ProctorU

[natshar]

I don't really like ProctorU. Anyone else agree?

I found them to be really invasive. They had security questions they pulled from public records and asked for all this permission. They had to view everything. Kind of creepy having someone watch me and listening to everything. Also, the fact they had access to my whole computer. For some reason, the proctoring where it just videos and they aren't watching live seems less creepy. Also, I added the chrome extension and it was rated 1-star average, so something has got to be up.

I also don't like that you have to schedule it and you can't just do the test whenever.

[Clepking100]

I have mixed thoughts on this.

- As far as access to your computer, you should have a seperate standalone laptop for proctoru, or at the very worst a second hard drive with a seperate OS installed just for proctoru
- The fact hat they are watching your every move makes passing a class/test with proctoru much more credible.

[Merlin]

I don't really like ProctorU. Anyone else agree?

I found them to be really invasive. They had security questions they pulled from public records and asked for all this permission. They had to view everything. Kind of creepy having someone watch me and listening to everything. Also, the fact they had access to my whole computer. For some reason, the proctoring where it just videos and they aren't watching live seems less creepy. Also, I added the chrome extension and it was rated 1-star average, so something has got to be up.

I also don't like that you have to schedule it and you can't just do the test whenever.

That is how all the live proctors work. They need to ensure you are who you say you are and they are legally required to do what they can to maintain academic integrity. They must also work with the school to meet their specific requirements, so if you find something to be a bit too much for you, you can always contact your school to discuss your concerns.

Some schools, like WGU for example, require the above, plus they make you get an external camera that can be placed behind and to the side of you so they can see you, your keyboard/hands, and your screen at all times to help reduce any chance of cheating.

I agree that RPnow can be much less stressful while taking the test, but to me, it becomes more stressful afterward since you don't know whether you passed the exam until after the video is reviewed (usually a week or two later). If anything went wrong with the internet, your webcam/mic, or you mumbled too loudly while taking the exam, etc., you won't find out that your exam was disqualified until much later and may have to retake the exam.

[bjcheung77]

Yeah, ProctorU was an issue for me when I went the StraighterLine route, I had a few technical issues but mainly all of them got resolved in a timely manner. It wasn't all that bad, I used an old laptop for the proctoring sessions, it was slow but usable for just that. I actually favor Sophia.org and Study.com over StraighterLine mainly because of the course content, the proctoring was less of an irk... pick your course provider, not pick the proctor. Sometimes there's a give and take situation, not everything is going to be ideal at that proctoring session, just go with the flow, it'll be straightened out soon enough.