn on both; shuffling questions alone still leaves 'B, B, D, A' usable.
Time the test on the server
A timer that runs in the browser can be paused by closing the tab. A server-side timer starts when the attempt is created, so a reload, a crash or a second device all resume the same countdown. For speed practice, add a per-question timer with auto-advance so students cannot bank time on easy items.
Limit attempts and tie them to an identity
Link-based limits are trivially bypassed by opening the link again. For anything graded, assign the test to a class so each attempt is tied to a signed-in student, then choose the maximum attempts and whether the first, latest, best or average score counts.
Watch the behavioural signals
You do not need a camera to spot the obvious cases. Tab-switch counts, unusually fast submissions and an answer pattern that matches another student's exactly are all visible in the results.
- Tab switches during the attempt, with a count per student.
- Time taken versus the class median.
- Per-question timing — a hard item answered in three seconds is worth a look.
Design questions that resist searching
The strongest defence is item design. Questions that need a calculation from data given in the stem, or an application to a scenario from your lesson, are far harder to look up than recall questions copied from a textbook.
Tell students the rules first
Announce which settings are on before the test. Students behave differently when they know the timer is server-side and tab switches are recorded, and it removes the argument afterwards.
FAQ
- Can Mock Tests Creator detect cheating?
- Mock Tests Creator records tab switches, attempt timing and per-question timing, and enforces shuffling, server-side timers and attempt limits. It does not use webcam or screen proctoring.
- Does shuffling work with grouped questions?
- Yes, but keep passage-based sets together. Shuffle within a section rather than across the whole paper when several questions share a stimulus.
- How do I stop a student taking the test twice?
- Assign it to a class instead of sharing a public link. Attempts are then tied to the signed-in student and your maximum-attempts rule is enforced.
- Is a password enough?
- A password stops strangers, not classmates. Combine it with shuffling, a server-side timer and attempt limits for anything that counts for marks.
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