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- August 29, 2024 Reading time : 4 minutesRemote exam proctoring: The human factor remains decisive
With the rise of remote exams, the role of the proctor has evolved. While computers and electronics handle a significant part of the process, it’s still a human who makes decisions affecting the candidate’s future. Step one: remote candidate identification We’ve all experienced the stress of losing an ID card the day before an important exam or test, even if it usually turns out to be right where it should be—in your bag. Phew! Digital identification is common today For a remote exam without a proctor present, you also need an ID. The only difference is that you need to present it to a camera. Although this might have been disconcerting a few years ago, the widespread use of account creation, particularly for banking apps, has made the process almost routine. Presenting both sides of your ID card and your face to your computer’s (or smartphone’s) camera is now one of the preferred tools for banking « compliance. » It’s the same process for an exam. Human identification is also possible Some courses, certifications, or remote exams take place in third-party exam centers. These could be a school, a training organization, or a service provider like the Post Office for driving theory tests (auto and boat). In these cases, identification is handled by a proctor provided by the exam organizer. This situation is « traditional »: you need to show your ID, and often an exam invitation, when entering the exam room. Step two: monitoring during the exam This is what Americans call « proctoring, » a term derived from « proctor, » meaning the person who supervises. In French, the concept applies to remote, digital exam monitoring. Monitoring the environment When a candidate takes an exam at home, in their office, or in an isolated room, it’s necessary to verify the environment of this « exam room. » First, it’s essential to ensure there is no assistance: no course materials, no computer, no other student—anything is possible. To do this, the candidate is asked to scan the room with their computer or smartphone camera. Ensuring the candidate remains the same throughout the exam It would obviously be foolish to identify a candidate at the start of the exam and then not follow up. Without revealing all the secrets of proctoring specialists, it’s important to know that many methods exist. The most common is the random capturing of photos of the candidate. It’s also possible to record ambient sound, particularly to prevent someone from feeding answers like in a theater. Limiting the candidate’s computer functions Similarly, it’s pointless to check for another computer in the room if the exam computer allows access to documents or the internet. The principle is to limit the computer’s functionality to access the keyboard, operating system, camera, and microphone. A final check of the remote exam by a human This is primarily a matter of fairness. Cheating or a glitch? All candidates must have the same exam conditions. But it’s also essential to ensure that no candidate falls victim to a « glitch in the matrix. » Often, digital monitoring involves sending alerts to a controller or proctor who reviews the images and ambient sound. This person makes the final decision: cheating, attempted cheating, or a platform error. Learn more about remote exam monitoring Discover TestWe’s ProctorWe solution Remote exam monitoring: CNIL recommendations
- August 22, 2024 Reading time : 3 minutesCan you cheat with TestWe?
Our platform is renowned for nearly eliminating cheating efforts. In fact, ensuring the security of a competition, preventing cheating, and thus guaranteeing fairness in exams is a significant part of its purpose. So, can you cheat with TestWe? Limiting cheating with TestWe When we discovered that some people were asking the question, « How to cheat with TestWe? » on search engines (especially Google), we were initially surprised. More importantly, we decided to check out the answers. It’s true; we might have learned something new! However, it turned out to be rather disappointing for potential cheaters and reassuring for our team: « You can’t. » There’s even a TikToker claiming to have found a loophole. In short, it’s generating buzz among different student communities. Proctoring to reduce cheating Reducing rather than outright banning or making cheating impossible: the distinction is crucial. Unfortunately, there’s always a chance that something might slip through the cracks. But the goal is to minimize fraud as much as possible. Generally, the tools in place make it so difficult for cheaters that they prefer to study rather than waste their brainpower finding ways to bypass the protective measures. Identification and monitoring The most important factors in preventing cheating during a remote exam are: TestWe has developed proctoring tools to address these issues, including monitoring the candidate’s environment during the exam. This helps detect any presence and verify that the exam conditions are still being met. Is in-person testing the ultimate anti-cheating solution? We won’t go as far as referencing the French classic film « The Under-Gifted Take the Bac, » but still… « Cheating »: An art form for some students Cheating techniques exist in exam halls too, even when one (or several) invigilators are present. Remotely, with the help of ProctorWe tools, observation can continue asynchronously, that is, after the exam. In a physical exam setting, there’s no calling on the « VAR, video assistance, » whereas remotely, you can! Better identification in-person? If invigilators were trained by border police and, most importantly, had the time, perhaps identification would be flawless. But that’s not the case. Moreover, recent events have shown that identification fraud can be massive. This was seen across the Channel in England. To address the shortage of nurses, the British government allows equivalences with other countries. To do this, candidates must take a test from the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council… in their home country. It was discovered that at least 700 Nigerian nurses had been replaced by others during the exam. This massive fraud was made possible by the complicity of exam center officials, who turned a blind eye. With a remote solution, such substitutions would have been very difficult to execute.
