Guide
How to Take a Proctored Exam Online
7 minute read - Updated: November 2026
If your course, certification or employer uses online proctoring, the exam will look familiar but the setup will not. This guide, written for the person taking the exam, explains what proctoring checks, how to get your room and computer ready, what is recorded and what is not, and what to do if something goes wrong. Most problems on exam day are setup problems, and almost all of them can be avoided the day before.
What online proctoring checks
Depending on the service your institution or employer uses, a proctored exam may lock your browser to the exam window, record your webcam and microphone, check your identity with a photo or ID, and check your computer for applications that are not allowed during the exam, such as AI assistants, overlay tools, remote-control software and virtual machines. You will be told what is checked before the session starts. Read the notice; it tells you exactly what will and will not be recorded.
The day before
Run the practice or device-check session if one is offered; it finds permission and installation problems while there is time to fix them. Update your operating system and browser. Close or uninstall applications you will not need, especially anything that draws over other windows, such as note tools, AI assistants and screen-capture utilities. Check your webcam and microphone. Make sure you have the charger. Read the exam rules once more and note anything allowed, such as a calculator or scratch paper.
Setting up your room
A quiet room with the door closed, a clear desk, and a wall or neutral background behind you. Put your phone away in another room unless the rules say otherwise; a phone on the desk is the most common flag in any proctored exam, even when it is never touched. Tell anyone you live with when the exam is and ask them not to come in. Good light on your face, not behind you.
Starting the session
Launch from the link your instructor or employer provided. If a small application is required, install it and allow the permissions it asks for; it runs only during the exam. Complete the identity step if there is one. You will see a consent notice stating what is recorded and for how long; the session will not start until you accept it. If a restricted application is found, you will be told which one to close.
During the exam
Stay in the exam window. Do not open other applications, tabs or devices. Keep your face in the frame. If you need to leave your seat for an allowed reason, follow the stated procedure. Reading questions aloud is fine unless the rules say otherwise, but talking to someone else is not. Work normally; the proctoring is designed to be invisible for a student who follows the rules.
If something goes wrong
If your connection drops, reconnect and relaunch; most services resume the session and record the gap, which a reviewer will see as a connection problem rather than misconduct. If the application will not start, use the support contact in the exam instructions before the exam window closes. If you are flagged for something you believe was innocent, say so to your instructor as soon as the exam ends; flags are reviewed by a person, and context helps.
What is and is not recorded
What is recorded depends on the service and the settings your institution chose, and the consent notice states it. In a ScreenComply session, the application records which programs and windows are present during the exam, whether an overlay, remote-control session or virtual machine is running, and screen and webcam only if your institution turned them on. It does not read your files, log your keystrokes or record anything outside the exam window, and the record is deleted after the retention period your institution set.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use two monitors?
Usually not. Most rules require a single display; a second monitor is detected and flagged. Disconnect it before you start.
Can I have water or snacks?
Check the rules. Most allow water. Keep anything else off the desk.
What if my roommate walks in?
Say so after the exam. A second person in frame is flagged for review; the reviewer decides what happened.
Will I be penalized automatically?
No. Flags are reviewed by a person at your institution or employer, who makes any decision under their policy.
What if I do not want to be recorded?
Your institution sets an alternative, such as an in-person sitting. The consent notice tells you how to decline.
Can the proctoring software see my files or passwords?
No. It records which applications and windows are open, and screen and webcam only if enabled. It does not read files or log keystrokes.
Related guides
See a session, a detection, and a report
A short walkthrough of a live exam, a flagged moment, and the finding your integrity office would receive.