The True Cost of Leaked Credentialing Exams

The Real Cost of Leaked Credentialing Exams and How to Prevent It

What if your certification and licensure exam content were leaked online? How much would your program’s credibility and value suffer if candidates and employers knew your exams could be easily found or bought online?

Why would candidates spend time and money on credentials that aren’t taken seriously? And why would companies hire candidates or promote employees if the answers are freely available online?

Answer sharing (and selling) is a real thing that impacts every industry around the world, from healthcare and cybersecurity to teaching and finance.

Content from credentialing exams can be leaked when candidates:

  • Take exams for the sole purpose of memorizing questions, then sharing and selling them online
  • Record their screens or take screenshots
  • Copy and paste text
  • Take photos on their phones

Certification and licensure exam content is typically shared on:

  • Exam prep websites that sell content in “study guides” and “practice tests”
  • Forums and social media groups
  • Texts & email

Industries struggling with leaked exam content

Healthcare

  • Medical licensing exams

    • 139 physicians’ statuses with the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) were suspended or revoked after they shared exam questions with the director of an exam prep company. Many of ABIM’s copyrighted questions were posted verbatim on the prep company’s website.
    • And hundreds of U.S. medical licensing exam scores were invalidated after candidates memorized and shared questions. Many candidates were forced to retake the exam after investigators found identical answers and suspicious timing patterns.
  • Nursing certification exams

Medical licensing exams

139 physicians’ statuses with the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) were suspended or revoked after they shared exam questions with the director of an exam prep company. Many of ABIM’s copyrighted questions were posted verbatim on the prep company’s website.

And hundreds of U.S. medical licensing exam scores were invalidated after candidates memorized and shared questions. Many candidates were forced to retake the exam after investigators found identical answers and suspicious timing patterns.

Nursing certification exams

The Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) found that its Acute Care CPNP-AC exam content had been shared. In response, they immediately suspended testing and had to develop an entirely new certification exam.

Cybersecurity

Employees from NCC Group, a CREST member company, created and shared proprietary cybersecurity certification exam questions and answers. CREST, which accredits cybersecurity firms and certifies professionals, said NCC Group staff compiled the test materials and uploaded them to GitHub and Dropbox, which violates NDAs and CREST’s code of conduct.

Accounting and financial services

Answer sharing has cost the Big Four and their affiliates more than $132.5 million in fines since 2022, including one case with a $100 million fine. Employees, including senior leaders, were caught exchanging answers for licensure exams and tests for employee training and development. Along with the fines, the firms were ordered to update ethics policies and add stricter monitoring of employee testing.

Law enforcement

Even though civil service exams aren’t credentialing exams, answer sharing has the same consequences.

  • Cadets at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy received answers to exam questions and shared them with each other for the traffic law, criminal law, and final cadet exams.
  • Even the in-person 2022 NYPD Sergeant promotion exam was heavily compromised when officers used their phones to take pictures of test questions and share answers with other officers. Ultimately, 35% of exam questions were shared with over 1,200 officers.

Teaching

A test-prep company had staff repeatedly take the Florida Teacher Certification Exams (FTCE) and the Florida Educational Leadership Exam (FELE) in order to memorize the questions to republish and sell online. The stolen exam content, which was owned by the Florida Department of Education and the State Board of Education, was republished in study guides and training materials and sold to customers.

Plumbing

A two-part plumbing certification exam and its answers were leaked and shared days before 224 apprentices sat for it. The agency overseeing the exams was forced to create new question banks and update program materials to protect certification exam integrity.

Proctoring software to secure credentialing exam content

While you can’t prevent someone from memorizing your exam content, you can use proctoring software to find and remove leaked content, prevent candidates from using their phones and other devices, and block them from recording their screens, taking screenshots, and copying and pasting your content.

  • Search & DestroyTM: Automatically scans the internet for your credentialing exam content, and it only takes a few minutes. If it finds any, you can send takedown requests with a single click.
  • Cell phone detection: Detects when candidates try to use cell phones and other devices (e.g., tablets and smartwatches) to look up questions and identifies nearby devices using AI-enabled Apple Handoff technology. 
  • Secure desktop: Records the candidate’s screen while blocking unauthorized websites, applications, and screen recorders. It also prevents them from copying and pasting your content, screenshotting, and resizing the exam browser window.
  • Video monitoring: Uses the webcam and an optional second camera to monitor for unauthorized resources like phones, which could be used to take photos of exam content, or pen and paper, which could be used to write down questions.

Challenge: Docebo University (DU) needed a reliable, scalable online proctoring solution after its previous provider was ineffective and time-consuming, which forced its team to proctor exams manually.

Solution: DU quickly implemented Honorlock’s hybrid solution to secure exams while simplifying the experience for both learners and administrators.

Results: Scaled certification and credentialing to 45,000+ learners and cut proctoring-related admin hours to save more than $50,000 annually.

“Partnering with Honorlock was a game-changer… We not only freed up our team’s time, but we also elevated the certification experience for the 45,000 learners we serve.” — Melissa Kruminas, Senior Director of Learning at Docebo

Challenge: Healthcare Services Group (HCSG) struggled to certify its food service workforce because its previous remote exam proctoring solution was difficult to use, lacked accessibility, and did not provide multilingual support.

Solution: HCSG partnered with Honorlock to proctor food service certification exams and launched eLuminate, which assesses and certifies food service and hospitality professionals, to refocus and improve exams.

Results: Honorlock’s proctoring platform, multilingual support, and Chromebook compatibility created an accessible, user-friendly certification process that meets the needs of food service managers nationwide.

