{"id":320,"date":"2011-11-08T04:00:02","date_gmt":"2011-11-07T23:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/blog\/?p=320"},"modified":"2026-04-24T05:29:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T01:29:14","slug":"essential-ways-to-prevent-cheating-in-online-assessments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/quiz-school\/blog\/essential-ways-to-prevent-cheating-in-online-assessments\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Prevent Cheating in Online Exams &#038; Tests: 20 Incredible Hacks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From saving time and money to providing great flexibility, online exams and tests offer several benefits that make them an integral part of educational, training, and recruitment processes.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, despite the numerous benefits, educational institutions and businesses must face the fact that online tests are not immune to cheating.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"tenor-gif-embed\" data-postid=\"8727862\" data-share-method=\"host\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1\" data-width=\"40%\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tenor.com\/view\/cheat-sheet-gif-8727862\">Cheat Sheet GIF<\/a>from <a href=\"https:\/\/tenor.com\/search\/cheat-gifs\">Cheat GIFs<\/a><\/div>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/tenor.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learners may decide to create a cheat sheet to keep on their person during the exam even if they don\u2019t have access to leaked questions. They may create notes for the most important topics in their course or for the topics they\u2019re weak in. <\/span><\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Using a Video Conferencing Platform<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using video conferencing platforms, such as Zoom or Google Meet, exam takers can easily share their screen with a friend to show them the exam questions and get assistance via text messages on the same platform or their phone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exam takers may also use remote desktop software, such as TeamViewer, to let their friends operate their system remotely and take the exam in their place.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Using Smartphones<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exam takers may use their smartphones to cheat in various ways, such as:<\/span><b>&nbsp;<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keeping notes on their phone&nbsp;<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taking photos of the questions to send to their friends&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting answers from friends via texting&nbsp;<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using mobile education websites or apps to get automated or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/susanadams\/2021\/01\/28\/this-12-billion-company-is-getting-rich-off-students-cheating-their-way-through-covid\/?sh=62d80a31363f\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">real-person answers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communicating with friends via a mini Bluetooth earpiece&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Impersonation<b>&nbsp;<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learners may have a friend take the exam in their name. For this, they may use fake or rigged identity proofs to clear the authentication carried out by the invigilator.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For remote exams featuring webcam authentication, learners may use a different strategy where they sit for the authentication but then have the friend answer the questions.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, those were some of the most frequently used offline as well as <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">online exam cheating tricks<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Now let\u2019s look at how you can cope with these cheating techniques.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Prevent_Cheating_in_Online_Exams\"><\/span><b>How to Prevent Cheating in Online Exams<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are the different measures and strategies to ensure you conduct a fair and credible assessment using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/quiz-school\/solutions\/test-maker-software\/\">online testing software<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Anti-Cheating Settings<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>1. Enable Proctoring<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By enabling proctoring, you can monitor exam takers during the exam via screen sharing and their webcam and microphone. Here\u2019s how this works:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As soon as exam takers submit their tracking information, they get pop-ups asking for screen share, camera, and microphone permissions.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The exam taker is allowed to take the exam only if they grant these permissions.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once the exam taker submits the responses, the instructor conducting the exam can check their report to view screenshots, a screen recording, and an audio\/video recording of the exam taker.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The instructor can use these images and videos to check if the exam taker used any unfair means to answer questions.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"810\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/quiz-school\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Anti-Cheating-Settings.png\" alt=\"Anti-Cheating Settings\" class=\"wp-image-48547\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>2. Disable Tab\/Browser Switching<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Disabling tab switching prevents exam takers from looking up answers by switching tabs or browsers. Here\u2019s how this works:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the exam taker tries to switch tabs, they get a message warning them not to switch tabs to avoid auto-submission.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The attempt to switch tabs also triggers a countdown that the exam taker must stop, forcing them to return immediately to the exam tab.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the exam taker doesn\u2019t return to the exam tab before the timer runs out, the exam gets auto-submitted.&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"810\" height=\"359\" src=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/quiz-school\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Disable-Tab-Browser-Switching.png\" alt=\"Disable Tab Browser Switching\" class=\"wp-image-48548\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>3. Randomize Question Order<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Online tests are often used in a classroom setting. Because of this, learners may sit close to one another, making it possible to see the screen of another test taker. Randomizing the question order can reduce copying by ensuring two test-takers sitting side by side&nbsp;don&#8217;t get the same order of questions.