How to Manage the Challenges Faced by Students in an Online Exam?

 

Many institutions are increasingly adopting an online education and examination system to impart uninterrupted education as well as to conduct an uninterrupted assessment of their students.

 

Students are also increasingly enthusiastic about the online examination platforms and are eager to be part of the process. However, there are a few key challenges that students face. These challenges become the hindrance in providing uninterrupted education and doing an assessment of students. However, identifying the problem and implementing the right solution can help institutions to overcome the challenges. This also aids in being able to conduct unhindered assessments of their students. So, let us check out the key challenges faced by students during an online exam and how to overcome them.

 

Internet Connectivity

Urban areas and cities may have good internet connectivity, but not rural areas. Most remote areas still face a huge problem of network and internet connectivity. Therefore, in the event of simultaneous examinations, internet connectivity could pose a major challenge in smoothly conducting online exams.

 

The best way to manage this problem is to use computer-based test software that can conduct exams in both the online as well as offline environments. This gives the institutes the flexibility to conduct online tests even in the remotest of locations, wherein, they can use the offline or internet feature to conduct the test and then upload their answers on a server from the local machine securely. Additionally, conducting exams in an offline setting has many benefits:

·      You can conduct the exam without worrying about the internet speed or its connectivity

·     Several students can simultaneously appear for the examination from the remotest of locations by accessing separate networks offline

·      The data of the entire examination gets encrypted at every step

·      This is the most cost-effective method of conducting examinations on a large scale

 

 

Preparation of Question Bank

The quality and accuracy of the online exam or online assessment are directly proportional to the quality and accuracy of the question bank fed into the online examination software. Therefore, the institution must make sure that the questions are set to the highest of standards necessary to conduct the examination. This also ensures proper and thorough evaluation of a student’s ability and capabilities. To ensure a fair evolution of students, it is recommended that questions should be prepared by subject matter experts.

 

Institutions must opt for an effective online examination software that allows their subject matter experts to log in to the system and design a question bank for their subject. This helps the institutions with a bank of questions and the flexibility to decide the method of online examinations. These questions can be either of the objective or the subjective kind. 

 

This information will help the students prepare for the examination. And the institution can also decide on the marking system, exam duration, number of questions, marking scheme and questions per subject, etc.

 

Communication with Online Exam Students

The online examination can be conducted at different centres spread across multiple locations with the help of an online exam app. Therefore, it is essential to establish proper communication channels with every student, including students in remote and rural locations, who are undergoing the online examination. This should be done to answer any queries by students or clarify their doubts regarding the online examination process. This communication channel is necessary to ensure a smooth undertaking of the online exam on the examination app or platform.

 

Therefore, institutions should choose an online exam app that provides them with the feature of alerting the students about the schedule of examination and their login credentials. Also, if required, the software should have the facility of contacting students via SMS or email to communicate important information about the online exam process. Effective communication is important to keep the students informed about every step of the process so that the operations of the exam can be seamless.

 

 

Security during the Online Examination

Security is a critical challenge for online exams conducted on computer-based test software. There are many aspects that institutions need to consider, such as authorization, authentication, etc. to verify that the right student is appearing for the examination in a secured environment without indulging in malpractice.

 

Security is a critical factor for the students as well. The computers or systems in which they would be attempting the test should be properly secured with antivirus and antimalware protection to prevent any loss or theft of data or information during the examination. The computer-based test software should be capable of auditing the entire examination process to find out the leaks or secure the lapses that may cause problems during the examination process.

 

Therefore, institutions should choose computer-based test software that can manage the entire process safely and securely. The ideal online exam app should contain the following features:

·       Remote Proctoring or Supervision: This feature will help you to do a video live stream with the remote students. Plus, the system also takes photos of the students to verify their identity.

·      Secure Browser: It ensures that the students cannot access or open different windows during the examination. This keeps the students focused on their activity with the secure browser limiting any chances of malpractice.

 

With the help of an effective computer-based test software or an online exam app, you can certainly overcome the different challenges faced by students as well as institutions to efficiently conduct online examinations. Good software will help the students from the remotest of locations appear for their test without any hindrance or issue. At the same time, it will enable institutions as well to reach out to maximum students and provide quality education and grading to one and all.