“I have been using Honorlock for a while now, and I have to say I love it… The testing process is quick, simple, and less stressful… It’s convenient and easy to fit into their daily schedules. I highly recommend Honorlock.” – Jeanne Hanlon-Martinez, RD & People Development Manager at HCSG

The value of protecting professional credentialing

Preventing cheating protects the credibility and value of the credentials because employers and candidates know they actually mean something. If they’re proctored effectively—keyword: effectively—they can help verify that candidates have the knowledge and skills. Employers and candidates know the answers can’t just be pulled from the internet, and that ChatGPT and invisible AI assistants can’t help.

What does “proctored effectively” mean?

It means choosing a test proctoring solution that can prevent cheating without ruining the test experience. The recent California Bar Exam showed what happens when an online proctoring service does the exact opposite. It disrupted test takers, technical failures caused chaos, and ineffective features allowed exam content to be shared publicly.

Types of exam proctoring for credentialing programs

There are several different types of proctoring solutions and tons of tools and features beyond the ones we mentioned earlier.

But you have to find the right approach for your organization. Maybe it’s a hybrid solution that combines AI and live proctors. Or it could be using your own proctors but supporting them with AI monitoring software.

Common options to proctor credentialing exams:

  • Hybrid (AI + live): AI monitors exams and flags behaviors for a live proctor to review. Some services interrupt exams immediately, while others only intervene when necessary after reviewing.

  • Bring Your Own Proctor (BYOP): Your staff proctors exams and controls the rules and processes, while the software monitors behavior.

  • Automated: Software (including a browser guard) and/or AI monitors behavior to detect misconduct and prevent and block unauthorized activities.

  • Live: Human proctors watch multiple candidates take exams in real time.

  • Record and review: Exams are recorded for the proctoring company (or your staff) to review later.

If exam content is compromised, the reputation and value of your credentialing program and its exams can decline. 

Why earn a certification that no one takes seriously? Why hire someone who passed a licensure exam that’s available online?

Invest in a remote proctoring service that offers out-of-the-box features your organization needs to secure exams and protect your proprietary content.

Certification Proctoring Tools & Types

Certification Exam Proctoring Tools and Types

If a big pay raise or promotion depended on you passing a certification exam, would you look up answers online or ask a chatbot if the exam wasn’t proctored? C’mon, be honest.

Without proctoring software, or with weak software, the reward is high and the risk of being caught is low. There are many different certification proctoring tools and types to choose from, so we’ll review those and point out key considerations to help you find the best solution for your organization.

Proctoring tools to prevent cheating on certification exams

Proctoring services offer organizations many different tools to protect the integrity of certification exams. These tools work whether the exam uses traditional formats like multiple-choice and true-or-false or requires hands-on tasks like coding in a development environment, recording patient information in real charting software, or creating financial reports in Excel.

Although each proctoring company does it a bit differently, here’s how these tools work and how they can help secure certification exams and other assessments in professional education while also protecting your organization’s content and intellectual property.

Protect certification exam content and intellectual property

Proctoring tools can help protect IP by searching the internet for leaked certification exam content, which is big business today. Depending on the certification proctoring software, exam owners can manually select which questions to search for and send individual takedown requests, or they can automatically scan all questions at once and send takedown requests with a single click.

Detect cell phones and secondary devices

Detects when candidates try to use secondary devices such as cell phones, smartwatches, and tablets during professional certification exams. Proctoring services typically rely on live proctors seeing phones in real time, although this can be difficult when they are monitoring multiple candidates at once. Another approach to detecting cell phones is using online proctoring software that identifies their presence in the test environment and when test takers try to use them off camera to search for answers.

Block chatbots and AI assistants

Exam owners can block all applications and software, such as chatbots, AI coding/interview assistants, remote access tools, and screen recorders, while still allowing specific apps required to complete the exam. For example, blocking all applications and software while still allowing access to specific coding environments, accounting software, or software like Excel and Word limits test takers to only using the software needed to complete the proctored certification exam.

Scan the environment and monitor behavior from all angles

Before certification exams, admins can require a room scan to check for notes, devices, or other people. During exams, the remote proctoring system monitors and records participants with their main webcam and an optional second camera for a full view of the test environment.

Detect speech instead of unimportant sounds

Unlike basic sound detection, smart speech detection listens for specific keywords like “Hey Siri” or “OK Google,” which activate virtual assistants. If something is flagged, a live proctor reviews the transcript and only intervenes when necessary so test takers can talk through problems without being interrupted.

Verify participants' identities

Proctoring solutions can authenticate the exam taker’s identity to confirm that the person taking the exam is the same as the person earning the degree or certification. Ideally, it’s a quick process (about a minute) where the webcam captures a photo of the participant and their ID. Participants will obviously have privacy concerns, so be sure to ask the proctoring service about their data privacy and security practices.

Types of certification proctoring

Proctoring companies’ software and services are all a bit different, but they can generally be grouped into a few types. Understanding how each type works can help you figure out what’s realistic to manage and best for your organization, your certification programs, and the participants taking the proctored exams.

Hybrid certification proctoring

AI monitors participants during exams and alerts a live proctor if potentially problematic behavior occurs. Services handle this differently. Some have live proctors intervene immediately regardless of the situation, like pausing an exam for a cough or barking dog, which can be distracting. And some take a more non-invasive approach by having the live proctors review the flagged behavior first and only intervene when necessary.

Bring Your Own Proctor (BYOP)

BYOP is a self-managed approach where your staff proctors the certification exams while the software monitors behavior. This approach keeps your organization in control while also giving you the flexibility to adjust processes and requirements.

Automated proctoring solution

Uses AI and/or software to monitor participants and block specific behaviors and access to unauthorized resources. Each online proctoring provider offers different features and functionality, which range from basic browser lockdown software and sound detection to more advanced AI that listens for specific speech and detects secondary devices.

Live proctoring

A human proctor watches participants take their professional certification exams in real-time. It provides human oversight for gray areas, but it’s expensive and makes it difficult to schedule exams, and proctors often miss things because they’re monitoring multiple test takers at once.