- July 23, 2024 Reading time : 4 minutesCan AI correct exams?
Artificial intelligence doesn’t replace human intervention but can greatly alleviate it. Correcting exams is particularly tedious and time-consuming. With AI, part of the work is done while respecting fairness and even more. How to use AI to correct an exam? AI is not necessary for correcting all types of tests. For example, multiple-choice questions (MCQs) simply require basic software to check answers. After creating an MCQ, you just need to input the correct answers into the software, which will then tally the correct results. AI can analyze complex answers The main advantage of artificial intelligence over other computer correction solutions is its ability to analyze non-standardized answers. AI can analyze essays, free texts, text comments, and many other written productions. Can AI measure the quality of an answer? The first step is obviously to ask the tool to evaluate the correctness of an answer. A question of knowledge If the task is a knowledge or general culture test, most generative AIs on the market can handle it. For example, « list the kings of France in chronological order »: an AI will quickly and easily verify if the candidate’s answer is correct. It can even count the number of errors. The same applies to questions about a « course, » « standard, » or « process. » The AI needs to be fed the relevant documents. Analyzing the candidate’s input This situation is obviously harder to evaluate because analysis exercises involve significant reflection or « brain juice. » The AI must be trained with satisfactory responses to compare with the student’s or candidate’s work. Can AI judge or correct an answer for an exam, contest, or certification? This could be a great topic for a philosophy exam: does artificial intelligence have the ability to correct an exam paper? Again, if the exam strictly tests knowledge, it’s quite easy to count the number of correct or incorrect answers. Using a rubric, it’s possible to assign a grade. For essays, critical analyses, and text comments, it’s different. Comparing with previously produced work Comparing with other papers (from another year or produced by the teacher or trainer) provides a good evaluation basis. Next, an evaluation scale must be established. Using an index scale, scores can be obtained, with an index of 100 representing the excellence of the ideal response. The AI then assigns indices to each analyzed paper. Comparing answers among themselves In a competition, comparing different papers is relevant. The limit arises when the overall level of the studied group is low. The best among them will pass, but their level will remain mediocre. The power of correction and criticism remains with the teacher With the development of generative AI, it might be tempting to leave all correction responsibility to artificial intelligence. This is not the approach or recommendation of TestWe’s AI teams. Our philosophy is to use AI to give graders more time to add value to the evaluation. The teacher or trainer assigns the grade This is the grader’s ultimate responsibility: to assign the grade. In most exams, competitions, or certifications, it’s the teacher who signs the corrected paper, which may be reviewed by a jury. A signature commits its author. We won’t ask ChatGPT developers and others to sign grade sheets! Freeing time for comments Pre-correction by AI frees up time for the grader. This is where the real value of using AI in correction lies. This freed-up time allows for more attention to comments. Beyond the grade, the grader’s critique adds significant value to the correction. For a trainer or teacher, it is highly satisfying to add more richness to the comments.
- September 28, 2023 Reading time : 2 minutesHow does TestWe monitor training courses?