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"810\" height=\"834\" src=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/quiz-school\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Randomize-Question-Order.png\" alt=\"Randomize Question Order\" class=\"wp-image-48549\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>4. Shuffle Answers Options&nbsp;<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shuffling the answer options within a question can keep learners from copying answers when asking multiple-choice, true\/false, or checkbox questions. Learners may also attempt to create an answer key to pass on to other students. Answer shuffling renders answer keys useless.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>5. Use Question Pooling<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this anti-cheating technique, the instructor creates a (preferably large) question bank\/pool and uses it to present a different set of questions to each learner.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ideally, such a question bank must contain at least twice as many questions as there are to be in the exam. <\/span>The more questions included in the bank, the better pooling will work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, let\u2019s say a teacher wants to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/quiz-school\/blog\/golden-rules-follow-create-perfect-online-test\/\">create a test<\/a> containing twenty questions. The teacher creates a bank of 100 questions, from which twenty will be used. Each student gets twenty questions in the exam, but not the same twenty.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you create a large enough question pool, answer copying becomes virtually impossible with this method.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Use-Question-Pooling.png\" alt=\"use-question-pooling\" class=\"wp-image-47164\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Pro Tip #1:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Question pooling and question\/answer shuffling are also very useful if you allow more than one test attempt since these methods let you present learners with a different test each time.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Pro Tip #2: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In case you\u2019re running short on good questions to include in your question bank, you can try asking the same questions in a different format. For example, top online <a href=\"http:\/\/proprofs.com\/quiz-school\/tools\/online-test-maker\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">test maker<\/a> tools let you create questions in formats such as multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blanks, matching, hotspot, essay, order-the-list, and many more.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Watch: Question Types for Online Learning &amp; Assessment <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/N6GC7HEukzM\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Unauthorized Access Prevention<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>6. Use Privacy &amp; Security Controls<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can make your online tests private to prevent them from being accessible via search engines. You can also make your tests password-protected or grant access via secure, individualized logins to a virtual classroom.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Use-Privacy-Security-Controls.png\" alt=\"use-privacy-security-controls\" class=\"wp-image-47165\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Watch: How to Create &amp; Use a Virtual Classroom<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/A_pwLfSsQko\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Set unique passwords and instruct exam takers not to share their login credentials with anyone under any circumstance. To reduce the possibility of someone guessing a password, include at least one number and an uppercase letter, especially if you\u2019re using common words in the passwords.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>7. Ask for Exam-Taker-Specific Information That You Can Verify<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask exam takers to provide information about themselves, such as name, email, address, phone number, or any other personal information (with a custom question). You can then use this information to verify their identity.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Ask-for-Exam-Taker-Specific-Information-That-You-Can-Verify.png\" alt=\"ask-for-exam-taker-specific-information-that-you-can-verify\" class=\"wp-image-47166\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can also set up an authentication system where the exam taker will have to authenticate the email address and phone number they provide via one-time-passwords.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another thing you can do is ask the exam taker to turn on their webcam to get their picture taken before they can access the exam. You can then compare this picture with their authorized photograph to check for a case of impersonation.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>8. Require a Student or Employee ID Number<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since student or employee ID numbers are unique, this is another means of identification. No two learners have the same ID number. Based on whom you are testing, you can also use your license ID or any other ID number here.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>9. Disable Copying\/Printing&nbsp;<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/quiz-school\/blog\/how-to-create-an-online-exam\/\">conducting your exam<\/a> in batches or enabling exam takers to take it at their convenience, you must disable copying and printing of exam content so that exam takers can\u2019t leak questions to those who haven\u2019t taken the exam yet.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Disabling-Tab-Browser-Switching.png\" alt=\"disabling-tab-browser-switching\" class=\"wp-image-47167\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Pro Tip:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It&#8217;s best to present only one question per page if you\u2019re conducting the exam in an exam center. Doing so will make it harder for exam takers to take snapshots of the questions to send to their friends if they\u2019ve managed to sneak in their phones.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>10. Enable IP-Based Security<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can make your exam more secure by configuring IP security settings using <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">anti-cheating software for exam<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> creation. You can:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make your exam available only to those connected to the internet under the <a href=\"https:\/\/nordvpn.com\/blog\/what-is-static-ip\/\">static IP address<\/a> ranges you specify<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Block reattempts from the same IP address even if different devices or email addresses are used to access the exam&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Enable-IP-Based-Security.png\" alt=\"enable-ip-based-security\" class=\"wp-image-47168\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Exam Availability Settings&nbsp;<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>11. Set an Exam Availability Time Frame<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By defining exam availability date(s)\/time frame, you can ensure that everyone takes the exam at roughly the same time. Exam takers who don\u2019t take the exam within the defined time frame will receive a message that the assessment has expired.