Online exams are now standard — 65%+ of institutions ran remote or online exams in 2024 — but so is the doubt that comes with them: roughly 30% of instructors believe students cheat more online. Proctoring is the answer, and choosing the right kind matters more than choosing a brand. Here is how the options compare, and what a serious solution must include.
The four proctoring modes, compared
| Mode | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| AI / Auto proctoring | AI analyzes video continuously, auto-flags suspicious behavior | High volumes, semester exams, certifications |
| Live proctoring | Human proctors monitor candidates in real time with chat, pause and terminate controls | High-stakes entrance and final exams |
| Image proctoring | Photos captured at intervals | Low-bandwidth regions, mobile-first candidates |
| 360° dual-camera | Candidate's phone becomes a second camera with a pre-exam room scan | Exams where desk/room coverage matters |
Most institutions mix modes per exam: AI for the mid-terms, live for the entrance test.
What the AI must actually detect
Every flag should land in a timestamped report — face counts, object detections, window-switch counts per snapshot — so a disputed result is settled with evidence, not recollection.
Traditional vs API-based proctoring
❌ Traditional proctoring
- Physical proctors per room
- Limited scalability
- High cost per exam
- Manual review afterwards
✅ AI / API-based proctoring
- Automated AI monitoring
- 100 to 10,000 candidates instantly
- Cost-effective per exam
- Instant AI analysis + recordings
If you already run an exam platform, a proctoring API embeds all of this into it — a JavaScript component, configurable rules, live dashboards, recordings stored per session — without migrating anything. Integrations extend to n8n, Make, Zapier and MCP-based AI agents.
Proof it works at stakes that matter
- IIM Rohtak ran its entrance exam for candidates across 15+ countries with human proctoring; IIM Visakhapatnam proctored remote candidates across 20+ locations.
- Zerodha assessed its distributed sales team with image proctoring.
- Institutions from TISS to ICSI and Ernst & Young run on the same remote proctoring platform.
For admission cycles, proctored entrance exams plug directly into the ePravesh pipeline — application, hall ticket, proctored exam, merit list — in one flow. Book a free demo to see a proctored exam from both the candidate's and the admin's side.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best type of online proctoring?
It depends on stakes and bandwidth. AI proctoring suits high volumes at low cost, live proctoring suits high-stakes entrance exams, image proctoring works in low-bandwidth regions, and 360° dual-camera proctoring catches what single-camera setups miss.
What should AI proctoring detect?
At minimum — face presence and multiple faces, unauthorized objects like phones and notes, tab switching and app launches, copy-paste attempts, and concurrent logins, with every flag timestamped in an auditable report.
Does online proctoring work on slow internet?
Good solutions do. Eklavvya's proctoring works on connections as low as 0.1 Mbps using image proctoring modes, and runs on mobile, tablet, desktop and laptop.
What is 360-degree dual-camera proctoring?
The candidate's phone acts as a second camera alongside the laptop webcam, covering the room and desk from a second angle after a pre-exam room scan — catching malpractice that a single front-facing camera cannot see.
Can proctoring be added to an existing exam system?
Yes. A proctoring API embeds monitoring into your existing exam platform with a JavaScript component — recording, AI analysis and reports included — without migrating to a new system.