What to Expect from a ProctorU Exam Session

This guide may aid you in preparing for your ProctorU session.

Preconditions

  • Test your equipment with their test on their website. Make sure you’re all green.
  • ‘Show up’ early just so there aren’t any issues on your end.
  • Grab your license / valid ID as you will need that for verification.
  • You will be watching the timer tick down to your exact scheduled time, once its time, you will then be able to click a “take exam” or something of the sort button - which will advance you on.
  • For the browser, have only one browser open with only the ProctorU tab. They will have you navigate to Canvas in their tab, and you will bring them to the exam page through canvas.

Where to be?

  • Try to be in a room alone, door shut, with minimal sound.
  • My past-students recommend to sit at a desk, with a giant whiteboard next to you on the same desk, with about 3 dry erase markers and a paper towel to clean.

The Process

  • Before you start the exam, you will be connected with a person, they will call you through their ProctorU app and speak with you through your comp. They will ask to take control of your computer, and you will see them run a scan app to make sure you aren’t rocking another monitor / running cheatware etc. They will also go into your settings and make sure notifications are off, permissions are allowed, etc…
  • They will ask you for a view of “all 4 walls of the room”. Pick up your laptop or camera, and show them with a “here’s one wall…here’s another wall…” etc.
  • They will ask you to show them your whiteboard / notes / working area. They might ask to show them your phone, under your desk and other things. This varies quite a bit from proctor to proctor.
  • Once you’re fully vetted, they will unlock the exam and say “good luck” or something. They hang up and from that point on, if you ever have any questions, you can chat with them through the proctorU chat app (already open at this point).
  • Once you’re finished with the exam, tell them “OK I’m ready to submit” and they will chat back with a “OK submit”. Then they will want you to log out of canvas and then you’re done!

Technical Issues

Usually it’s something like they are using the wrong password to the exam or there’s a disallowed software running in the backgroun. You may get bounced to a tech solution person. I’ve seen delays between 30 minutes to 80+. Try to plan for these! Please note that any delays before the exam DO NOT eat into your exam time. Your exam timer starts once the actual exam is started, and that has a precondition of everything worked.

Additional Notes

  • Use the bathroom before the exam!
  • Ensure you’re registered for the exam with your actual course section number (400, 401, 402)
  • If you get done early, double check your answers. I know, I hate doing it too but I’ve caught some really bad first-shot answers by double checking.