For Instructors - ProctorU FAQ

ProctorU Live+ is an online proctoring service for use in fully online courses and programs at Tufts.  

The service employs AI and a live proctor to monitor and record a student's webcam and screen during a testing session, and notifies the instructor of any perceived academic dishonesty.  Due to the invasive nature of this type of proctoring, ProctorU is only recommended for high-stakes assessments in fully online courses, such as midterms, finals, or certification exams.

NOTE: There is a per student, per test-instance charge associated with the use of this tool, along with other potential fees.

How does ProctorU Live+ work?

If you have been approved by Tufts ETS to use ProctorU for your course, instructors using ProctorU will:

  • Get a ProctorU account created for you by ETS staff (if you don't already have one)
  • Set up your password-protected exam in Canvas (or another testing environment)
  • Choose a specific window of time during which students can schedule their individual proctored exam sessions
  • Meet with Tufts ETS staff to set up proctoring for the exam in ProctorU at least six weeks before the actual exam date
  • Copy and paste a student "how to" from this user guide into Canvas for your students to use
  • Log into ProctorU to manage any changes to the proctoring session
  • Set up any accommodations for students both in the exam in Canvas and in ProctorU
  • Two weeks before the exam run through a faculty checklist to ensure that both the Canvas exam and the ProctorU proctoring session are set up correctly
  • Ensure that your students use the "test it out" feature a week before the exam to confirm their software and hardware is working

Students taking proctored exams will:

  • Review the student "how-to" information you have posted in Canvas
  • Access ProctorU through the Canvas course, which will automatically log them in
  • Schedule their proctoring session in ProctorU
  • A week before the exam download and install the Guardian browser and run the "Test it Out" feature  to make sure they have the required hardware and software, and that everything is working
  • At their scheduled exam time each student will launch the Guardian browser, log into Canvas, and access ProctorU from inside Canvas
  • The student will be prompted to install and launch ProctorU's chat app
  • Then they will be assigned a human proctor
  • The proctor will communicate with the student during the session via ProctorU's chat app
  • The student will then participate in identity verification and a 360° visual scan of their physical testing environment
  • The proctor will then initiate the exam in Canvas by entering a password on behalf of the student (the password is not shared with students)
  • During the session the proctor will monitor the student's screen and webcam, and will flag suspect behaviors, and might communicate with the student during the exam

NOTE: During the student's exam session their webcam video, computer screen, and microphone audio are recorded and saved, in case these needs to be reviewed later.

Does ProctorU Live+ use Artificial Intelligence or real people for proctoring?

Tufts uses the ProctorU's Live+ service which includes a combination of AI and a human proctor. The AI is used at certain stages of the proctoring process to alert the proctor if something suspect occurs.

If I use ProctorU Live+ as an instructor, what aspects of the process am I responsible for?

You will meet with Tufts ETS staff to set up your ProctorU exam event, and get training in how to support your students using ProctorU —

After the initial meeting and set-up  instructors are responsible for:

Is there a cost to Tufts when students use ProctorU?

Yes, ProctorU charges a fee, which generally ranges from $15 - $30 per student per test.

There may also be a $5 late fee if a student schedules their exam within 72 hours of taking the exam. This can be avoided by communicating to students that they need to schedule their session weeks ahead of time.

Are there security or FERPA issues/concerns with recording students?  

Some students have expressed concerns about privacy, about ProctorU’s video-recording of students, and about ProctorU’s access to their computer’s controls.

ProctorU has been vetted by Tufts’ enterprise architecture review which includes a legal review and a security review.

See: ProctorU Privacy Policy

NOTE: It's important that you inform students before they enroll in your online class that they may need to participate in an online proctoring session which includes recording video of them and the space they are in during the exam.

What happens if a student is suspected of cheating?

If an incident occurs which ProctorU considers to be suspect, they will send you an incident report. It's essential that you review the report and review video footage of the student taking the exam, as part of making a determination about whether or not cheating took place.

To request a consultation to see if ProctorU is suitable for your course, please contact Tufts ETS at [email protected].

PLEASE NOTE: It's important that you make requests for ProctorU prior to the start of the semester,  to allow yourself enough time to set up the test in Canvas and ProctorU.