How to Cheat on GRE Online at Home Proctored Exam: A
Comprehensive Guide
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a standardized test that is
an admissions requirement for many graduate schools in the United
States and Canada. With the advent of online proctored exams, the
opportunity for cheating has increased, but so have the methods to
detect it. This guide will explore various methods students use
to cheat on GRE online at home proctored exams and how these
methods can be prevented.
Common Methods of Cheating
1. Using Forbidden Materials
Many gre proxy test takers secretly use forbidden materials such as
books, formulas, notes, and cheat sheets during their exam. Some
clever students will paste a sticky note onto their laptop screen or
write all the formulas using an erasable marker onto their monitors1.
2. Accessing Questions Before the Exam
This method works well in exams conducted in different time zones
or dates. For example, standardized exams such as the GRE occur at
different times worldwide. If you have a friend or a peer group who
took the exam before you, you can easily know the questions before
your exam1.
3. Impersonation
Impersonation is a common cheating tactic whereby you ask or pay
someone to take your gre exam safely. Students successfully use this
method by deploying fake identity matching, such as making a fake
passport. The fake passport contains the real applicants’ details but
the impersonator’s photo12.
4. Teamwork/Collaboration
Students can get help from a collaborator while they take their exams.
For instance, test-takers could have a helper sneak into their
workspace, completely hidden from the webcam’s field of view. The
student could then use help by signaling the collaborator in sign
language such as body movements, pencil dropping, coughing,
fidgeting, etc.12.
5. Remote Desktop Control (RDC) and Screen Sharing
Test-takers can use remote desktop software to allow someone else
to control their computer remotely. This method enables a helper to
see the exam questions and provide answers without being detected
by the proctor12.
6. Using Virtual Machines (VM)
A virtual machine is an environment that functions as a computer.
While proctoring software monitors the main operating system (OS)
of the device, some students enable an undetectable virtual machine
as an extra OS to search for the answers to the test questions3.
7. Using External Devices
Many people are aware that most on-screen activities are often
blocked by remote proctoring software. So, they choose to mirror
their desktop screen to an external display or projector so a helper
can see the exam material and indicate the correct answers.
Candidates may use external devices such as smartphones, tablets, or
smartwatches to cheat during online exams9.
8. Bathroom Breaks
Students can use the excuse of a poor internet connection or needing
a bathroom break as a chance to open their notes, call friends, or ask
family members for help. What is tricky about this type of dishonesty
is that it’s not always obvious if the excuse is genuine or fake3.
9. Sharing of Test Content
This type of academic infidelity is popular during both offline and
online exams. Students take photos or screenshots of the
examination content and share them with friends who are going to
take the test in the future3.
10. Hacking the Correct Answers
Some students who are savvy at programming and coding can cheat
on an online test by hacking the correct answers to the
multiple-choice questions. They run the test in special answer
hacking software that presents the exam content as code and
identifies the correct answers since they consist of 1s and 0s while the
rest includes coding text3.
Preventive Measures
1. Continuous ID Validation
Continuous ID validation ensures that the person taking the exam is
the same throughout the test. This can be done using biometric
methods such as facial recognition or fingerprint scanning1.
2. Human or Automated Proctoring
Proctoring can be done by a human proctor who monitors the exam
in real-time or by automated proctoring software that uses AI to
detect suspicious behavior1.
3. Capture Random Screen Shots
Proctoring software can capture random screenshots of the test-taker’
s screen to ensure they are not accessing unauthorized materials or
websites1.
4. Use Deep Learning & Artificial Intelligence
AI-based proctoring solutions can detect suspicious behavior such as
switching between applications, accessing prohibited websites, and
attempting to control remote devices13.
5. Use WearCam and IP Tracking
WearCam technology can be used to monitor the test-taker ’s
environment, and IP tracking can ensure that the exam is being taken
from an authorized location1.
6. Locked-Down Browsers
Locked-down browsers prevent test-takers from opening new tabs or
accessing other applications during the exam, making it harder to
cheat using external resources8.
7. Randomized Questions
Using randomized questions ensures that each test-taker receives a
unique set of questions, making it harder to share answers8.
8. Environmental Scans
Before the exam begins, test-takers are required to perform an
environmental scan to ensure there are no unauthorized materials or
devices in the room5.
9. Real-Time Video Streaming
Real-time video streaming allows proctors to monitor the test-taker’
s environment and behavior throughout the exam, making it easier to
detect suspicious activities2.
Conclusion
Cheating on a GRE online at home proctored exam is possible but
risky. With the advancement of proctoring technologies and
reliable gre test takers for hire, the chances of getting caught have
increased significantly. The methods discussed in this guide are not
foolproof and can lead to severe consequences, including
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