Training organizations (TOs) are obliged to monitor and evaluate their training courses. These elements of proof can be essential for maintaining certification or guaranteeing the legitimacy of a training course. The good news is that TestWe offers all the tools you need to validate training follow-up. Here’s how. How can I track training progress? Tools for tracking student or candidate progress Training organizations set objectives for their courses. The aim is generally to validate the acquisition of skills. For the certification or diploma to be legitimate, it must be demonstrated that there is a process in place to evaluate the achievement of objectives. This process must also be formalized and implemented. Both face-to-face and distance learning training centers can use : – Tools for assessing learning during and at the end of training (hot and cold); – Self-evaluation tools for beneficiaries; – Intermediate assessments ; – Reports; – Success rates for professional certifications and competitive examinations; – Skills booklet; – Proof of certification. In France, there is a body that validates certifications. Training organizations must follow a reference system. Indicator 11 is linked to indicator 5 of the Qualiopi reference framework, which certifies that training objectives are operational and can be assessed. A major challenge for training organizations Training organizations often make a point of proving the seriousness of their teaching (signed attendance sheets, teaching aids). They also demonstrate the reality of the test required to obtain the certificate (final exam schedule). But today’s training funders also want to be sure that their employees are paying full attention during the course. TestWe tools for training follow-up TestWe, the The European reference for online exams and certifications, supports training organizations in proving that courses are running smoothly and that trainees are following them. The solution includes all the necessary tools. TestWe includes tools for proving the existence and implementation of a process for evaluating the achievement of objectives: – Regular assessments; – Candidate follow-up of results; – Proof of candidate identity; – etc. By choosing TestWe to organize their exams, training organizations are assured of being able to prove the quality of their training courses. This adds real value to their various courses and certifications.
- September 6, 2023 Reading time : 4 minutesGenerative AI to help teachers and examiners!
First, there was the amazement of easy use of generative AI tools by students. Then the fear of a major cheat at school. Today, teachers and examiners are beginning to see all the benefits of using generative AI for exam organization and scoring. TestWe has just launched an offer based on the IAGén. Objectives: to support the work of teaching teams and save them time. The generative AI seen by teachers The first large-scale survey of teachers on generative AI (and more specifically ChatGPT) has just been published. It is the work of the Swiss digital education specialists at EPFL (the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne). Disclaimer: TestWe is incubated in this Swiss institution. They interviewed more than 900 public and private teachers. Fear of massive use by students Almost all respondents say they know about Generative AI (ChatGPT indicated in the questionnaire) and half tested it. The main feeling noted is that of the fear of uncontrolled use by students. 87% believe that this will strengthen cheating and 78% that they will have to review their evaluation methods. Avoiding exam cheating with ChatGPT’, a topic we discussed here in January 2023. An opening towards a use of Generative AI by teachers This is probably the most interesting part of the study: it concerns the use by teachers of Generative AI. What if finally, this technology could be useful to teachers? 78% of respondents to the survey admit that this could help them prepare their courses. Almost half of them say that it would be interesting to prepare tests (evaluations) and 30% to correct these same tests. TestWe offers teachers tools based on Generative AI Image generated by artificial intelligence with prompt (instruction): « examiner and generative AI ». (Craiyon tool) Our TestWe AI products have been prototyping for a few months. They will be available from September. In fact, our technical teams have been working on these technologies for several years. We had also published 5 years ago an article whose title was premonitory: AI vs Professors? What’s gonna happen? The announcement of the next uses of Generative AI for exam preparation and their corrections is already mentioned. It took the «global» publicity stunt of ChatGPT in 2022 to change the world of education in these uses. Exam Creation: Generative AI Saves Teachers Time Preparing an assessment or examination requires several hours of work. And unfortunately, with a lot of office work: writing questions, creating multiple answer MCQs. Finally, the added value of the teacher – his or her knowledge but also pedagogical mastery – is stuck in the administrative tasks. TestWe has created an assistant to generate evaluations with Generative AI. The imprimatur, the last validation, is obviously up to the professor. For the first beta testers: ‘it’s a huge time saver’ Exam corrections: give the professor time for his evaluation and comments. The second Generative AI service offered by TestWe is exam correction. With the multiplication of remote exams, the number of candidates exploded and that of the copies to be corrected too. Obviously, the time spent to correct 1,000 exams is not the time spent to correct 200. So, to save time, we go very quickly on comments and appreciations. This makes the most of an examiner! With its tool, TestWe «gives back» useful time to the teacher since the control of the answers is automated. The corrector finds the opportunity to comment on the candidates’ writings, to produce more accurate and even personalized feedback that will help them progress. The human regains power. Learn more: Book an appointment with the TestWe IA team
- July 4, 2022 Reading time : 3 minutesPost-Covid online assessment
The assessment of knowledge and skills is still done remotely for many schools or training centers. To avoid passing the virus on to other candidates sitting in the same exam room, online tests seem to be the best of the solutions offered to date. But what impact will this new evaluation modality have on the habits of examiners and candidates once they have emerged from the clutches of Covid-19? A private evaluation of contact but also accuracy Many students are saturated with the idea of having to pass partials or online competitions. They have been abandoned by the institutions in the learning process and feel the inequality in the design of the exams and in their correction. “The examiners assume that you have all the information you need for the test at hand and that you will necessarily use it. They therefore make the exam subjects more complicated than they would normally have given in the exam room. This felt injustice is also accompanied by the fear of being poorly graded. If examiners assume that everyone is going to cheat, then how do you judge a student who answered all the questions correctly? Did he cheat or did he just learn very well? “They are fed up, but me, it suits me! » If we have students who, once the pandemic is far behind us, will never want to take remote assessments again, we also have a large part of them who find advantages in this new method of awarding examination or competition. Among the main arguments there is in particular the reduction of stress related to the exam because candidates can choose a quiet, comfortable and distraction-free room or place to take a test, an environment that de-stresses them and allows them to concentrate. Another advantage that the candidates find in this test is to be able to use digital tools such as word processing, which allows a correct layout, facilitates rapid writing without however worrying about the quality of the calligraphy but above all which makes it possible to less spelling mistakes, something examiners used to penalize for face-to-face exams. A temporary solution or a beneficial change for later? Today, more and more doubts related to the reliability of online assessments are removed thanks to the presence of platforms such as TestWe which make it possible to ensure proper compliance with the instructions for taking online exams. Schools, universities or even training centers find advantages in this new method of evaluation, in particular budgetary advantages, human resources for the supervision and correction of tests, the possibility of using software which facilitates the work without affect test reliability.
- October 7, 2021 Reading time : 5 minutesBest practices for a successful e-exam
Last year (2020) confinement has enabled academic teams and students to make a great leap in the ownership of e-exam solutions. As a time accelerator, it has certainly revealed organizational difficulties but has above all brought out good practices. TestWe offers a simple, secure and offline solution to help its partner institutions optimize their evaluation processes, both in remote and in-class environments. As a pioneer innovator in this field, TestWe has recently published a white paper in which the company tackles the best practices for a successful e-exam. In this first article, TestWe emphasizes what a remote-controlled e-exam is and highlights the challenges faced by institutions and graduates. It also approaches the sensitive issue of fraud and the technical means available to reduce it What is a monitored e-exam? The e-exam is an online assessment, which can be taken remotely or not. The student takes the assessment on a computer, it could be from the classroom, home or another remote location, using a secure platform to reduce the risk of cheating and fraud. Online assessments can be conducted synchronously or asynchronously. In the first case, the monitoring is done by a person in real time, while in the second case, photo, audio and video capture via the user’s webcam