Securing school exams and tests
Written by Emma Morgan, Industry Marketing Manager at FUJIFILM Business Innovation Australia.
While the move to online exams in schools is a hot topic, many exams still take place in paper form. A lack of trust in the security of online exams is one of the reasons for slow adoption. But what about the security of your school’s paper exams? What procedures are in place to ensure documents don’t fall into the wrong hands?
Protecting the integrity of your schools’ exams
A study of US high school students found that 51% had admitted to cheating on a test1. While cheating can take many forms, one method used was gaining access to the exam ahead of time. While I don’t have the equivalent data for Australia, there have been cases of this behaviour occurring. The reputational damage from being involved in a cheating scandal is immense.
There are many methods used to ensure that exams are not seen ahead of time. I remember when I was at school exams were delivered in sealed envelopes. Signatures were placed on the seal to show it had not been tampered with. While it worked at the time, it was not the most sophisticated approach. With technology, there are more secure ways to monitor the chain of custody of paper exams. This helps ensure that no exam papers fall into the wrong hands.
Information rights management
An example of a technology that can assist with exam security is information rights management software. This technology allows schools to put safeguards in place to protect the integrity of exams. Exams are just one example of the many applications and benefits that this sort of software could have.
Securing the chain of custody
FinalCode for Multifunction Devices is an example of a software that does this. It allows schools to manage how a file is used through its lifecycle. Safeguards that prevent the unauthorised use and copying of data allow schools to:
- Enhance the security and chain of custody of exam documents through permission controls
- Ensure exam integrity and reduce the risk of exams falling into the wrong hands.
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| Figure: example secure chain of custody |
This means you can guarantee that the document is only being viewed and handled by those who have been granted permission.
To find out more about how FUJIFILM Business Innovation can strengthen your document security, visit our website or contact us on 13 14 12.