Record and review

The certification exam is recorded and then reviewed later by your staff or by the remote proctoring service. It adds human oversight but can’t stop misconduct when it happens and requires lots of time to review (which can be pricey).

Even though your certification programs and exams face more threats than ever, the right proctoring service can help by securing exams and protecting your content and IP. Proctored certification exams protect the value of the credential and the trust that participants and employers place in your certifications, programs, and organization. Learn more about proctoring for professional education.

How to Detect AI Coding Assistants in Technical Interviews

How to Detect AI Assistants in Technical Interviews

Assessing candidates’ skills during technical interviews just got a lot trickier thanks to AI coding assistants and interview copilots. These AI interview tools use chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude to generate code or answers to technical interview questions, then they show them on-screen using a transparent overlay that only candidates can see.

They can see what’s on the candidate’s screen (e.g., coding tasks or exam questions), hear what’s being asked, and provide answers in real-time. In other words, they’re invisible AI for technical interviews that act like chatbot teleprompters.

During technical interviews, candidates can use AI assistants to:

  • Generate code to use within a development environment
  • Display word-for-word responses for the candidate to read aloud based on the interviewer’s question
  • Answer exam questions in formats like multiple-choice and true/false
  • Give step-by-step instructions to complete technical tasks
  • Write long or short-form responses

Even more concerning is that these AI interview tools are virtually undetectable. But how do they work and why are they so hard to detect?

How do AI assistants for technical interviews work?

  • Capture: The AI captures information by “reading” the text on the candidate’s screen and “seeing” the environment (e.g., coding UI and errors), and “hearing” what the interviewer asks.
  • Process: That information is processed by a Large Language Model (LLM) to understand the problem and context.
  • Answer: The AI creates tailored answers based on all of the information it’s been trained on and any other context the candidate provides, like their resume, the job description, and information about the company.
  • Deliver: The answer, whether code or a response to read aloud, is delivered to the candidate within a transparent overlay only the candidate can see.
  • Respond: The candidate uses the AI-generated code or response as if it were their own.

How are AI coding copilots and interview assistants invisible?

  • Transparent overlays: AI-generated responses appear in a transparent window over the interview platform. The candidate can see the prompts, but the overlay can’t be seen during screensharing (see example image below this section)
  • Works on secondary devices: Most of these tools work on cellphones, which can be placed just outside the camera’s view on their main device. It captures audio from the main device, processes the questions in real time, and displays answers without joining the meeting.
  • Hidden keyboard shortcuts: Certain keyboard shortcuts allow candidates to control AI assistants and their placement on the screen. For example:
    • Hide/show AI overlay: Ctrl (or ⌘) + B
    • Move the overlay: Ctrl (or ⌘) + ↑ / ↓ / ← / →
  • Hidden browsers/tabs: The AI opens in a separate, concealed browser window or tab that doesn’t appear in the list of shared screens or tabs.
  • Operates as a background process: Some AI copilots hide by running like a background process with no normal window, so they don’t show in the taskbar or Dock. They also avoid the open apps and screen-share lists by using small utility panels or a translucent overlay that the computer does not treat as a normal window, and by telling the system not to include it in sharing or recordings.
Laptop screen showing an invisible AI interview assistant answering a coding question during a technical interview.
Example of an AI coding/interview assistant's transparent overlay during an exam

How to use proctoring software to block and detect AI coding copilots and interview assistants:

Block all applications or just allow the ones you want

The proctoring software should allow exam admins to block all applications, such as AI coding/interview assistants, screen recording apps, web conferencing apps, or remote access software.

Exam admins can also choose to allow specific apps, such as Excel or any other apps during a technical interview that requires completion of accounting-related tasks. This way, candidates only have access to the apps/software needed for the exam and nothing else.

Detect cell phones and other devices

AI interview assistants can be used on secondary devices, so you need a proctoring solution that can detect and block candidates from using them.

But you can’t just hope that a proctor will see one. You need proctoring software that can detect the presence of cell phones (and other handheld devices), uses AI to identify Apple devices nearby, and flagging when candidates try to search test questions on a secondary device.

Monitor from all angles

You can monitor and record candidates during technical interviews and exams using their main device’s webcam and you can use second camera monitoring for a wider, multi-angle view of their environment.

Scan the room & verify ID

Before technical interviews start, admins can require candidates to complete a room scan to make sure that they don’t have access to unauthorized resources like cell phones, notes, and even other people.

Protect your organization’s IP

In addition to blocking AI assistants during interviews and exams, organizations also need to protect their intellectual property. Look for proctoring solution that automatically scans the internet for all exam content in minutes to identify leaked questions and allows you to send a one-click takedown request.

New AI tools are popping up every day, so it’s important for organizations to stay ahead with exam proctoring software that protects the integrity of interviews, exams, and skills assessments. Being proactive now can prevent bigger problems down the road.

Schedule a Demo

ChatGPT vs. Honorlock Online Proctoring

Using online proctoring services to stop students from cheating with ChatGPT

ChatGPT has had educators nervous since it became available to the public in the fall of 2022. It wasn’t the first generative AI chatbot, but it was the one that got everyone’s attention. Since then, many similar AI chatbots have popped up, like Gemini and Claude, and other chatbot-like tools such as Perplexity and NotebookLM are gaining popularity.

And people use chatbots for just about everything now. They can write everything from long-form essays to punny jokes, solve math problems, summarize and simplify text, and write code. Some even use them to organize their schedule or just to vent about their day.

The problem is that ChatGPT and other chatbots have been used to cheat on exams (which is why you’re here). ChatGPT is highly capable and there are very few exams it can’t help with.

