Accountancy exams are increasingly available as remote assessments, but a key barrier for most organisations is concern around maintaining exam integrity. While traditional testing centres provide in-person invigilators to keep an eye on candidates, awarding organisations may be concerned that the same level of integrity cannot be protected during online assessments. However, remote invigilation offers an effective solution. Read on to learn how online proctoring works to help maintain trust during exams, wherever they’re being taken.
What is remote proctoring?
- Live monitoring of candidates via webcam
- Recording of candidates taking tests, for later review by assessors
- Restriction of online access during the exam
Remote proctoring offers the benefits of online exams, with the added security provided by observing candidate activity. It enables a level of flexibility that face-to-face exams cannot emulate, providing a more inclusive approach to exams without undermining their integrity or validity.
How does it work?
The process works by monitoring the candidate and their work throughout the assessment. The identity of candidates is verified before the exam via webcam, with the system asking for valid photo identification and a series of security checks to be carried out..
The candidate could then be required to download software that temporarily restricts computer and/or internet access during the exam. Two video streams can be configured to provide images from different devices. For standard online testing, the invigilator or reviewer can see what the candidate is typing on their device and have one video stream from the candidates computer camera, with a second video stream coming from another device (such as mobile phone or tablet). This second device can be placed to provide a side-on view of the candidate, making it easy for an invigilator/reviewer to see candidate actions and a wider view of the room. Observational style assessments can be conducted with two video streams showing different views of candidates and the activities they are carrying out.
The functionality enables both live invigilation of candidates and the ability to record test sessions for later review. Candidates and invigilators can communicate with each other by means of online chat functions.
Why is remote invigilation so important in accountancy exams?
Accountancy organisations such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) support millions of trainee accountants on a global scale, and their reach is ever-growing.
They offer slightly different routes to qualification, but each has a legacy of qualifying accountants that needs to be protected, even as assessments are increasingly taken online. There are three key reasons that remote invigilation can help maintain this legacy.
1. Exam integrity
ICAEW, ACCA and AAT are all internationally recognised exam boards that work with students from all over the world. Accountancy and finance is an influential industry, so those who enter the profession must be equipped with sufficient knowledge and skills to perform at the highest level. Proctoring is the most effective way to make sure that those who qualify as accountants have done so earnestly and honestly. It allows examining bodies to be comfortable in the knowledge that their awarding of professional qualifications are based on students’ own merit and hard work as opposed to cheating.
2. Flexibility
While some online exams are taken at professional qualification centres, others can be taken at a location of the candidate’s choosing. Such flexibility provides more inclusivity, as candidates are not restricted by commutes and time which may have previously prevented them from sitting the exam. Remote proctoring enables integrity from anywhere, which opens up more opportunities for when exams can be sat, allowing candidates to select a time most convenient for them.
3. Ensuring success for the future finance professionals
The finance sector is set to remain a competitive environment in which the workforce will have to continue their professional development and learning alongside their career. In an arena that demands continued learning and rejects complacency, the quality of work for future finance professionals is going to continue to improve for years to come. Providing remote invigilation during the training phases fosters an appreciation of honest knowledge sharing, which is beneficial throughout the career path.
How Rogo can elevate your remote proctoring
understanding of the needs of candidates, assessors and remote proctors to achieve a level of examination that guarantees integrity, reliability and validity.
Our software takes a two-pronged approach to remote invigilation, offering a way of doubling up on authenticity. Rogo offers both live proctoring and recordings of the examination, allowing assessors to return to the video should a candidate be suspected of malpractice. Such levels of monitoring help professional qualification awarding bodies like ICAEW, AAT and ACCA to proceed with confidence.
We also offer not one, not two, but three simultaneous video streams, including mobile recording, for a 360° perspective of the candidate that helps mitigate cheating and creates a fair testing environment.
Our all-in-one platform offers a simple yet sophisticated system, allowing you to find everything in one place. To minimise any stress for candidates, our remote proctors are trained in using our software and familiar with the terminology, helping to dispel confusion and create a comfortable environment for everyone involved.
Our parent company, Eintech, conducted an investigation into the current state of online assessments, finding that 86% of respondents thought that online invigilation worked well. Rogo believes this percentage is set to increase as the EdTech sector developments in remote invigilation become more and more sophisticated.
To find out more about our features and how they can benefit your accountancy assessments, visit www.getrogo.com.
