How do you make online aptitude tests cheat-proof? You combine a locked test environment with proctoring: the browser is locked, and the candidate's webcam, microphone and screen are recorded during the test. A person then reviews any doubtful sessions before a decision is made. That gives you scores you can trust again, as long as candidates know exactly what is recorded and why.
Remote testing made aptitude tests faster and cheaper to run. It also made them easier to game. A second screen, an AI assistant in the next tab or a friend who is good at maths can lift a score without the candidate getting any smarter. This guide explains how proctoring works, which tests need it, how the main approaches differ and how to set it up without scaring off good candidates.
This guide is written by Selection Lab, which offers proctoring as an option on its intelligence test. We also say where a different type of tool fits better.
An aptitude test only works if the score reflects what the candidate can do on their own. Cognitive ability is one of the strongest single predictors of job performance, which is exactly why employers use it. Once part of the score comes from outside help, that predictive value drops.
Three things have changed in the last few years:
The result is unfair to the honest candidate. If some people use help and others do not, an honest candidate ends up looking average in a field that is partly assisted. Protecting the test is not about distrusting candidates. It is about giving everyone the same yardstick.
Proctoring means supervising a test remotely. It ranges from simple technical locks to a person watching live. Most vendors combine several of these.
The test runs in a locked browser or environment. Candidates cannot switch tabs, open other apps or copy and paste. It stops the easiest shortcuts, but not a second device or someone sitting next to the candidate.
Software takes photos or recordings during the test and flags anomalies, such as a second face, the candidate leaving the frame or tab switching. Criteria, for example, describes taking a photo before the test starts, periodic snapshots during it and a report with flagged incidents for the employer to review.
Webcam, microphone and screen are recorded. A person reviews the recording, usually only when there is a reason to. NOA-VU, a Dutch test publisher, describes recorded sessions that trained assessors check for signs of misconduct, with a report per candidate on whether fraud is suspected.
A human proctor watches in real time and can step in. This is common for certification exams and professional licensing. It is the most secure option and also the most expensive and the hardest to schedule.
| Type | Stops | Does not stop | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browser lockdown | Tab switching, copy-paste, AI in the same browser | Second device, help in the room | Every online aptitude test as a baseline |
| Automated AI proctoring | Obvious impersonation, leaving the frame | Subtle help; can raise false flags | Large volumes with a review step |
| Record and review | Most forms of outside help, because sessions can be checked | Nothing in real time | High-stakes hiring decisions |
| Live proctoring | Almost everything, in real time | Little, but costly and hard to scale | Certification and licensing exams |
Not every test benefits from a camera. The question is whether outside help can change the score.
Aptitude and intelligence tests: yes, for high-stakes roles. There is a right answer, so an AI assistant or a helper can find it. This is where proctoring adds most value.
Knowledge and skills tests: often. Questions about Excel, SQL or legal knowledge can be looked up. A locked browser is a minimum. Proctoring makes sense when the test carries real weight.
Personality questionnaires: rarely. The risk here is not outside help but self-presentation. A candidate can describe themselves as more conscientious than they are, and a camera does not change that. Better defences are formats that are harder to polish, such as image-based swipe tests, and checking the profile in a structured interview.
Game-based assessments: depends. Fast, timed games leave little room to ask for help. For a deeper look at cheating in high-volume games and questionnaires, see our guide to anti-cheat assessment tools for volume hiring.
Proctoring comes from two kinds of vendors. Assessment platforms offer it as an option on their own tests. Dedicated proctoring companies supervise exams for schools, certification bodies and employers. The table below is based on what each vendor publishes about its own product. Check the current scope in a demo.
| Vendor | Type | How it works | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selection Lab | Assessment platform, optional proctoring on its intelligence test | Locked browser, webcam, microphone and screen recording | Recording in the candidate report; the recruiter decides |
| Criteria | Assessment platform with AI proctoring add-on | Photo before the test, periodic snapshots, screen and audio sampling | AI flags incidents; the employer reviews |
| NOA-VU | Test publisher with proctored capacity tests | Screen, webcam and microphone recorded; websites logged | Trained assessors check recordings |
| Mercer Mettl | Assessment and proctoring platform | AI flags, record and review, live proctors and a secure browser | Optional human review or live proctors |
Where another type of tool fits better: if you run certification or licensing exams, or need live proctors for thousands of candidates at once, a dedicated proctoring provider is built for that. For hiring, where the test is one step in a wider selection process, proctoring inside your assessment platform keeps everything in one flow and one report.
