While most of the schools still remain closed, teachers are conducting classes online using tools like school ERP software. However, as time passes, the need to conduct exams is also evident. An online exam system is an alternative to offline on-premise exams. Like online classes, online exams for students need only a smart device like a laptop or smartphone and an active internet connection.
However, there are many speculations and skepticism regarding online exams and how to conduct them safely while also curbing any possibility of cheating among students. The online examination system offers you features and tools that can easily take care of that while also giving you many benefits.
Find out all you need to know about the online exam system for easy scheduling of your school exams. Keep reading to know more.
What is an Online Exam System?
An online exam system is a tool in school ERP software that allows schools to conduct remote exams, grade them, and send out results.
The tool comes with several features that make conducting an online examination an easier, faster, and more efficient task. The online exam works with other school ERP software modules that allow the school administration and teachers to manage exams with relative ease.
For example, with each online class, the homework questions that teachers assign to the students are stored in the question bank. The teachers can use the same question bank to create the exam paper for students at the end of each semester.
This way, teachers do not have to spend a lot of time generating a question paper for each exam. They can simply choose questions from the question bank and add them to the question paper. Moreover, the online exam feature automatically grades objective questions with a fed answer key.
The online examination system essentially reduces a significant amount of work needed for organizing an exam.
Benefits of the Online Exam System
As mentioned in the previous section, an online exam provides many benefits for every stakeholder in your school. Here are some of the top benefits of the online examination system for schools, teachers, and students.
1. It is paperless
Online exams do not need you to use heaps of papers and so, you save a significant amount on stationery like questions papers, answer sheets, supplementary sheets, etc.
2. It is cost-effective
Unlike on-premise exams, you do not need stationery, invigilators, or exam spaces to conduct online exams. This means that you save not only money but also a lot of time and effort.
3. It is great for remote examination
In times like these, many students have gone back to their homes that are far away from the schools. In such cases, the online exam for students is a great way to test their learning without having them come all the way to school or worse, miss the exams.
4. It simplifies assessment
Especially for objective questions, an online exam is a great way to automate the assessment. All you need to do is feed the answer key in the system and the tool will assess every answer sheet submitted by the students and grade them accordingly. It also generates reports so that you can share them with the students and parents digitally.
5. It is secure
The data entered in school ERP software is stored encrypted in the cloud server. This includes the online exam system database. So the questions and answer sheets can only be accessed by authorized persons at your school. This reduces the chances of data leaks and makes it easier to manage this data on a more secure platform.
Accessing the Online Examination System
The online examination module of school ERP software can be accessed using a computer or a smartphone. Students can give their exams either with their school account using a desktop or laptop, or they can attempt exams on their parent’s smartphones using the school management mobile application.
It is important for students to get a thorough online exam demo from their teacher before attempting the exam so that they can complete it without any hassle.
FAQs
Can you cheat in an online exam?
When the online exam best practices are in place, students cannot cheat during an online exam. Precautions like shuffling the questions for every student and setting a time limit for every question are some of the simpler ways to ensure that no mishap occurs during an online exam.
For more advanced exams, your school can get exam proctoring software integrated with the school ERP software to ensure that students don’t cheat. ProctorExam and ProctorU are some of the good online exam proctoring software currently available in India.
Are online exams open book?
It depends on how the school wishes to conduct the exams. They can be open books or otherwise.
Is an online exam better than offline?
It completely depends on what is the situation at hand and the needs of a school. If the school wants to take remote or strictly theoretical exams then online exams are the best however, if the school requires students to be accessed during as well as after the exam (like in practical exams) then offline exams are best.
Conclusion
The online exam system in School ERP software is a powerful tool to help you manage online exams more efficiently and without any obstructions. Apart from online examinations, school management software offers many other features that are helpful to the school, teachers, students, and every other stakeholder at your school.
Schools can start digitizing their processes by simply implementing the school ERP. Start with a free trial of school ERP software and see how it can help you by assisting and automating several educational processes to minimize your effort and maximize your productivity.
Tell us how you manage online exams for your school? Share your thoughts and feedback in the comments below. And if you liked this blog, consider sharing it with your friends and colleagues.
