The coronavirus pandemic has brought about much change in, well, pretty much all quarters of life, including education. With students unable to attend classes in person all over the world, schools and educational institutions had no choice but to turn to digital means to ensure continuity of the education process. And rightly so — after all, a prolonged break in education can be highly detrimental to students and the academic progress they made and are striving for. Now, testing students is also as integral to the education process as lessons are. Hence, the concept of online exams is now as prevalent as online classes. But unlike classes, online exams have to contend with a particularly challenging problem: Cheating.



The scope of academic integrity being compromised with online exams has resulted in several teachers and educational institutions feeling hesitant. Of course, virtual proctoring is one way to go about preventing cheating. However, the truth is that such solutions can be highly expensive, meaning not everyone can adopt such means. Then there is also the fact that these are typically very advanced tools. They can take a while for teachers to get accustomed to them and then use them effectively. Does that mean that one must continue to make peace with the lack of academic integrity in online exams just for the sake of ensuring continuity? No, sir. So, here are some tips to help you prevent cheating in online exams without advanced, expensive tools.

  1. Make use of different types of questions: While the urge to use multiple choice or true and false questions, it is imperative to not use the same format for all questions across the entire test. In addition to using such short, objective questions, it also includes subjective and open-ended questions, such as short essays. They not only require an in-depth understanding of the subject but also make it challenging to give the same answer as their friends on account of the need for specific details to go with their answers.
  2. Remind students of policies against cheating: While it is a given that cheating is against the institution’s policies, it is still a good idea to remind students about them as well as the consequences for compromising their academic integrity. While a direct and straightforward reminder would do too, it would be a better idea to get a little creative if you wish for the message to be effective.
  3. Use a fixed or restricted time frame for the test: Much like during in-person exams, it would be a good idea to offer a restricted time frame for students to start and finish their exams. Try and ensure that all students start at the same time and end at the same time, thus eliminating or at least minimizing the window of opportunity for them to cheat.
Sure enough, online exam solutions aren’t the same as in-person exams. But they can be equally effective, with the right kind of planning and strategy.