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if they get the questions from the learners who\u2019ve taken the exam, the latecomers can\u2019t benefit from them since the exam has expired.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Set-an-Exam-Availability-Time-Frame.png\" alt=\"set-an-exam-availability-time-frame\" class=\"wp-image-47169\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Besides setting an availability time frame, also make sure you disable reattempting so that exam takers aren\u2019t able to correct their mistakes by logging in again.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>12. Add Time Limits<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although setting a time limit can introduce stress for the test takers, it can also keep them focused on the task. If the exam takers know they have limited time, they are less likely to spend a lot of time looking for answers.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can set a time limit for the entire test or separate time limits for each question<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, whatever works best for your test. Just make sure you provide enough time for the test takers to complete the assessment.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/quiz-school\/blog\/what-is-student-assessment\/\">student assessments<\/a>, even open-book tests can be timed. If a student knows the material in their book well enough, finding information in the text within a time limit is a reasonable task.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Watch: How to Create a Timed Exam<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ANC0wETZkf8\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>13. Use a One-Question-per-Page Format With No Backtracking<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Set up your exam in a way that exam takers can only see one question at a time and must submit a final answer then and there. This way, exam takers will have less flexibility to implement any cheating techniques they may have been planning to use.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, let\u2019s say an exam taker is using some <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/simonchandler\/2019\/09\/11\/how-technology-is-being-used-by-students-to-cheat-on-tests\/?sh=5015177384fa\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">advanced tech<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to communicate with their friends during the exam. If you configure your exam the above way, the exam taker won\u2019t be able to provide the entire question set to their friends at once, reducing the effectiveness of the cheating technique.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Use-a-One-Question-per-Page-Format-With-No-Backtracking.png\" alt=\"use-a-one-question-per-page-format-with-no-backtracking\" class=\"wp-image-47170\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Other <\/b><b>Cheating Prevention Strategies&nbsp;<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>14. Don\u2019t Reveal the Correct Answers Too Soon<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many instructors provide the correct answers to the questions at the end of the test or even after each question, even if all exam takers aren\u2019t taking the exam at the same time. This isn\u2019t a good idea for the same reason you must disable copying and printing for such exams.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Dont-Reveal-the-Correct-Answers-Too-Soon-...png\" alt=\"dont-reveal-the-correct-answers-too-soon\" class=\"wp-image-47171\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plus, if you want learners to learn the answers through studying course material, you should only display whether an answer is right or wrong. If an answer is marked incorrect, but no answer is revealed, learners may be more motivated to study the course materials to find the right answer and fix their errors.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>15. Ask Video-Response Questions<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It can be very hard to cheat at video-response questions where you ask the exam taker to answer an open-ended question by recording a video in real time.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if an exam taker gets the answer from somewhere, it\u2019s unlikely that they\u2019ll be able to quickly memorize the answer and then answer believably, especially if there\u2019s a time limit involved.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Watch: How to Create a Video-Response Question<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rCUJtji-SaI\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>16. Ask Higher-Order Open-Ended Questions<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Open-ended questions are harder to cheat at since they generally require the exam taker to compose a detailed answer. Also, the prospect of the evaluator comparing answers may deter the exam taker from copying them from another exam taker sitting next to them.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But your open-ended questions also mustn&#8217;t be the kind whose answers can be found with a quick google search or a peek into a book.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>You must ask questions that require the exam taker to have in-depth knowledge of the course and present their opinions and analysis in detail.&nbsp;<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>17. Enable Save &amp; Resume<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you&#8217;re conducting a remote exam or test, you may hear from some test takers that their computer crashed or they lost internet connectivity during the exam. While this could be true, it could also be a ploy to secure a reattempt to cheat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/quiz-school\/blog\/best-exam-software\/\">best exam software<\/a> provide a save &amp; resume option. Enabling save &amp; resume will let the exam taker continue from where they left off so that they can\u2019t correct their answers via a reattempt.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Watch: How to Choose the Best Exam Software<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cRXqbsBAJec\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>18. Ask for the Seat Number<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many classrooms or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/quiz-school\/blog\/create-corporate-training-assessments\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">corporate training<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> rooms have seat numbers assigned to each workstation. You can find exam takers\u2019 seat numbers and compare the results of two people who sat next to each other to check if one of them has copied the answers.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>19. Explicitly State the Rules and Test Instructions<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You don\u2019t want a situation where the exam taker claims ignorance on being caught cheating. To avoid such scenarios, you must give clear instructions on what is permitted during the exam, what is not, and what resources or websites are acceptable.