The short answer
Proctoring is the supervision of a test or exam to confirm that the right person is taking it and that they follow the rules, such as no outside help and no unauthorized materials. In hiring, exam proctoring is now mostly online: a remote test is watched live, recorded for review, or monitored by software that flags unusual activity. It matters because a test score is only useful if you can trust who earned it and how.
Proctoring explained
Traditional proctoring is a person at the front of an exam room checking IDs and watching for notes. Online proctoring does the same job remotely, through the candidate's webcam, microphone and screen. There are three main types:
- Live proctoring: a trained person watches the session in real time and can step in.
- Recorded proctoring: the session is captured and reviewed afterward by people, software or both.
- Automated proctoring: software watches for signals like tab switching, copy and paste, a second face on camera or a second monitor, and flags them for review.
Whatever the type, proctoring usually checks four things: identity (does the person match a photo ID), the environment (a room scan or second camera), the device and browser (often a lockdown browser), and behavior during the session. Our guide to online proctoring covers each type in depth, with vendor examples.
Example: a company hiring remote engineers who will get access to customer data runs a 60-minute coding test. It requires a photo ID check at the start and records the session, and a person reviews every automated flag before anyone is rejected. For its first-round conversational interviews, it skips proctoring and relies on follow-up questions instead.
Proctoring vs interview integrity
A fixed question can be looked up or answered by a hidden assistant. A follow-up that asks why the candidate chose one approach over another, or what broke the last time they tried it, is much harder to fake. Our guide on how to detect AI interview cheating walks through that approach.
Common mistakes
- Proctoring everything. A room scan for a short screening call can feel out of proportion and cost you good candidates.
- Rejecting on flags alone. Automated flags produce false positives. A person should review each one.
- Forgetting accessibility. Flags for looking away or unusual movement can penalize people for a disability. ADA.gov's guidance says employers must provide requested reasonable accommodations in hiring unless doing so would be an undue hardship. Plan a reasonable accommodation path before you launch.
- Collecting more than you need. Video of a candidate's home, face scans and ID images are sensitive. Tell candidates what you collect, why and how long you keep it.
Related terms
- Pre-employment assessment: any standardized test used to evaluate candidates before hiring.
- Technical screen: an early check of a candidate's job-specific technical skills.
- Work sample test: a task that mirrors the real job.
- Adaptive questioning: choosing the next question based on the last answer.
- Reasonable accommodation: a change to the hiring process for a candidate with a disability.
Questions
What is the difference between proctoring and exam proctoring?
They usually mean the same thing. Proctoring is supervision of any test or assessment, and exam proctoring is the most common use of the word. In hiring, both typically refer to monitoring a pre-employment test.
Does a video interview need proctoring?
Usually not. For most interviews, questions that build on each answer and an identity check at the start do more than watching the room. Proctoring makes more sense for standardized, high-stakes tests, especially for remote roles with access to sensitive systems.
Can candidates refuse proctoring?
They can decline to take a proctored test, and you can offer an alternative format. Candidates with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation, and employers must consider it. Rules on recording and biometric data also vary by state, so check what applies where you hire. This is not legal advice.
Curious how an interview that adapts to every answer works in practice? Book a 20-minute demo, or take a sample interview.
