Online Exam Security with Real-Time Tracking (RTT)
Online Exam Security with Real-Time Tracking (RTT)As education and exam processes continue to digiti...
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For years, universities, distance education centers (UZEMs), and professional certification organizations have relied on open-source Safe Exam Browser (SEB) infrastructure to prevent students from searching in other tabs or sharing questions during online exams. However, with today’s technology, locking the monitor alone is never enough to prove that a candidate is acting honestly.
Smartphones, generative AI assistants such as ChatGPT, wireless earbuds, and HDMI splitters have left open-source software that relies solely on screen restrictions completely vulnerable. As a result, modern institutions are turning to hybrid solutions such as QProctor Secure Exam System that combine operating system lockdown with autonomous, AI-powered proctoring.
What Is Safe Exam Browser (SEB), and What Are Its Key Security Vulnerabilities?
Safe Exam Browser (SEB) is open-source software that temporarily turns a computer into a secure workstation by locking the web browser in full-screen mode and disabling keyboard shortcuts and other applications. However, SEB is completely blind to the physical room and the candidate’s actual interactions with the outside world.
In advanced cheating scenarios, SEB is powerless against these three critical vulnerabilities:
Physical Environment Blindness
SEB locks the screen, but it cannot detect a smartphone placed just behind the computer, a textbook under the desk, or an assistant whispering through an earpiece.
Virtual Machines and Splitters
Technically skilled candidates can isolate SEB using VMware/VirtualBox virtual machines or route the display to an external TV with an HDMI splitter.
High Operational Burden
Students’ operating system updates and .seb configuration conflicts can prevent hundreds of candidates from taking the exam on exam morning and overwhelm IT support.
Why Has SEB Failed in the Age of ChatGPT and Image Analysis?
Candidates no longer need to copy and paste. They can use the phone next to the desk to photograph a question, upload it to ChatGPT, and get an answer in seconds. Because SEB cannot analyze the camera feed or the environment, it is unable to detect this cheating method. QProctor’s dual-camera 360° environment scan and AI object detection make it impossible to have a phone on the desk.
Detailed Comparison: Safe Exam Browser vs. QProctor Next-Generation Proctoring
To maintain the quality of assessment and evaluation, institutions need multilayered monitoring that covers not only digital windows but also the physical and audio environment:
| Security & Operations Criteria | Safe Exam Browser (SEB) | QProctor Smart Proctoring |
|---|---|---|
| Browser & Screen Lockdown | Yes (Keyboard shortcuts and tab lock) | Yes (QBrowser deep operating system protection) |
| AI Eye & Head Tracking | No (It cannot determine whether the candidate is looking at the screen) | Yes (Immediate logging when the candidate looks away from the screen) |
| 360° Environment & Dual Camera | No (Computer monitor only) | Yes (Room scan using a smartphone as a secondary camera) |
| Ambient Sound & Whisper Analysis | No | Yes (Filters background human speech) |
| Virtual Machine & Second Screen Blocking | Partial (Can be bypassed) | Full protection (Deep control at the hardware level) |
| Results Report & Timestamp | No (Error logs only) | Yes (Audit report with video evidence of every suspicious moment) |
Open-Source SEB Model
Software Lockdown Only
Keeps the candidate on the exam screen, but cannot monitor cheating attempts in the physical environment or external AI tools. Does not produce legal or technical evidence.
QProctor Integrated Model
AI + Locked Browser
While locking the screen, it simultaneously analyzes the face and liveness via the webcam, the audio spectrum via the microphone, and the area around the desk using dual cameras. Provides the institution with a 100% impartial monitoring score.
Exam Security Vulnerability and Risk Calculator
Cheating Vulnerability Analysis of Your Current SystemSelect the features of your current exam environment to see the likelihood that candidates can cheat (vulnerability rate) and the operational risk score.
Browser Infrastructure in Use
Screen Monitoring
Physical Environment & Camera Monitoring
Environment Check
Audio and Second-Person Detection
Acoustic Analysis
Cheating Vulnerability Risk
In your current environment, candidates can easily cheat using an external phone or AI.
HIGH RISK
%80
Exam Vulnerability Score
Test Your Institution’s Exam Infrastructure: Modern Proctoring Checklist
Before investing in exam security infrastructure, test whether the system can block not only yesterday’s vulnerabilities but also today’s generative AI threats:
Exam Security Infrastructure Assessment Checklist
Check whether your system meets next-generation security standards:
Switch from SEB to QProctor: Complete Control Over Exam Security
Don’t waste time on installation errors or surrender to physical environment vulnerabilities. Protect the integrity of your exams with QProctor’s locked browser (QBrowser) and AI-powered 360-degree monitoring architecture.
Virtual Machine Blocking
Detects and blocks bypass attempts such as VMware, VirtualBox, or remote desktop connections at the hardware level.
Dual Camera Angle
Monitors both the candidate’s face and the area around the desk simultaneously, completely preventing smartphone use.
Effortless Setup
Eliminates complex configuration files for candidates and reduces exam-morning call center workload to zero.
Evidence-Based Report
Provides second-by-second video recordings of suspicious movements and timestamps that can be presented to students in the event of an appeal.
Get a Free Comparison Demo for Your Institution
You can strengthen your existing LMS or exam infrastructure with QProctor’s security shield in minutes.
Request a Free Demo and InformationFrequently Asked Questions
Can candidates cheat in online exams with Safe Exam Browser (SEB)?
Yes. SEB only locks the computer screen; it cannot detect secondary screens placed behind the computer, smartphones, audio assistance through an earpiece, or another person in the room.
How does QProctor’s QBrowser technology differ from SEB?
In addition to locking the screen at the operating system level, QBrowser combines AI-powered face/gaze tracking, audio analytics, and 360-degree environment monitoring with dual cameras in one seamless flow; it does not require candidates to install complex setup files on their devices.
Why does Safe Exam Browser create an operational burden for universities?
At the start of exams, IT centers receive thousands of calls and exams are disrupted due to students’ different operating system versions (Windows, macOS, iOS), firewall conflicts, and configuration file (.seb) errors.
Related Solutions and Resources
Let’s design your exam security together
Work with the QProctor team to evaluate the proctoring, identity verification, environment analysis, and reporting workflow that suits your institution.