Early-ish versions of ChatGPT passed these exams

ChatGPT exam scores for UBI, CPA, LSAT, and GRE

2025 Guide to Preventing Chatbot Cheating

6-part guide on how chatbots work, ways to use them in courses, how to prevent cheating, and guidance to help start AI initiatives.

Book with text saying Guide to Preventing Chatbot Cheating

Can ChatGPT be detected as plagiarism?

Plagiarism tools can’t reliably detect ChatGPT because they look for text that’s copied exactly from the source or looks pretty similar to it. That’s a big problem because ChatGPT doesn’t just copy from the resources it was trained on, like websites, research studies, news, code, etc.

It’s similar to how you learn from all kinds of different sources. But if someone asks you a question about it, you don’t just recite answers word for word. You put it into your own words, make connections, and you can explain it differently depending on who you’re talking to. It isn’t an perfect analogy, but that’s the gist of how ChatGPT works and why plagiarism detection doesn’t.

Can AI detectors detect ChatGPT?

If a student copies text directly from ChatGPT without making any edits, AI detectors are usually accurate. But realistically, students will probably make a few changes before submitting. Once AI-generated text is altered, even if another AI tool is used to make the changes, the accuracy of AI detection decreases (Liu et al., 2024; Weber-Wulff et al., 2023).

How does AI detection work?

AI detection assesses how predictable the writing is (perplexity), how sentence length and structure vary, and whether it sounds a little too “cookie cutter.”

Human writing usually has more variety and specific details, so when text is predictable or the sentences are all a similar length, AI detectors might flag it as AI-generated.

What is an acceptable AI detection score?

That’s the million dollar question, but there’s no real answer. Whether the AI detector indicates that the text is 10%, 30%, or 85% AI-generated, educators have to make that call.

How can Honorlock’s online proctoring software prevent the use of ChatGPT for written assignments?

Honorlock’s hybrid proctoring solution prevents the use of ChatGPT using a combination of AI and live proctors. Some of the proctoring features we use to control AI chatbots are covered below.

Detect cell phones and other secondary devices

Several of Honorlock’s remote proctoring features work together to detect cell phones and other secondary devices (other laptops, tablets, smartwatches, etc.), so you don’t have to rely on a live proctor to catch it in real time.

Honorlock detects when test takers try to access test bank content using a cell phone or other device, and it uses exclusive AI-powered Apple Handoff technology to spot nearby Apple devices during the exam.

Lock the browser

With Honorlock’s BrowserGuard, instructors can block access to all external resources, like websites, applications (like ChatGPT), and browsers—or allow access to specific resources, like research journals and case studies, software such as Word, or other online word precessors like Google Docs.

This gives educators the flexibility to allow learners to access supplemental materials while still securing it from unauthorized use of chatbots and other AI writing.

Honorlock’s BrowserGuard also records the participants’ desktops and prevents keyboard shortcuts, like copying and pasting. If copy/paste is attempted, the participant receives a notification that it isn’t allowed and the AI marks it as a medium flag.

However, locking the browser is just one piece of the puzzle to preventing chatbot cheating. If you’re only using browser lockdown software, there’s no way to know if someone is:

  • Using a phone to access ChatGPT or browse the internet
  • Asking Siri or Alexa to access apps/sites
  • Having someone else write the essay or take the exam
  • Typing what a friend is reading to them from off-camera
Use smart voice detection

If your proctoring platform doesn’t have smart voice detection, participants can use voice assistants like Siri or Alexa to open ChatGPT, ask questions, and have the answers read aloud.

Honorlock’s Smart Voice Detection listens for specific keywords or phrases, like “Hey Siri” or “OK Google,” and it records and transcribes audio while the exam is in progress. If it detects potentially dishonest behavior, a live proctor is alerted to review the situation and intervene if necessary.

Scan the room and record behavior

Honorlock’s remote proctoring platform makes it quick to check the room for unauthorized resources, like cell phones, notes, and even other people. And our platform monitors and records behavior throughout the exam.

This way, you’ll know that test takers aren’t accessing ChatGPT from other devices, using their notes, or asking other people for help.

Set the amount of time they have to write the essay once they begin

Instructors can create rules that specify a certain number of hours participants have to complete the written assignment once they begin. Honorlock’s remote proctoring software and services are available 24/7/365, so they can write their essays anytime they’re ready within your set time frame, and you’ll know it’s being proctored.

Other online proctoring tools from Honorlock
Live Pop-In® (AI + live proctoring)

Honorlock’s Live Pop-In secures online assessments and assignments with a hybrid proctoring approach that uses AI to monitor the test environment and behavior, and a live proctor reviews anything the AI flags to determine if they need to intervene or not.

The AI monitors exams and assignments and alerts a live proctor if something looks suspicious. The proctor reviews the situation and only steps in if absolutely necessary, so test takers aren’t interrupted unless there’s a real concern. Our blended proctoring solution delivers a less intimidating and non-invasive experience for participants.

Finds leaked test content on the internet
Honorlock’s Search and Destroy™ technology scours the internet automatically for leaked test content and gives instructors the ability to send takedown requests with one click. This way, you’ll know your test content isn’t available on sites like Quizlet, Chegg, Reddit, and Quora.
Verifies test takers’ identity

You need to know that the person taking the proctored exam is the same person getting credit in the class. Honorlock’s ID verification takes about 60 seconds. It captures a picture of the test-taker along with their photo ID.

Stay ahead of AI cheating

ChatGPT and many of the AI chatbots are powerful tools that have advantages and disadvantages in online learning. Use Honorlock’s solution to stay ahead of the curve and in control of if, how, and when chatbots and other AI are used in your courses and assessments. 

Fill out the form to see how Honorlock works.

