The coronavirus shutdown presented ARPAS with a new challenge. If ARPAS was going to give exams, they would have to be administered online, most likely in the exam taker’s home, and without an ARPAS member present to ensure the security of the exam. How could we proctor an online exam?
After a couple of conference calls, a lot of reading, and learning different ways that universities were proctoring online exams, it was decided that ARPAS would purchase a Zoom Pro account, and Zoom would be used as an exam monitoring tool. Several universities were using Zoom in various ways to monitor exams. A side benefit of purchasing a Zoom account is that the Zoom annual fee is cheaper than the system ARPAS has been using for conference calls.
Briefly, here is an overview of how the online exam/proctoring process works.
The applicant will use two devices. One device, such as a laptop or desktop computer, will be used to display the exam website and to take the exam. This is the same as a normally monitored online exam. A second device, such as a smart phone or tablet, will be used to proctor the exam via Zoom. The proctor, an ARPAS member using the ARPAS Zoom account, will send the applicant an invitation to join a Zoom session. The applicant will be asked to position the device logged into Zoom such that the proctor can see the applicant’s work space and computer monitor in clear view. Once the applicant’s ID is verified and the workspace checked, the proctor will send the specific Exam Access Code in private chat to the participant so the exam can be started. One individual can proctor several exams at a time.
Applicants will see the following message when registering for an exam:
* All ARPAS Zoom exam sessions may be monitored and recorded for record keeping, training, and quality-assurance purposes.
* All applicants are expected to adhere to the ARPAS Code of Ethics during the online examination process. Any attempts at misconduct, including but not limited to accessing or attempting to access any prohibited aids, or digitally recording any portion of the ARPAS exam, will lead to ARPAS membership ineligibility.
Visit https://www.arpas.org/Becoming-a-Member/ARPAS-Online-Exams for more information.