allow later monitoring. The source of e-exams is not so new, as many institutions around the world are already using them. Just like open distance learning courses (MOOCs) or online library resources, e-exams are part of the tools that many universities have implemented as part of their digital transition. The e-exam system meets an obligation to conduct the exams online during the pandemic, while minimizing the risk of cheating. This was a risk related to confinement, but one that proved to be well founded. We also had a dual semester format that allowed student volunteers to continue their semester in distance learning. This option was favored by the majority of our International students and/or those living abroad or in the provinces. Director of Studies of the ESSEC GLOBAL BBA How can we ensure that an evaluation is properly conducted? The e-exam has already been tested for several years. Since 2015, many Erasmus students have already tested the OLS (Online Linguistic Support) platform set up by the European Commission. The reason is simple. The key issues for the institutions: innovation, recognition and competitiveness For institutions, this shows a certain capacity to evolve their teaching practices while taking into account the internationalization of their students who increasingly carry out their internships abroad and who can hardly return to their institution for the end-of-semester evaluations. The proper conduct of examinations is also critical for the notoriety and competitiveness of institutions. Schools and universities, as they guarantee the excellence of their teaching, must be able to guarantee that examinations are conducted in a secure and verified way, both in-class and distance learning. Challenges for graduates: skills recognition The diploma or certification remains a common reference for graduates as well as companies recruiting them. They are a recognized proof of the skills and knowledge acquired during their training. But in the context of the health crisis, students fear that their training will be devalued on the job market because of the postponement (or cancellation) of internships and the organization of exams under unusual conditions. Once again, by ensuring that evaluations are held under secure conditions, their credibility remains intact. « Doing nothing is not an option » For our institution, there is an issue of fairness and maintaining the value of the grades awarded to students. Too much cheating poses a significant risk to the reputation of the program and the entire institution: identity fraud that discredits all the pedagogical efforts of faculty to adapt exam formats; information sharing fraud during the exam that calls into question the value of the grades awarded, the resulting rankings, and all the associated processes (such as exchange assignments, inter-campus mobility, the Dean’s list etc). » Director of Studies ESSEC Global BBA Is cheating inevitable? Everyone agrees that cheating is as old as the exams, even if the heads of institutions minimize this scourge. Today, the number of student cheaters is estimated at 1/3. But with the development of technology, fraud has evolved and so have the means to prevent it. The technological response and its limits In asynchronous mode, evaluations require specific technical devices to ensure their monitoring. For example, taking a picture of the student allows us to confirm the correct identity of the student, while audio recording ensures an environment conducive to concentration, without the help of an external person (who could whisper the answers). In all cases, however, it is important to take into account and adjust the monitoring technique to the national regulations on personal data protection. The pedagogical response, the best solution to cheating In spite of the technological means available today, one of the most effective ways of countering cheating is to choose forms of evaluation that avoid cheating: drawing lots for subjects, limiting the time for answering MCQs, encouraging collaborative work, and valorizing know-how with the new digital tools. This rather pedagogical response must, however, be part of a common desire on the part of the institution and its teachers to review their way of evaluating and testing knowledge. What exams in 10 years? It is hard to imagine that we will still have « paper » exams in a decade. Online solutions and digital exams seem to be well on their way to becoming a permanent fixture, as the use of computers spreads in lecture halls and classrooms. By providing the equipment or allowing everyone to use their own equipment (via BYOD « bring your own device » initiatives), the issue of the digital divide should no longer be an obstacle to the development of dematerialized exams. Especially since educational managers are well aware that face-to-face and distance learning will coexist. Starting to set up e-exams, whether or not they are monitored remotely, as soon as possible seems to be the best option to deal with all
- July 20, 2021 Reading time : 4 minutesHow to avoid cheating during distance learning exams ?