More resources

Docebo University Scales Customer Certification and Cuts Costs with Seamless Proctoring from Honorlock

Docebo University Scales Proctored Certification Exams With Honorlock

Challenge

As a global leader in enterprise learning technology, Docebo delivers high-impact training to employees, customers, and partners through its AI-powered learning platform. A key part of that effort is Docebo University (DU), an education hub that helps customers become experts in building, launching, and growing their own customer education programs.

Key Results

✅  Same-day, productized integration

✅  $50K+ annual time savings

✅  45,000+ learners supported

✅  No coding, no learner disruption

✅  Elevated certification experience

To protect the integrity of its Docebo Pro Certification program, DU needed a reliable and scalable proctoring solution. The experience with their previous provider was cumbersome and time-consuming. Implementation required 16 weeks of complex configuration, and ultimately the DoceboU team resorted to manually proctoring exams—consuming approximately 20 hours of administrative time per week and providing a less-than-ideal experience for learners.

Solution

Docebo turned to Honorlock to partner on a proctoring solution that would directly integrate within the Docebo platform. The result was a same-day, plug-and-play setup—no custom coding, no messy configurations, and no disruption to users.

With Honorlock, proctoring became seamless for both learners and administrators. Test takers could access their certification exams without additional logins or instructions, while the DU team benefited from minimal oversight requirements. Honorlock’s AI-powered in-browser technology, combined with its live proctors, ensured exam integrity with a user-friendly experience.

Results

DU now serves over 45,000 learners, offering streamlined certification exams without the operational drag of their previous proctoring solution. Administrative hours dedicated to proctoring dropped significantly, resulting in over $50,000 in annualized savings. The simplified workflow allowed the DU team to focus on improving educational content and engagement rather than managing proctoring logistics.

With Honorlock, DU dramatically reduced the operational overhead of managing exams and delivered a better experience for its rapidly growing learner base.

DU now serves over 45,000 learners, offering streamlined certification exams without the operational drag of their previous proctoring solution. Administrative hours dedicated to proctoring dropped significantly, resulting in over $50,000 in annualized savings. The simplified workflow allowed the DU team to focus on improving educational content and engagement rather than managing proctoring logistics.

With Honorlock, DU dramatically reduced the operational overhead of managing exams and delivered a better experience for its rapidly growing learner base.

  • $50,000+ in annual administration savings
  • 20+ administration hours per week reallocated to high-value work
  • Scaled to support 45,000+ learners
  • Improved learner satisfaction and reduced support requests
  • Certification scale and integrity are fully protected

“Partnering with Honorlock was a game-changer for Docebo University. We not only freed up our team’s time, but we also elevated the certification experience for the 45,000 learners we serve. Honorlock helped us deliver on our commitment to continuously improve the customer experience while scaling with confidence.” — Melissa Kruminas, Senior Director of Learning, Docebo

With the Honorlock integration, Docebo is empowering its customers to build trusted, high-impact education programs—starting with their own.

Want to see how Honorlock works?
Reach out to our team to schedule a demo.

Fair and Accessible Certification Exams: How Honorlock & HCSG Unlocked Opportunities in Food Service

Challenge:

Healthcare Services Group (HCSG) struggled to certify its food service workforce due to unnecessarily complex exams, accessibility barriers, and an unresponsive proctoring provider that hindered candidate success.

Solution

To address these challenges, HCSG launched eLuminate, an independent certification body, and partnered with Honorlock to create a fair, accessible, and user-friendly certification process tailored to the needs of food service managers.

Results

By leveraging Honorlock’s seamless proctoring, Chromebook compatibility, and multilingual support, HCSG and eLuminate dramatically improved certification accessibility and expanded career opportunities for food service professionals nationwide.

Challenge: Streamlining Certification for Food Service Managers

For food service professionals, career advancement often depends on certification—yet unnecessary barriers were making it nearly impossible for many to succeed.

Healthcare Services Group (HCSG) provides essential support services in housekeeping, laundry, dining, and nutrition for the healthcare and education industries. With over 45 years of experience, HCSG has built a reputation for improving operational efficiency, ensuring regulatory compliance, and enhancing financial outcomes for its clients. A key pillar of its success is a strong commitment to employee training and professional development, equipping team members with the skills and knowledge needed to deliver exceptional service.

However, when it came to certifying its workforce for Food Service Manager (FSM) and Long-Term Care Food Service Manager (LTC FSM) roles, HCSG faced significant challenges. Existing certification options were unnecessarily complex, testing skills and knowledge beyond the scope of food service managers. As a result, passing rates among HCSG employees were low, leading to increased assessment costs and frustration among candidates. 

Compounding the issue, HCSG’s initial online proctoring provider introduced additional barriers to candidate success. Their initial proctoring platform lacked accessibility and was difficult for candidates to use. Meanwhile, a significant language barrier with the provider’s support further hindered the testing experience. Finally, HCSG felt that their initial proctoring partner was not responsive to their unique needs, leaving them without a viable solution to support their workforce’s growth and certification success.

Solution: A Purpose-Built Certification Program for Food Service Managers

To address the challenges in training, upskilling, and certifying its food service workforce, HCSG established eLuminate, an independent certification body dedicated to enhancing career opportunities within the food service industry. As a wholly owned subsidiary of HCSG, eLuminate was designed to fairly and impartially assess candidates while ensuring they possess the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in their roles. Recognizing the financial burden of failed certification attempts and the unfair difficulty of existing exams, HCSG sought to develop a solution tailored specifically to the needs of food service managers.

eLuminate upholds a commitment to fairness, impartiality, and professional development, certifying any qualified individual who applies and passes the requisite exam—whether they work for HCSG or not. By focusing on the skills essential to food service managers, eLuminate provides a direct and practical pathway to career advancement for individuals in the industry.

By critically reviewing CMS guidelines, eLuminate removed content that was only relevant to registered dietitians, such as Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) and microbiology, and streamlined its exams to assess only the knowledge and skills required for food service managers.

eLuminate also ensures that its accredited certifications align with federal regulations, particularly those set by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). 

