Is ScioLink just a proctoring application?
ScioLink is more than just a proctoring app. ScioLink combines (1) a test preparation module, (2) a test module, (3) a proctoring module, and (4) an evaluation module.
Can I connect ScioLink to our Learning Management System (LMS)?
At the moment it is not possible to connect ScioLink to an LMS, mainly for security reasons. Connecting to an LMS increases the chance of data loss or leakage.
What type of exams can ScioLink manage?
ScioLink is suitable for different types of exams. It is primarily designed for high-stakes exams where regularity checking is important. However, it can also be used for low-stakes exams and tests such as continuous work safety testing.
ScioLink is designed to cover the widest possible test variability. It allows you to build exams from different types of tasks, using video and audio samples as assignments. Different system specfications can be set up if required, such as specific rules for going through the test, etc.
Can ScioLink also be used outside of a university environment?
ScioLink can be used for any standardized testing in any field. The range of possibilities is limitless – it can be used for professional certifications, industry tests, HR tests and more.
Is an on-line exam comparable to one taken in the classroom?
Yes, online and in-person exams are comparable, although some examinees prefer the online environment, while others prefer the face-to-face format. Thus, at the individual level, examinees’ results may differ slightly, but from a population perspective, the differences between the two approaches are statistically insignificant.
What if the applicant's internet connection goes down?
In ScioLink, internet outage does not affect the exam. We know from experience that a significant percentage of examinees experience a short-term internet outage during a two-hour exam. In common LMS and proctoring applications, such outage can corrupt the integrity of the data and therefore affect the exam result.
ScioLink continuously stores all unsubmitted data, even in the event of an internet outage. Once the connection is restored, the data is securely sent to the server and stored properly.
Does AI decide whether an exam is irregular?
The regularity of an exam will never be decided by AI only. AI is a tool that helps us in evaluating and detecting non-standard moments during the exam. Exam irregularities are always evaluated by up to three independent human evaluators.
How frequent is cheating during on-line exams?
In our experience, less than 1% of examinees cheat when taking online exams. More often, we see unintentional failure to follow the exam rules, for example, when an examinee fails to properly show their room and desktop. This affects approximately 3-4% of examinees. It is then up to our mutual agreement as to how we approach these situations.
How should the exam rules be configured?
We will assist you in this regard as much as possible. We will share our experience from nearly 100,000 examinations and discuss with you how your exam is normally conducted when in person. Based on this, we will set the exam rules so that their rigour is comparable.
How does the ScioLink team work with a client?
First of all, we will agree on the scope and dates of your exams. You will then give us a list of examinees and the tests they are to take on the exact dates agreed. We will agree on the examination conditions for the examinees. Once this part is done, we take care of the process.
We contact the examinees, inform them about the process and conditions of the exam, and send them exam invitations. Before the exam, examinees go through an onboarding, where they can check their device compatibility and get to know the exam environment. After the exam, we process the results. Within 3-7 days, you receive results of the examinees including our decision on exam regularity.
What should we do if the examinees contact us with their questions?
Although we try to take care of as much communication with examinees as possible, some do contact the client directly. We will prepare a document containing the most frequent questions, but there is also a possibility of rerouting all inquiries to ScioLink. While preparing for the exam, candidates have access to experienced customer support.
Can we watch recordings of the candidates?
Se záznamy zkoušek pracují naši proškolení pracovníci. I v zájmu zachování bezpečnosti osobních dat zkoušených se snažíme okruh lidí přistupujících k záznamům zachovat co nejmenší. Záznamy ze zkoušek tedy běžně zpřístupňujeme a uchováváme je jen po minimální nutnou dobu potřebnou ke zpracování. Pro účely případného odvolání vám můžeme zpřístupnit záznamy vybraných zkoušených, které ze zkoušky z objektivních důvodů vyloučíme.
Do you comply with GDPR?
As an operator of a testing and proctoring application, we process personal data and we fully comply with GDPR. We make sure that we collect only the bare minimum of data from examinees necessary to evaluate the exams. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.
Do you collect biometric data from candidates?
We do not collect any biometric data from the examinees. In our view, this is an unwarranted interference with the rights of examinees.
Who has access to the recordings?
We keep the number of people with access to examinee recordings as low as possible. No more than three independent persons will evaluate any exam. Customer service has no access to records or exam results.
What data do you collect about the candidates?
We collect the absolute minimum data necessary to evaluate exam regularity. These are (1) data used to identify the examinee such as name, surname, photo and date of birth, (2) video and audio recordings of the exams, (3) video recordings of the examinee’s desktop activities, (4) if a so-called desktop extension is used, we collect data on the running processes of the examinee’s device.
However, we do not block any applications; we already see this as an unauthorized intrusion into the personal space of the examinee.
How should we securely transfer our data on candidates to you?
We use a secure application with two-phase identity verification for data transfer.
How demanding is the application?
We try to minimize hardware requirements. Candidates must meet the following minimum requirements:
Operating system: Windows 10 or MacOS Sierra 10.12 or newer
Internet connection: at least 5 Mbps downstream (1 Mbps upstream)
Processor: at least dual-core 2.0 GHz and 4 GB RAM
Internet browser: Google Chrome 70 or newer (if you use a different browser, please install Chrome for the exam, as this is the only browser we can provide support for); JavaScript, cookies and HTML 5 permitted.
Display resolution: at least 1024 x 768.
Web camera with at least 480 x 460 resolution, microphone. Both may be either built-in or external. The web camera/laptop must make it possible to record a 360° view of the room.
At least 8 GB of free disk space to record and store data during the exam (in the event of an internet outage, the recording is sent later).
Can candidates meet the above hardware requirements?
From our own experience, we know that meeting these requirements is not a problem for 99 % of examinees. The remaining 1 % are usually able to secure borrow the required equipment.
Why can only Google Chrome be used to take the exam?
This is the most widely used web browser in the world, hence, in the interests of compatibility, we require its use. For example, it is only through this browser that we can guarantee internet resilience (functionality of the software even during an internet outage).
Where is data stored?
Data are stored through Microsoft Azure services within the European Union.
How is our internal data kept secure?
All data (examinees’ personal data, exam questions) are transferred securely, with only a limited number of people having access.
Is MS Azure sufficiently secure to store sensitive data?
Yes, it is. Microsoft Azure services are also used by banks and government institutions. We emphasize security of all data we collect in the system.