Proctorio

Proctorio is a learning integrity platform that provides remote proctoring and identity verification services to 1,200+ higher education, K-12, and government institutions with users in 191 countries around the world. As a privately-held Delaware Corporation, Proctorio is not controlled in any way by Venture Capital and/or Private Equity funding. This allows Proctorio to remain in complete control of the direction of the company and how it impacts our partner institutions.  

Proctorio is a downloadable browser extension that intentionally operates within a browser sandbox to be less intrusive than natively-installed applications. This allows us to remain highly-configurable, so Proctorio can seamlessly integrate with most commonly-used Learning Management Systems (LMS) via LTI integration (Canvas, D2L, Blackboard, Moodle, etc.) in just 5-10 minutes. Proctorio also offers API integrations and linkout methods to connect with other assessment platforms. 

Never requiring exam scheduling, Proctorio also has some of the lowest system requirements in the industry. The software can operate on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chrome operating systems and can accommodate devices up to 10 years old. Proctorio is compatible with Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and other Chromium-based browsers like Opera and Brave. By the end of 2020, Proctorio was serving 2.5 million active weekly users and proctoring 250,000 exams per day. 

Live Proctoring leverages a live, human proctor to observe test-taker behavior and intervene if needed, as instructed by the exam administrator. They can chat with the test taker, pause the exam, or even remove the test taker from the exam all together if they are not cooperating. In addition to undergoing extensive third-party background checks, Live Proctors are trained on Privacy, Security, Diversity, and Accessibility. Automated Proctoring runs in the background of Live Proctoring to act as a second set of eyes and ears for the proctors.

Proctorio’s software was built with accessibility in mind from day one. We are committed to expanding access for learners who cannot easily participate in the traditional education system because of extenuating circumstances or abilities.  

But as Proctorio has evolved, so too has awareness for accommodating test takers of all abilities, with standards such as WCAG 2.1 AA of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, Titles I, II, and III of the ADA, and EN 301 549 Accessibility requirements for public procurement of ICT products and services in Europe.  

We first engaged with outside experts in 2015 to ensure Proctorio was held to the highest standard on accessibility and digital equity for students of all abilities. In July 2015, Proctorio hired Deque Systems, a leading digital accessibility company, to assess Proctorio’s accessibility compliance and to oversee the generation of all Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs) created since the engagement began, including a VPAT 301, VPAT 508, and VPAT WCAG 2.1 AA.  

To further evaluate the effectiveness of our accessibility tools, we have partnered with My Blind Spot (MBS), a New York City-based, internationally-certified nonprofit consultancy, to conduct ongoing quality testing and accessibility and usability audits of our technology. MBS will provide software and design recommendations, accessibility-related user testing, accessibility audits, and continue to update our VPATs every six months. 

Through our partnership with My Blind Spot, we will be designing an accommodation interface where the exam administrator or the appropriate representative will be able to change settings on a per test taker basis. Instead of creating separate assignments for test takers needing an accomodation, Proctorio can be customized based upon an individual’s needs.  

MBS will work to further enhance Proctorio’s accessibility by providing software design consultation, staff training, biannual VPATs, accessibility testing, and other services to ensure industry compliance and equitable access among all end users. Proctorio’s software offers high-contrast visibility mode, braille reader support, and is compatible with many commonly-used assistive technologies. 

On Earth Day 2021, Proctorio announced that more than 25 million exams have been proctored using our software since January 2020. This accounts for a total savings of nearly 400 million kilograms (kg) of carbon dioxide emissions that would have been emitted from test takers commuting to testing centers to take in-person exams.  

Traditional test-taking practices, such as decades of driving to and from testing centers and printing billions of paper exams, have wreaked havoc on the environment. However, through remote proctoring tools as with Proctorio, the industry can provide a high-integrity test-taking environment that also benefits the Earth. And with 25,361,910 exams proctored since January 2020, the result is carbon dioxide emissions savings of 394,124,082 kg.  

Additionally, Proctorio will soon be moving into a new office that was designed to generate more energy than the building will use! The system being installed will produce an average of 156 megawatts a year or 156,000 kilowatts annually on average. To put that in perspective, an average house uses 18,000 kilowatts a year. This system can power almost nine houses a year! 

Finally, Proctorio calculates its carbon footprint and invests in projects around the world that offset our total carbon emissions. We are currently supporting and contributing several sustainable practices to the Matebe Hydroelectric Plant in Virunga, Congo, home to Africa’s oldest national park and one of the last mountain gorilla populations in the world. 

Without an alternative source of energy to support the increasing demand, the Virunga National Park could be destroyed within 10 years. Clean energy is an extreme necessity in Congo, with only 3% of the population having electricity. The Matebe Hydroelectric Plant is offsetting carbon emissions—caused by the burning of fossil fuels and the illegal trading of charcoal. This clean energy is also improving the lives of the people in Virunga by supporting education after dark.