“With the pre-existing certification options, HCSG employees had an abysmal pass rate. We were just flushing money down the toilet. They were failing the exam because of the exact knowledge they didn’t need—medical nutrition therapy. That’s the job of a registered dietitian, not a food service manager.”

Jeannie Fissinger
Senior VP, Policy & Training Development
HCSG

The certifications meet the requirements of 42 CFR §483.60(a)(2)(i)(B)&(C), ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations while making the process more accessible for professionals seeking to advance their careers.

Because everyone does not have the opportunity to pursue higher education, eLuminate proudly offers two accredited certification exams to those committed to pursuing career advancement:

  • Food Service Manager Exam (FSM) – Assesses knowledge and skills in nutrition, food safety, and management in alignment with the latest Food Code and industry standards.
  • Long-Term Care Food Service Manager Exam (LTC-FSM) – Addresses the more stringent regulations specific to food service managers in long-term care facilities, ensuring compliance with CMS and other regulatory bodies. Successful completion of the FSM Exam is a prerequisite for the LTC-FSM Exam.

To create a seamless and accessible certification experience for their candidates, eLuminate integrated proctoring, testing, and digital credentialing into a streamlined technology ecosystem. Their ecosystem incorporates:

This seamless integration allows candidates to register, prepare, test, and receive credentials all within one ecosystem, eliminating friction points that previously caused delays and confusion. This tech-driven approach ensures that candidates complete their certification exams online, anytime, with live virtual proctoring that provides both security and convenience. eLuminate’s on-demand digital exam platform removes unnecessary barriers, making the certification process efficient, accessible, and user-friendly.

Key benefits include:

✅ Quick and convenient three-year certifications
✅ Expanded career advancement opportunities
✅ Easily verified and shareable digital credentials
✅ Reduced exam fees for employers and time costs for employees

Accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board Personnel Certification body, eLuminate’s certifications meet the ISO/IEC 17024 standard and fulfill the regulatory management component required in most U.S. states. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and industry expertise, eLuminate is revolutionizing food service certification, ensuring that professionals have a fair and achievable path to success.

Results: Breaking Down Barriers to Certification Success

Making Online Certification Accessible for All Candidates

For eLuminate, ensuring a smooth and accessible certification experience was essential—yet their initial proctoring partner created unnecessary challenges that hindered candidate success. Ease of use was a critical factor, as most test-takers were not tech-savvy. According to O*NET, 55% of food service managers have a high school diploma or equivalent, 17% have some college but no degree, and 15% have less than a high school diploma. Many have spent years in hands-on food service roles, but have limited experience with computers. Fissinger shares, 

“The people in food service aren’t typically tech-savvy. The tend to more hands-on, so being comfortable taking exams online is essential. Ease of use is a critical factor for us.” 

One major issue was device accessibility. HCSG’s previous proctoring platform did not support low-cost Chromebooks, discriminating against those employees who relied on more affordable technology. This limitation disproportionately impacted lower-income individuals who couldn’t afford expensive laptops, creating a financial barrier to career advancement. Fissinger reflects,

“If you have to have a laptop to get certified, that’s a lot of money, period. It’s a barrier for people that are lower income.” 

With Honorlock, eLuminate was able to eliminate these unfair obstacles for candidates. Honorlock fully supports Chromebooks, which are widely available in HCSG facilities and are the most affordable option for many test takers. The switch to Honorlock led to immediate success, with:

  562 successful exams proctored in just a few months
✅  99%+ exam initiation success rate
✅  Successful completion of exams in 43 states

eLuminate tracks real-time success from usage to efficacy with the Honorlock Analytics HubsTM that offers actionable insights such as “Usage by State,” as seen below:

HCSG realizes significant gains in moving to Honorlock as well.  In particular, they value the overall improvements in the testing process, the freedom from scheduling, and the convenience and flexibility of an on-demand solution.

“Using Honorlock has been beneficial. It has eased the concerns of our testers, especially those with testing anxiety. The convenience of allowing employees to test when they are available has been a significant improvement. Testers no longer have to worry about scheduling conflicts or cancellations due to staffing issues. Overall, the entire testing process is much smoother for both the testers and myself. I  tested on our previous proctoring systems. I wish I had been able to use Honorlock back then!”

– Laura Llamas | People Development Manager | HCSG

Removing Language Barriers with Clear, Multilingual Support

Language barriers were another critical challenge with their previous proctoring solution. Many test takers struggled to understand verbal directions from the company’s proctors and support agents, particularly when delivered with strong accents, as was typical. Without written instructions to follow, candidates were left confused and frustrated. In short, 

“Testers simply didn’t understand what they were being asked to do. 

It was such a significant issue that Fissinger adds,

“People didn’t want to take the test because they couldn’t understand what the heck they were saying.”

“One of the biggest hurdles that we had was that proctor and support interactions were not written, only spoken. Testers didn’t understand what the proctor was saying most of the time, and the proctor would just repeat the sentence over and over.”

Elizabeth Lydon
Credentials Coordinator
eLuminate

Honorlock solved this issue by providing step-by-step written prompts allowing candidates to read, follow, and translate instructions in real time. Honorlock’s chat support enables instant guidance and multi-language support, ensuring candidates can quickly resolve any issues. Lydon explains,

 “Honorlock has prompts that show the user exactly how to complete each step. I watch exam session recordings every month, and I can see that the response time is a lot better. The user gets the tools to fix any issues on their own.” 

Additionally, Honorlock offers real-time multilingual translation support in over 50 languages, including Spanish, Chinese (Simplified & Traditional), French, German, Arabic, Hindi, and more. The examples below illustrate this feature in Spanish and French. This flexibility drastically improved the test-taking experience and reduced unnecessary delays.