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>20. Create an Honor Code<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establishing an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/why-honor-codes-reduce-st_b_795898\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">academic honor code<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can be a very effective way to motivate students to avoid cheating even when under pressure. You can even go so far as to ask exam takers to write an integrity pledge like <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI pledge not to cheat during this assignment\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI pledge that this is my original work.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"giphy-embed\" src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/sO0BqnVu5Po3K\" width=\"480\" height=\"270\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An honor code can make students feel like they\u2019re part of a special community of learning-focused individuals. Such a system may also encourage students to report any academic dishonesty they notice to ensure a level playing field.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, that was our list of cheating prevention methods. You can refer to it anytime you&#8217;re wondering, &#8220;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how to stop cheating on tests<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8221; or &#8220;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how do online exams prevent cheating<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">?&#8221; Now let\u2019s take a super-quick look at how you can conduct a secure, cheating-free online exam.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Create_Conduct_a_Secure_Exam_Online\"><\/span><b>How to Create &amp; Conduct a Secure Exam Online<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s the process for creating online exams and tests in six simple steps.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Step 1: Pick a template or start building from scratch<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Pick-a-template-or-start-building-from-scratch.png\" alt=\"pick-a-template-or-start-building-from-scratch\" class=\"wp-image-47172\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Step 2: Create questions or import them from a question library<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Create-questions-or-import-them-from-a-question-library.png\" alt=\"create-questions-or-import-them-from-a-question-library\" class=\"wp-image-47173\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Step 3: Configure scoring, time limits &amp; other exam settings&nbsp;<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Watch: How to Automate Exam Scoring &amp; Grading<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ugVRXgo-Ado\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Step 4: Enable security and anti-cheating settings<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Enable-security-and-anti-cheating-settings.png\" alt=\"enable-security-and-anti-cheating-settings\" class=\"wp-image-47174\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Step 5: Automate and manage certification<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Automate-and-manage-certification.png\" alt=\"automate and manage certification\" class=\"wp-image-47175\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Certificate-1.png\" alt=\"certificate\" class=\"wp-image-47176\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Step 6: Share the exam via a secure link or a virtual classroom<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Watch: How to Share an Exam<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1AAG1L_AW-s\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Easily_Conduct_Cheating-Free_Exams\"><\/span><b>Easily Conduct Cheating-Free Exams<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By now, you must have a good idea of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how to prevent cheating in online exams<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Each cheating prevention method mentioned above offers a level of security that can individually reduce cheating in online tests.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using multiple ones in a single test will bring the possibility of cheating down to a minimum, whether you\u2019re teaching students, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofstraining.com\/solutions\/employee-training-software\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">training employees<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or assessing candidates as part of your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/quiz-school\/blog\/ways-quiz-can-simplify-employee-recruitment-process\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">recruitment process<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Implementing these techniques and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tips for preventing cheating<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a breeze if you use an excellent online exam platform to build and conduct your exams.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ProProfs offers 100+ settings for exam security and customization and an easy-to-use interface. It also comes with a comprehensive resources library featuring <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/quiz-school\/public-quizzes\/\"><b>1 million+ ready-to-use and customizable questions<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> covering almost every subject and topic, making secure testing easier than ever.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From saving time and money to providing great flexibility, online exams and tests offer several benefits that make them an integral part of educational, training, and recruitment processes.&nbsp; But, despite the numerous benefits, educational institutions and businesses must face the fact that online tests are not immune to cheating. Cheat Sheet GIFfrom Cheat GIFs Learners&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":52426,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exam-maker"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Prevent Cheating in Online Exams: 10 Proven Ways<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Online exam cheating is rising - but it&#039;s preventable. Discover the best anti-cheating strategies and tools to run secure, credible assessments every single time.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/quiz-school\/blog\/essential-ways-to-prevent-cheating-in-online-assessments\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Prevent Cheating in Online Exams: 10 Proven Ways\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn how to build a training program, create online assessments, and improve corporate knowledge management with ProProfs.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/quiz-school\/blog\/essential-ways-to-prevent-cheating-in-online-assessments\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Quiz School Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-11-07T23:00:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-24T01:29:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.proprofs.com\/quiz-school\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/What-Is-an-Assessment-Tool_.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"810\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Michael Laithangbam\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Michael Laithangbam\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"14 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Prevent Cheating in Online Exams: 10 Proven Ways","description":"Online exam cheating is rising - but it's preventable. 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