Add as a preferred source on Google


New Analytics Tool Tracks Cheating Patterns for Online Testing

Online proctoring and identity verification company Examity today launched examiDATA, a data platform designed to "aggregate and analyze information on test performance and academic integrity." The tool examines information from hundreds of thousands of students at colleges and universities across the country to discern test-taking patterns, measure the rate of test-taking violations and help institutions benchmark against their peers, according to the company. Cheating information is broken down by category, such as tuition level, type of school and department of study.

In an initial pilot study of 325,000 test-takers in the 2015-2016 school year, examiDATA revealed that cheating fluctuates from semester to semester, with the percentage of students with violations coming in anywhere from 5.49 percent to 6.65 percent. "From time of year to type of institution, test violations fluctuate in ways that are critical to understand in order to ensure the continued success of online learning — but often remain invisible without the support of predictive analytics," said Michael London, president and CEO of Examity, in a statement. "Armed with insights into student performance trends, colleges and universities can use examiDATA to address specific pain points and further improve the security of their online assessments."

"The explosion of online education has allowed us to make huge strides in supporting a growing population of nontraditional students," commented Lauren Cifuentes, director of distance education and learning technologies at Texas A&M University. "However, data-driven approaches that shed light on macro trends in online test security remain nascent. The insights surfaced by examiDATA will play a critical role in validating the work of our team and students relative to other institutions."

For more information, visit the Examity site.

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Hand holding a stylus over a tablet with futuristic risk management icons

    Why Universities Are Ransomware's Easy Target: Lessons from the 23% Surge

    Academic environments face heightened risk because their collaboration-driven environments are inherently open, making them more susceptible to attack, while the high-value research data they hold makes them an especially attractive target. The question is not if this data will be targeted, but whether universities can defend it swiftly enough against increasingly AI-powered threats.

  • geometric grid of colorful faculty silhouettes using laptops

    Top 3 Faculty Uses of Gen AI

    A new report from Anthropic provides insights into how higher education faculty are using generative AI, both in and out of the classroom.

  • abstract metallic cubes and networking lines

    Call for Speakers Now Open for Tech Tactics in Education: Roadmap to AI Impact

    The virtual conference from the producers of Campus Technology and THE Journal will return on May 13, 2025, with a focus on emerging trends in with a focus on emerging trends in AI, cybersecurity, data, and ed tech.

  • Red alert symbols and email icons floating in a dark digital space

    Google Cloud Report: Cyber Attackers Are Fully Embracing AI

    According to Google Cloud's 2026 Cybersecurity Forecast, AI will become standard for both attackers and defenders, with threats expanding to virtualization systems, blockchain networks, and nation-state operations.