Detect
Record activity for a person to review without blocking tools.
Device-level proctoring
Block restricted tools before they are used, or record everything and let a person decide.
An assessment policy should determine the proctoring mode, not the other way around. ScreenComply offers Detect for recording activity without blocking tools and Prevent for closing restricted tools before use. Both produce evidence for your team’s review, with decisions retained by the assessment owner.
Timestamped evidence gives your team a reviewable session record.
A person applies the policy and makes the decision.
DetectPrevent
Detect: everything is recorded for a person to review.
Prevent: restricted tools are closed before they can be used.
What does the reviewer receive?
Prevent
Close restricted tools before they are used.
Evidence
Both modes produce the same review-ready report.
What happens in Detect mode?
Detect records activity for later review and does not block tools. It lets the assessment proceed while creating a record your team can interpret afterward. That makes it a useful option for a pilot, an assessment with a substantial appeal process or a session where accessibility arrangements need careful consideration.
Detect is not permission to ignore the exam policy. Students should still know which assistance is allowed, and reviewers should understand how to distinguish an approved application from a relevant concern. Explain how evidence will be reviewed, who makes the decision and how the assessed person can supply context.
What happens in Prevent mode?
Prevent closes restricted tools before they can be used, and the student sees a plain warning. It can fit proctored finals and certification exams where the restricted-tool policy is clear and candidates have been given preparation instructions. The assessment continues within the delivery environment the program already uses.
Prevention does not turn a warning into a misconduct verdict. If a required tool is affected, the student needs a support route and the organizer needs to check the policy or accommodation. A technical interruption should be resolved as a setup issue before anyone assumes it represents an attempt to gain assistance.
How do you choose per exam?
The organization can choose a mode per course, exam or assessment. Consider the permitted tools, the stakes, the review process and the accommodations agreed for that session. A program may use Detect while evaluating the workflow and introduce Prevent where its exam policy requires restricted tools to close.
Both modes produce the same evidence report for review. Changing the intervention does not change who is responsible for the assessment decision. Agree the configuration before the session, tell students what to expect and keep a clear record of the policy applied to that particular exam.
What does the student see in each mode?
Before the exam, the student receives a plain notice about the proctoring session and permitted tools. In Detect, activity is recorded for review without blocking the tool. In Prevent, a warning appears when a restricted tool needs to close. The notice should explain the difference without using an accusation as a setup instruction.
Give students time to prepare and a contact who can answer questions about required applications. Accessibility arrangements should be agreed with the organizer, not guessed at during the exam. Afterward, questions about evidence or decisions go through the organization’s assessment review process.
How should a program evaluate its mode choice?
Use the interactive scene to compare the end states: an open assistant with a recorded timeline entry in Detect, or a restricted assistant closed before use in Prevent. The scene illustrates the policy choice; moving its handle does not change the settings of any real assessment.
Before deployment, review representative permitted applications, the candidate notice and the handoff to a human reviewer with your team. Choose the mode that serves the exam’s rules and the people taking it. There is no universal starting mode that can replace a discussion of accommodations, operational support and review responsibilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we run Detect first and switch to Prevent later?
Yes. A program can start with Detect to evaluate evidence and review responsibilities, then choose Prevent for an exam whose policy requires it. Communicate the change and check accommodations before the next session.
Does Prevent mode interrupt the exam?
Prevent closes restricted tools before use and shows a plain warning. If a required application is affected, the organizer should resolve the configuration or accommodation rather than treating the interruption as misconduct.
What if a required tool is blocked by mistake?
Contact the assessment organizer through the support route given before the exam. The organizer should confirm the permitted-tool policy and any accommodation, correct the session arrangement where needed and consider the event in context.
Do both modes produce the same evidence?
Both modes produce the same evidence report for human review. The difference is whether restricted tools are closed before use or activity is recorded without blocking; the institution still makes any assessment decision.
Which mode do most institutions start with?
There is no universal starting choice we can claim for institutions. Detect can suit an evaluation or accommodation-sensitive workflow, while Prevent can suit an established restricted-tool policy; choose according to the exam and the review process.
Bring your assessment and review process.
Discuss the evidence your reviewers need, the candidate experience and the policy that guides a human decision.