Selection Lab offers proctoring as an option on its Intelligence assessment, a 15-minute adaptive test of numerical, logical and spatial reasoning. The test adapts each question to the candidate's level and compares the result with a relevant norm group.
With proctoring switched on:
Candidates give explicit consent before the test and see exactly what is recorded and why. Recordings are kept for about 30 days at most. The proctoring was developed by Selection Lab itself, and personal data is stored in Frankfurt.
Proctoring is one step in a wider flow. Many teams start with a chat screening, run short assessments next and switch on proctoring only for the cognitive test in roles where the score carries real weight.
Recording a candidate's face, voice and screen is processing of personal data, so the GDPR applies in full. Before you switch proctoring on, check these points with your vendor and your privacy officer:
AI systems used to select or evaluate candidates fall into the high-risk category of the EU AI Act. That brings requirements around human oversight, transparency and logging. A proctoring setup where a person reviews the evidence and makes the decision is easier to defend than one where an algorithm decides. If you need a starting point, see our guide to EU AI Act compliance for deployers.
Proctoring can feel intrusive. Done badly, it costs you candidates. Done well, most candidates accept it, especially when they understand it protects them from being outscored by people who cheat.
With Selection Lab, most teams are live within 2 to 10 weeks, including ATS integration.
A proctored aptitude test is an online cognitive test taken under remote supervision. The browser is locked and the candidate's webcam, microphone and screen are monitored or recorded, so the score reflects what the candidate can do without outside help.
Yes. Without supervision, candidates can use an AI assistant, look up answers or get help from someone else. A locked browser stops the easiest shortcuts. Recording webcam, microphone and screen makes other forms of help visible.
Yes, if it is proportionate and transparent. Tell candidates beforehand what is recorded and why, keep recordings for a short fixed period, store them securely and make sure a person reviews before any decision is made.
That depends on the vendor. Some use AI to flag incidents. In Selection Lab, no AI rejects candidates based on the recording. The recruiter reviews the recording and makes the decision.
Usually not. The risk with personality questionnaires is self-presentation, not outside help, and a camera does not change how someone describes themselves. Formats that are harder to polish and a structured interview are better checks.
It differs per vendor. Selection Lab keeps recordings for about 30 days at most. Always ask your vendor for the exact retention period and include it in your privacy notice.
How do you make online aptitude tests cheat-proof? You combine a locked test environment with proctoring: the browser is locked, and the candidate's webcam, microphone and screen are recorded during the test. A person then reviews any doubtful sessions before a decision is made. That gives you scores you can trust again, as long as candidates know exactly what is recorded and why.
Remote testing made aptitude tests faster and cheaper to run. It also made them easier to game. A second screen, an AI assistant in the next tab or a friend who is good at maths can lift a score without the candidate getting any smarter. This guide explains how proctoring works, which tests need it, how the main approaches differ and how to set it up without scaring off good candidates.
This guide is written by Selection Lab, which offers proctoring as an option on its intelligence test. We also say where a different type of tool fits better.
An aptitude test only works if the score reflects what the candidate can do on their own. Cognitive ability is one of the strongest single predictors of job performance, which is exactly why employers use it. Once part of the score comes from outside help, that predictive value drops.
Three things have changed in the last few years:
The result is unfair to the honest candidate. If some people use help and others do not, an honest candidate ends up looking average in a field that is partly assisted. Protecting the test is not about distrusting candidates. It is about giving everyone the same yardstick.
Proctoring means supervising a test remotely. It ranges from simple technical locks to a person watching live. Most vendors combine several of these.
The test runs in a locked browser or environment. Candidates cannot switch tabs, open other apps or copy and paste. It stops the easiest shortcuts, but not a second device or someone sitting next to the candidate.
Software takes photos or recordings during the test and flags anomalies, such as a second face, the candidate leaving the frame or tab switching. Criteria, for example, describes taking a photo before the test starts, periodic snapshots during it and a report with flagged incidents for the employer to review.
Webcam, microphone and screen are recorded. A person reviews the recording, usually only when there is a reason to. NOA-VU, a Dutch test publisher, describes recorded sessions that trained assessors check for signs of misconduct, with a report per candidate on whether fraud is suspected.
A human proctor watches in real time and can step in. This is common for certification exams and professional licensing. It is the most secure option and also the most expensive and the hardest to schedule.
| Type | Stops | Does not stop | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browser lockdown | Tab switching, copy-paste, AI in the same browser | Second device, help in the room | Every online aptitude test as a baseline |
| Automated AI proctoring | Obvious impersonation, leaving the frame | Subtle help; can raise false flags | Large volumes with a review step |
| Record and review | Most forms of outside help, because sessions can be checked | Nothing in real time | High-stakes hiring decisions |
| Live proctoring | Almost everything, in real time | Little, but costly and hard to scale | Certification and licensing exams |
Not every test benefits from a camera. The question is whether outside help can change the score.