Fast, Reliable Support That Exceeds Expectations

Beyond language accessibility, Honorlock delivered exceptional response and resolution times, creating a seamless experience for eLUMINATE’s test takers. Unlike their previous proctoring provider, where candidates often waited 30-40 minutes just to start their exam, Honorlock’s support team provides:

✅ Response times averaging under 15 seconds
✅ Issue resolution averaging under 7 minutes
✅ 94% satisfaction rate

Lydon attests, 

“With Honorlock, it’s instant. Candidates just open the chat, and the proctors are there. The response times are incredible.”

HCSG agrees,

“I have been using Honorlock for a while now, and I have to say I love it. Connecting with the proctor is a breeze and the testers do not experience connection difficulties. Our pass rates have improved because the testing process is quick, simple, and less stressful. The testers are able to take the exam immediately rather than waiting several days to take the exam. It’s convenient and easy to fit into their daily schedules. I highly recommend Honorlock.”

Jeanne Hanlon-Martinez |  RD & People Development Manager | HCSG

A Partner That Listens and Innovates

Finally, eLUMINATE found a true partner in Honorlock, unlike their previous provider, where product improvement was not a priority. Fissinger shares,

“When I worked with the other proctoring company, we’d make suggestions, and their response was always, ‘Oh, too bad! That’s not on our timeline. We’re never going to look at that.’ Meanwhile, the needs—like supporting Chromebooks—were critical for our success.”

Honorlock, in contrast, is continuously improving and values customer feedback. Fissinger adds,

“I value explaining the difficulties we’re having and sharing what we need; then they would address the difficulty and make the product even better. I like that we are able to give input on product development.”

Lydon exclaims,

“What I love about Honorlock is that you folks are constantly making your product better. It’s a great product, and I’m really happy we switched.” 

By removing unnecessary barriers, eLuminate and Honorlock are not just helping food service professionals earn certifications—they are creating life-changing career opportunities. Learn more about how Honorlock can do the same for your organization.

Want to see how Honorlock works?
Reach out to our team to schedule a demo.

UC Davis Selects Honorlock to Improve Its Online Testing Experience

The University of California Davis affirms Honorlock’s online proctoring service is the best solution for its faculty and students.

BOCA RATON, Fla. (Oct. 22, 2024) – Honorlock, a cloud-based proctoring solution that is transforming how education institutions protect the academic integrity of assessments, has been awarded a contract by the University of California Davis, a top 25 ranked tier one public research university serving nearly 40,000 students in California.

UC Davis has grown its virtual course offerings, or V Courses, this past year, supporting several key initiatives around equity and student success. These fully online courses are available to students at UC Davis and at any of nine campuses across the state of California. 

In early 2024, UC Davis began searching for a new proctoring solution to meet their stringent data security and privacy requirements for their online course program. “We have a very thorough and rigorous process to vet potential partners and Honorlock met every requirement, provided every necessary document, and answered all of our questions in a timely manner,” said Steve Faith Educational Technology Service Manager, UC Davis.  

In addition to meeting data security and privacy requirements, UC Davis selected Honorlock because it frees their students and instructors from the burden of scheduled exams.  Instructors like that they can provide a two-hour window for an exam instead of working through multiple windows to ensure proctors are appropriately staffed.  Students appreciate the freedom from scheduling, missing, and rescheduling exam appointments. Additionally, the Canvas integration is seamless, it’s easy to use, and configuring proctored exams is simple.

“It has gone exceedingly well,” Faith reflected.  “The transition for our faculty was like butter, and many of them reported that it was so uncomplicated and easy to use and administer compared to our previous proctoring solutions.  The folks at Honorlock have been really great on the support side, and have eagerly and quickly addressed all of our implementation questions as well as eagerly providing training for our faculty. It has been a great experience and Honorlock is a model vendor. They provide personalized attention.”

“Our team was delighted to work closely with the UC Davis teams and show them how Honorlock was the right fit to not only meet their data security and privacy requirements but also scalable as their online offerings grow,” said Michael Hemlepp, CEO of Honorlock. “Our approach to online proctoring is to do what’s good for the institution and good for the learner.”

About Honorlock

Honorlock protects exam integrity for higher education institutions and professional credentialing organizations by combining human proctors with AI to deliver scalable, on-demand proctoring. Honorlock delivers secure assessments while supporting test takers and empowering them with the flexibility and convenience of taking their online proctored exams without scheduling whenever they feel ready.

Media Contacts

Heidi Murphy
PR for Honorlock
Heidi.Murphy@PadillaCo.com

Honorlock Helps Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice Renew ANAB Accreditation of Certification Program

Honorlock selected to deliver ANAB accredited national certification exam 

BOCA RATON, Fla. (Sept. 24, 2024) – Remote proctoring company Honorlock played a key role in helping the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP) renew its ongoing accreditation with the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) for its Certified Lactation Counselor® (CLC®) program under the ISO/IEC 17024 standard.

ALPP is a non-profit organization that offers professional certifications in breastfeeding and human lactation for nurses, physicians, dietitians, WIC personnel, peer counselors, independent lactation counselors and others. Individuals who earn their CLC certification are recognized as professional lactation support providers. This designation helps families looking for professional resources easily identify individuals with advanced training. More than 3,500 individuals take the CLC® examination every year.

In 2024, ALPP set out to renew its ongoing accreditation with ANAB for its CLC program, which ALPP has maintained since 2013. As part of accreditation, companies must prove that exams conform to professional standards and demonstrate validity. Delivering the CLC examination through Honorlock helped ALPP ensure test validity, reduce test interference and meet the standards set by the accreditation board. Accreditation, which is voluntary, indicates an exemplary level of credibility, integrity and trust.

