The adoption of distance learning and online examinations have made access to education pretty convenient. Today, learners can attend classes and sit for tests in the comfort of their locations. However, this poses risk to academic integrity and honesty. With this kind of remote learning, students find it more convenient to cheat on tests and examinations.
Nevertheless, with the introduction of remote proctoring services, institutions are now comfortable with offering examinations outside class. Such programs integrate AI and human invigilators to deter cheating.
This article compares some of the best proctoring programs in the market, Honorlock vs. Proctor U. Please stick around and find out more about the two programs.
Honorlock Vs. ProctorU
Honorlock is a web-based examination proctoring tool. It was created to assist learning institutions such as colleges in employing AI technology to live-monitor exams. On the other hand, ProctorU is an assessment management tool that aids academic institutions in recording and reviewing exam sessions. It does so to spot and help prevent malicious activity during exams.
Both online proctoring services have numerous similarities. However, they have their fair share of deviations too. Lucky for you, this article looks into both similarities and differences to help you get a clear overview of the two programs.
Below is an all-around list of factors and features that this article employs to offer you a comprehensive comparison between the two services:
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Live Proctoring
It is worth noting that Honorlock integrates AI and live remote proctors in protecting online examinations. The service demands the use of a webcam and a microphone. These two offer a video and audio recording of the exam environment. It is these recordings that the live remote proctor utilizes to identify and flag possible cases of cheating. Also, AI can alert the live proctor to focus on a student they deem suspicious.
Similarly, Proctor U employs live proctoring too. A professionally trained live human proctor validates the test-taker virtually. They also keep an eye on the whole exam session and flag or intervene in any questionable activity. For successful live proctoring, the test-taker must have a webcam and a microphone.
Also see: How to cheat on ProctorU
After comparing the two on this feature, both are pretty effective. They offer live proctoring services to enhance exam security and promote academic integrity.
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Browser Lockdown
Honorlock implements a feature known as Browser Guard that acts as the program’s lockdown browser. The Browser Guard plays multiple roles that detect and prevent cheating. Such roles include recording the candidate’s screen, disabling copy/paste and printing functions, and recording web traffic. It also closes all the other browser tabs in the candidate’s computer except the one used to undertake the exam.
On the other hand, ProctorU also monitors and records your computer activity. It does so by recording your keyboard, screen, and system activity. It can, therefore, detect when a candidate opens other tabs or copies and pastes a text.
Also see: How to cheat on a proctored exam
Both services are pretty efficient in monitoring computer activity through their individual AI. They can tell when a test-taker engages in suspicious computer activities such as copy and pasting and opening other tabs.
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Identity Verification
Honorlock captures a photograph of the test-taker along with their photo ID in roughly 60 seconds, making ID verification straightforward. The proctor uses your photo to manually verify your identity. The ID photo is used to authenticate your name as the rightful test-taker.
This process is pretty more comprehensive with ProctorU. For identification verification, you’ll take a picture of yourself with your government-issued ID. You might also be asked to answer a set of completely random, publicly available challenge questions. All this depends on the amount of verification postulated by your institution.
It might also be necessary for you to type out a paragraph of text. This content is compared to a previous typing test that you might have been required to do before the exam. Remember, this is a process that the service undertakes to confirm your identity.
Comparing the two, it’s harder to fake one’s identity when using Proctor U. It is, therefore, the most secure in terms of candidate verification between the two.
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Third-Party Integrations
Test-takers can undertake exams outside of Canvas using a third-party publisher website while their session is still being proctored. This owes to the Honorlock Universal Third-Party Integration program.
On the other hand, ProctorU is pretty flexible with third-party integrations. For example, this service supports integrations like Canvas, Gauge, Moodle, Shmoop, and Cirrus.
ProctorU supports more third-party integrations than Honorlock. It is, therefore, the program to go for when you are looking for flexibility with other online learning platforms.
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Pricing
With Honorlock your school’s settings define whether you pay for a proctored exam or not. This is because they can cover all the costs for all examinations. If the cost is not paid for, students cover the costs based on each exam. In this case, each student pays $4.45 for each exam.
Each exam’s cost gets dictated by its timeframe. Here, it is the candidate who settles charges shortly before the proctored examination. Furthermore, all ProctorU proctored exams ought to be booked 72 hours before the exam day. Failure to do that attracts additional fees. Below is an illustration of ProctorU exam prices;
- 30 minutes or less- $8.75
- 31 – 60 minutes – $15
- 61 – 120 minute- $19.75
- 121 – 180 minutes- $25
- 181 minutes or more- $30
Comparing the two services, Honorlock comes out on top because of its affordability. Its services are cheaper than ProctorU
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Ease of Use
Honorlock has a user interface that is pretty straightforward to use for both instructors and students. For example, the process of creating exams on the platform is pretty simple. Furthermore, the processes of student verification and maneuvering the platform are simplified.
Also see: Proctored exams rules
ProctorU employs an intuitive, exciting and secure user interface. This interface promotes convenient access to its products and services. For example, a student can easily access and complete processes such as creating a new account, creating or scheduling a test, or logging in to undertake an exam.
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Quality of Support
There are numerous channels that you can utilize as a user to communicate or seek help from Honorlock. These channels include chat, a knowledge base, emailing the help desk, an FAQ segment, and phone support.
Furthermore, Honorlock offers training to new and veteran users. They do so through documentation, webinars, and being live online. All these forms of customer support make it easier for the platform’s users to access quality assistance as fast as possible.
Similarly, ProctorU offers their clients multiple channels of reaching their customer support. These channels offer a flexible system of communication to clients. As a user, you can reach ProctorU through phone support, email to the help desk, FAQs forum, knowledge base, and chat. However, they do not train their users on their products and services.
Looking at the quality of customer support, both services are pretty effective. They both provide their users with a broad list of communication channels. However, Honorlock surpasses ProctorU because they offer training to their users, something ProctorU doesn’t do.
Conclusion
After comparing Honorlock vs. ProctorU, you are in a better position to make a selection. Undoubtedly, the two remote proctoring services are some of the best platforms in the world. However, there is a need to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, utilize this information to help you make an informed choice.