All you need to know about proctoring to avoid cheating during distance learning exams. Cheating has existed since the organization of examinations. In 2007, a report from the French National Education Board estimated that one student out of a thousand cheated during a test. How can we respond to these threats when many Higher Education institutions are considering digital solutions to ensure remote assessments? How to ensure the principle of privacy while allowing an efficient monitoring of remote students? A simple, secure and offline solution for remote assessments TestWe offers a simple, secure and offline solution to help its partner institutions to optimize their evaluation process, whether it is remote or in-class. For synchronous exams, the monitoring is ensured by a person in real time while for asynchronous exams, the monitoring is ensured later thanks to photo or audio and video capture via the user’s webcam. Technology for monitoring In asynchronous mode, assessments require specific technical devices to ensure their monitoring. For example, taking a photo confirms the correct identity of the student, while audio recording ensures an environment conducive to concentration, without the help of an outside person (who could whisper the answers). In Europe, automatic monitoring (performed by artificial intelligence) is prohibited because this technology has demonstrated discriminatory biases that are too great to allow fair monitoring for all. Therefore, only monitoring validated by a human monitor is possible in Europe. In spite of the allowed technological solutions, it is important to take into account and adjust the way of monitoring to the national regulations on personal data protection. Regulations regarding remote monitoring In France, for example, institutions must ensure compliance with current regulations, including those of the CNIL or the RGPD. Also, so-called biometric data, relating to physical, physiological or behavioral characteristics, are clearly defined and regulated. A student can consent to the collection of his or her personal data, but can only be used for one or more specific purposes: identifying the person taking the exam or ensuring that the person is alone for the exam are essential. Thus, real-time video monitoring or photography, audio recording in a measured or random way during an examination are permitted. Rather, the use of personal data beyond the examination is not allowed: the taking of control of the computer would be considered disproportionate by the CNIL As an independent service provider and not attached to a non-European group, TestWe is the only French player and one of the only European ones able to guarantee a remote monitoring service aligned with these French and European regulations. TestWe: the solution 100% in line with French and European regulations. To ensure the respect of the interests and protection of candidates and students, TestWe is constantly on the lookout for new regulations and uses of personal data. Also, its Proctoring solution is fully aligned with the CNIL which requires detailed documentation on how data is managed and how it is controlled during the exam. Find out how TestWe meets its regulatory proctoring requirements. In addition, TestWe has also embarked on an accreditation process in order to validate its responsible strategy and respect for the processes and principles of personal data protection with a trusted third party such as ISO. The company should be certified ISO 9001 by the end of the summer and ISO 27001 by the end of 2021. The last few years of health crisis have led many Higher Education institutions to deploy remote assessment solutions. This time accelerator has certainly revealed organizational difficulties but has above all brought out good practices. Discover how TestWe can help you optimize your assessment processes while ensuring that your monitoring is in line with French and European regulations.
- May 24, 2021 Reading time : 3 minutesPractical Guide to Online Assessments Management
Over the last months, many Higher Education institutions have implemented e-exam solutions to enable exams and assessments to be held despite lockdowns and closures. Download the infographic Find out all you need to know before deploying an exam management tool. Download now 10 criteria to be considered when choosing your assessment tool Administration management with several types of users and access (admin, professors, editors, supervisors, learners) Automated and collaborative creating exams and assessments between teachers The types of questions possible (MCQs, free questions, etc.) Use of multimedia materials (text, images, videos, etc.) Asynchronous assessment management, face-to-face or remotely Securing exams and assessments Monitoring exams and evaluations Offline mode, for learners with unstable internet connections Integration with LMS and other management tools Compliant with French and European regulations (RGPD, CNIL, ) Digitize your assessments on 5 key steps Outline your objectives and strategy Each University and Higher Education Institution has its own background and therefore its specific challenges. When Institutions have to digitize their exams, they are looking for ways to improve their attractiveness and competitiveness in order to optimize existing processes by expanding the efficiency of their educational teams, furthermore making exams accessible to all. In this current uncertain health environment, where the closure of Institutions remains a possibility, some Institutions have anticipated government decisions in order to ensure that assessments would