Timestamped presence
See when an overlay was present beside the assessment.
Device-level proctoring
Overlays built to hide from screen sharing are still seen at the device level.
The screen a proctor sees is not always the complete assessment environment. ScreenComply records the presence of an invisible overlay beside an exam as timestamped evidence, giving your team a device-level record to review under its own permitted-tool policy.
Timestamped evidence gives your team a reviewable session record.
A person applies the policy and makes the decision.
What does the reviewer receive?
Session context
Place the observation within the evidence timeline.
Human review
Apply the permitted-tool policy before reaching a decision.
What is an invisible overlay?
An invisible overlay is a window drawn on top of the exam that screen capture and screen sharing do not show. A student may see assistance beside an assessment while the shared view remains an ordinary exam page. A webcam and a lockdown browser can therefore show a normal-looking session without revealing that additional window.
This describes a gap in visibility, not proof of misconduct in a particular exam. Institutions should explain which tools are permitted and distinguish an unexpected application from prohibited assistance. Students need a clear way to ask about an approved tool or accommodation before the session begins.
Why does the browser never see it?
A browser controls the assessment environment within its own boundaries. An overlay exists beside that environment, rather than as a page or tab the browser can inspect. Relying on a shared screen alone leaves the reviewer with the view presented to the meeting, not necessarily the complete device context.
Existing browser controls can still be useful. ScreenComply works as a proctoring layer alongside those controls, adding evidence about the assessment session without requiring an institution to treat its current exam delivery workflow as obsolete. The relevant question is what a human reviewer needs when the result is disputed.
What does ScreenComply record?
The evidence report records that an overlay was present beside the exam and when it was present. Timestamped entries let a reviewer place the observation in the context of the assessment instead of interpreting a general warning without a session record. Presence is an observation, not a conclusion about intent.
An instructor or integrity office considers that evidence against the exam policy and the student’s explanation. The report supports that conversation; it does not supply an automatic grade, failure or misconduct finding. Keep the review process and the permitted-tool policy visible to everyone involved.
Should you Prevent or Detect?
Detect mode allows the session to continue and records the activity for later human review. Prevent mode closes restricted tools before they can be used. Choose the approach that fits the assessment and the agreed accommodations, rather than assuming that every exam should apply the same restrictions.
A pilot can use Detect to understand the evidence and test the review process before adding prevention. Prevent can support exams with a clearly communicated restricted-tool policy. In either case, the institution retains responsibility for interpreting the evidence and deciding what happens next.
What does the student see?
Students receive notice before the exam about the session checks and the institution’s tool policy. They continue in the assessment workflow they already know. Where Prevent applies, a plain warning explains that a restricted tool needs to close; the warning should not be presented as a misconduct verdict.
Preparation matters as much as visibility. Give students a support contact, explain how approved assistive tools are handled and leave time to resolve a setup issue before the exam window. Questions about notice, retention and access should go to the organization arranging the assessment.
How does this fit universities and assessment platforms?
Universities can give instructors and integrity offices a review-ready record while retaining their own academic process. Assessment platforms can deliver the evidence within their customer workflow and let each assessment owner apply its policy. The same principle holds in classrooms, testing centers and assessments taken at home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does screen sharing catch overlays?
An overlay built to stay out of screen capture may not appear in a shared view. Screen sharing remains useful for the visible exam, but a reviewer should not treat it as a complete record of activity beside the browser.
Does a lockdown browser block them?
A lockdown browser governs its assessment environment; an overlay can sit outside that view. ScreenComply adds device-level evidence and a choice of Prevent or Detect alongside the browser workflow you already use.
What does the reviewer see?
The reviewer receives timestamped evidence that an overlay was present beside the exam and when. Your team considers that observation with the session context, the permitted-tool policy and the student’s explanation.
Is this an automated decision?
No. A flagged observation does not automatically fail a student or establish misconduct. The institution reviews the evidence and records its own decision through its assessment process.
Does it work on Mac and Windows?
ScreenComply supports Mac and Windows agents for device-level sessions. Confirm the supported versions and the configuration required for your exam before students install or begin an assessment.
Bring your assessment and review process.
Discuss the evidence your reviewers need, the candidate experience and the policy that guides a human decision.