Aptitude and intelligence tests: yes, for high-stakes roles. There is a right answer, so an AI assistant or a helper can find it. This is where proctoring adds most value.
Knowledge and skills tests: often. Questions about Excel, SQL or legal knowledge can be looked up. A locked browser is a minimum. Proctoring makes sense when the test carries real weight.
Personality questionnaires: rarely. The risk here is not outside help but self-presentation. A candidate can describe themselves as more conscientious than they are, and a camera does not change that. Better defences are formats that are harder to polish, such as image-based swipe tests, and checking the profile in a structured interview.
Game-based assessments: depends. Fast, timed games leave little room to ask for help. For a deeper look at cheating in high-volume games and questionnaires, see our guide to anti-cheat assessment tools for volume hiring.
Proctoring comes from two kinds of vendors. Assessment platforms offer it as an option on their own tests. Dedicated proctoring companies supervise exams for schools, certification bodies and employers. The table below is based on what each vendor publishes about its own product. Check the current scope in a demo.
| Vendor | Type | How it works | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selection Lab | Assessment platform, optional proctoring on its intelligence test | Locked browser, webcam, microphone and screen recording | Recording in the candidate report; the recruiter decides |
| Criteria | Assessment platform with AI proctoring add-on | Photo before the test, periodic snapshots, screen and audio sampling | AI flags incidents; the employer reviews |
| NOA-VU | Test publisher with proctored capacity tests | Screen, webcam and microphone recorded; websites logged | Trained assessors check recordings |
| Mercer Mettl | Assessment and proctoring platform | AI flags, record and review, live proctors and a secure browser | Optional human review or live proctors |
Where another type of tool fits better: if you run certification or licensing exams, or need live proctors for thousands of candidates at once, a dedicated proctoring provider is built for that. For hiring, where the test is one step in a wider selection process, proctoring inside your assessment platform keeps everything in one flow and one report.
Selection Lab offers proctoring as an option on its Intelligence assessment, a 15-minute adaptive test of numerical, logical and spatial reasoning. The test adapts each question to the candidate's level and compares the result with a relevant norm group.
With proctoring switched on:
Candidates give explicit consent before the test and see exactly what is recorded and why. Recordings are kept for about 30 days at most. The proctoring was developed by Selection Lab itself, and personal data is stored in Frankfurt.
Proctoring is one step in a wider flow. Many teams start with a chat screening, run short assessments next and switch on proctoring only for the cognitive test in roles where the score carries real weight.
Recording a candidate's face, voice and screen is processing of personal data, so the GDPR applies in full. Before you switch proctoring on, check these points with your vendor and your privacy officer:
AI systems used to select or evaluate candidates fall into the high-risk category of the EU AI Act. That brings requirements around human oversight, transparency and logging. A proctoring setup where a person reviews the evidence and makes the decision is easier to defend than one where an algorithm decides. If you need a starting point, see our guide to EU AI Act compliance for deployers.
Proctoring can feel intrusive. Done badly, it costs you candidates. Done well, most candidates accept it, especially when they understand it protects them from being outscored by people who cheat.
With Selection Lab, most teams are live within 2 to 10 weeks, including ATS integration.
A proctored aptitude test is an online cognitive test taken under remote supervision. The browser is locked and the candidate's webcam, microphone and screen are monitored or recorded, so the score reflects what the candidate can do without outside help.
Yes. Without supervision, candidates can use an AI assistant, look up answers or get help from someone else. A locked browser stops the easiest shortcuts. Recording webcam, microphone and screen makes other forms of help visible.
Yes, if it is proportionate and transparent. Tell candidates beforehand what is recorded and why, keep recordings for a short fixed period, store them securely and make sure a person reviews before any decision is made.
That depends on the vendor. Some use AI to flag incidents. In Selection Lab, no AI rejects candidates based on the recording. The recruiter reviews the recording and makes the decision.
Usually not. The risk with personality questionnaires is self-presentation, not outside help, and a camera does not change how someone describes themselves. Formats that are harder to polish and a structured interview are better checks.
It differs per vendor. Selection Lab keeps recordings for about 30 days at most. Always ask your vendor for the exact retention period and include it in your privacy notice.
