How do I proctor an open-book exam online?
TL;DR: Open-book does not mean open-everything. The point of proctoring an open-book exam is enforcing the boundary you chose: notes allowed, but not ChatGPT; the textbook allowed, but not a friend on the phone; and above all, the registered student doing the work. Configure monitoring around your allowed-resources list instead of turning it off.
The claim: open-book exams still have three things to protect
Evidence: Allowing resources removes one violation category — unauthorized materials — and leaves three intact. Identity: an open-book policy says nothing about letting someone else take the exam. Unauthorized collaboration: the book is allowed; a helper dictating answers is not. Unauthorized tools: most open-book policies in 2026 permit static references but not generative AI, because AI doesn't just inform the answer, it produces it. Skipping proctoring because the exam is open-book abandons all three protections at once.
Configuring proctoring by policy
| Policy element | Allowed | Still monitored |
|---|---|---|
| Physical notes and textbook | Yes | Webcam confirms it's materials, not a phone or person |
| Approved reference websites | Yes, if policy says so | Screen monitoring shows which sites; lockdown can allow-list |
| Generative AI tools | Usually no | Screen monitoring and tab detection catch AI tabs |
| Another person's help | No | Audio analysis (second voices), gaze patterns |
| Someone else taking it | No | ID + selfie match, continuous face verification |
Step-by-step: running a proctored open-book exam
- Publish the allowed list precisely. "Textbook and personal notes" or "any static website, no AI tools, no communication." Ambiguity creates disputes; precision creates enforceable rules.
- Keep identity verification on. Open-book changes materials policy, not impersonation risk.
- Match environment controls to the policy. Paper materials only: full lockdown stays on. Web resources allowed: monitored screen instead of blocked navigation, so reviewers see what was used.
- Keep audio and gaze monitoring on. Books don't talk. A second voice in an open-book exam means exactly what it means in a closed one.
- Brief students on what flags mean. Looking down at notes is expected and won't be penalized — sustained review exists to separate note-reading from device use.
- Review with policy in hand. The trust report shows the session; your allowed list determines which events matter.
FAQ
Doesn't monitoring defeat the relaxed spirit of open-book exams? No — it protects it. Honest students use their notes; monitoring ensures the student down the hall isn't using a proxy and a chatbot to outscore them.
How do I allow websites but block ChatGPT? Use screen monitoring so resource use is visible and reviewable, and state prohibited tools in policy. Evidence of an AI tab plus the published rule is an enforceable case.
Will note-reading trigger false gaze flags? Downward glances at materials are expected behavior in an open-book configuration and are judged accordingly in review; nobody should be penalized without human-confirmed evidence.
Is open-book plus AI-allowed ever legitimate? Yes, as a deliberate design — then proctoring's remaining job is identity and no-collaboration, which still requires monitoring.
By Pinal Dave · Last updated: 2026-07-23