“The dedicated and accessible Honorlock team listened to our needs and translated them into specific product requirements. They delivered features such as “Pro Mode” that exactly met our unique requirements to satisfy ANAB’s ISO/IEC 17024 standard,” said Ellie Mulpeter, Director, ALPP. “We appreciate the true partnership we have with Honorlock.”

“ALPP is the first ANAB-accredited certification provider to deliver its exams through Honorlock. This gives professionals looking to become certified a highly accessible channel through which they can take their proctored exam at any time, online, with no scheduling required and 24/7/365 support,” said Michael Hemlepp, CEO of Honorlock. “We’re proud to have played an important part in the re-accreditation of this program.”

About Honorlock

Honorlock protects exam integrity for academic institutions and professional credentialing organizations using a combination of its live exam proctors and automated proctoring platform to deliver scalable, on-demand proctoring.

With Honorlock, organizations can deliver secured exams from anywhere while empowering test takers to do their best work with the flexibility of taking their proctored exams without scheduling.

For more information visit www.honorlock.com.

Media Contacts

Heidi Murphy
PR for Honorlock
Heidi.Murphy@PadillaCo.com

Finding the Right Remote Proctoring Approach for Professional Education

In today’s rapidly changing Industry 4.0 world, professional education plays an increasingly important role in preparing the workforce for the demands of this next phase of the industrial revolution and providing a pathway to career progression and skill-set advancement.  To maximize the impact on workforce readiness and opportunities for upskilling, professional education must be flexible, convenient, and affordable. The same holds true for validating the newly acquired skills of candidates.

Shifting from in-person to remote proctoring

Historically, professional education, certification, and licensure programs have relied on traditional face-to-face proctoring in a brick-and-mortar setting, often in physical testing centers. 

The pandemic prompted the need to experiment with remote proctoring, also called online proctoring, which uses software and/or live remote proctors to:

  • Record and monitor test takers’ behavior
  • Verify identity
  • Protect test content
  • Prevent cheating

Different types of proctoring

There are several different types of remote proctoring, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.​

Browser lockdown software

While this entry-level proctoring software helps prevent access to other browsers and keyboard shortcuts and is relatively cheap, it doesn’t really prevent cheating since test takers can still use their cell phones and other resources during the exam.

AI remote proctoring

Uses artificial intelligence to monitor remote exams, with no human oversight, which can negatively impact the experiences of test takers and exam administrators. For example, when the AI proctoring software uses sound detection (not voice detection) if a test taker sneezes, the AI flags the noise and could even kick them out of the proctored test. 

For sound detection alone, imagine how many unimportant noises (coughing, tapping the desk, dog barking) could be flagged during tests that exam administrators must review afterward. Navigating through a tremendous amount of false flags is the greatest complaint about AI-based proctoring solutions.

Live remote proctoring

A live remote proctor monitors one or more test takers at once. Typically, this format is the most expensive, but not always the most effective as proctors may watch as many as 10 or 12 test takers simultaneously. For test takers, being watched can be distracting and stressful (and creepy).

Additionally, exam scheduling can be challenging for test takers in this format.

Additional live proctoring pitfalls in professional education

Traditionally, professional education programs relied on live, remote proctors. These providers boast low proctor-to-test taker ratios but ignore their shortcomings, such as low efficacy, inconvenience, rigidity, and high costs.

This preference has resulted challenges for certification and licensure proctoring, such as failure to launch, exam scheduling and rescheduling issues, and human error.

Failure to launch exams

A quick scan of Reddit or a Google search uncovers many “Failure to Launch” and “Human Error” examples documented in articles and reviews and surfacing within online discussion threads.

We have uncovered horror stories from candidates whose remotely proctored exams failed to initiate and who had trouble reaching support or a timely resolution. Test takers often report that proctors do not show up for the scheduled examination time or disappear after a break, leaving the candidate high and dry. They face the difficulty of rescheduling their exams, bearing the burden of a rescheduling fee, through no fault of their own. 

Human error

When test takers are lucky enough for the proctor to show up and for the exam to launch successfully, certification programs suffer from the limited efficacy of live proctors, who are subject to natural fallibility, which may result in failed accreditation audits, hefty fines, and/or bad press for organizations after the proctors miss violations and fail to protect the integrity of the certification or licensure assessment.

Honorlock’s smarter proctoring approach

The perfect blend of live proctoring & AI

In contrast to other online proctoring services, Honorlock provides the perfect blend of live human proctors augmented by artificial intelligence

Instead of over-relying on our live proctors, Honorlock’s unique best-of-both-worlds approach bolsters their efficacy and responsiveness. Strengthening our live proctors with smart technologies elevates efficacy while reducing costs, resulting in a scalable and highly effective live proctoring solution. 

Our new “Pro Mode” further blends the concept of a live human proctor and AI, creating a unique, symbiotic relationship. This symbiosis makes possible the real-time feedback and real-time intervention, based on human decision-making, that professional education programs need. 

To follow best practices and meet or exceed the high standards of accrediting bodies, your proctoring solution must recognize and respond to infractions immediately, such as:

  • Having prohibited devices, notes, or tools in the workspace
  • Wearing headphones or a smartwatch when not permitted
  • Moving one’s face out of the frame or looking down at notes 
  • Appearing to have or use a phone

Flawless execution simply isn’t possible with human proctors alone.

On-demand live proctoring & support

Honorlock’s unique approach frees online test takers from the burden of scheduling (and rescheduling) proctored online exams. Our live test proctors and support team are available 24/7/365 so participants can take their exams when and where is most convenient and beneficial for them, without introducing obstacles such as driving, traffic, parking, waiting, or unexpected delays.

Intentionally different proctoring with a truly unique approach

No other remote proctoring service innovates and improves the online assessment experience by leveraging the best of both worlds—humanity combined with the power of our highly trained and responsive AI.

Schedule a demo with Honorlock

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