be held in all situations. Pinpointing a test scope When launching a test scope project, Institutions would rather choose to deploy TestWe Tool on a “minor” scale by often approaching a campus, or a specific area.Launching the test within such a narrow scope, allows Institutions to test and progress the processes and pinpoint the obstructing points, increase awareness and focus on the best practices, which will be useful on a larger-scale implementation process. Supporting teams and learners The implementation of new methods and tools requires the support of users, whether they are teachers, supervisors or students. TestWe is a platform that is intuitive enough to be used by all types of users, an undeniable advantage to ensure total acceptance by all. Monitoring the results The Institution would have to monitor the project using accurate indicators to secure grip in the hand or to anticipate challenges. Some of the most common indicators are the number of active users, the number of exams taken, the number of corrections made. Deploy to all Once the project has been deployed for several weeks in the test scope, and corrections have been carried out, the tool can be implemented more widely. Once more, the users support and communication will be crucial to secure a smooth launch. Outcome TestWe offers a simple, secure and offline solution to help High School and Higher Education Institutions,Training Centers and Corporations streamline their online or remote assessment processes. Download the infographic Find out all you need to know before deploying an exam management tool. Download now
- March 2, 2020 Reading time : 4 minutesHealth crisis: forecast the organization of remote examinations
The COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic and the insulation procedures that are likely to come with it are challenging the educational community. If e-learning seems easy enough to set up, what about entrance exams and regular exams in this first semester of 2020? Massive e-learning ready to go! The Minister of National Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer, said on France Inter on February 26th: « We are prepared for e-learning, triggered on a case-by-case basis or massively, if it were to take on greater proportions ». To ensure the continuity of the State and therefore of education, the Minister counts on the expertise of the CNED. Today, thousands of high school and university students are in their « fortnight » because of their displacement (study trips or vacations) in countries at risk. China: ‘home school is up and running’ Most Chinese schools are closed, but a virtual classroom provides access to lessons in twelve subjects. Television even offers educational programs for the most isolated regions.The participative media The educational café specifies that, for the moment, schools depending on the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) in Asia are closed (in China, Mongolia, Vietnam, South Korea …). Instead, 3 hours of school work are offered via videoconference tools such as Zoom. Call for bids for online classrooms in China This call for bids can be read at the official China.org.cn website in English. Chinese government wants to apply all the technologies that will allow the « management of education » and « online classes », even tests online.Solutions for the identification of pupils or students in order to control the reliability of tests are widely requested at this moment: « 5G network, facial recognition and other technologies ». Containment, quarantine: what about mid-course exams, entrance exams and just regular exams? The best way to prevent the development of an epidemic is to avoid crowds. In this line, organizing an examination with several hundred candidates in one place would undoubtedly be prohibited.France will face several big events regarding University tests next months. From April, grandes écoles in France will start their contests: Polytechnic, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Central Supélec, Mines-Ponts, Agro, Véto, etc.The Sesame competition, which gives access to 14 business and management schools, is set for April 8, 2020. In May, the second series of PACES (first year common to health studies) will take place in most major cities in France with several thousand students gathered in examination centers. Students that are nowadays in Asia are having difficulties to return to France. Educational community must therefore find an alternative to face-to-face traditional examinations for the next period. TestWe, the alternative to face-to-face test This crisis situation could undoubtedly accelerate the deployment of tests online, already being required by universities’ educational managers.Nowadays most teachers offer multiple choice exams or document analyses. It is therefore quite easy to turn these types of tests in a digital and online format. As Clément Régnier, co-founder of TestWe points out: “We can effectively replace face-to-face examination with online tests. Our solution is deployed on candidates’ personal computers. The software environment is locked during the entire test to prevent access to third-party sources. We are currently working on solutions to monitor students’ environment via their own webcam, for example, and on identification via a signature linked to the rhythm of typing on a keyboard. This can greatly limit identity theft and cheating.” The most important asset of this technology is that it gives access to entrance exams or any type of test anywhere in the world and in a controlled way, by only requiring an internet connection (4G, fiber or ADSL).
