For conducting the final year university exams, colleges in Mumbai will rely on motion-sensitive technology and tested paper setting methods to prevent cheating. The University of Mumbai has decided on a home-based online multiple-choice question format for the exams and has suggested the use of proctoring to remotely invigilate one-hour papers of 50 marks each.

Thakur College in Kandivali will use an artificial intelligence-based software that can capture students’ head movements at regular intervals. Principal Dr CT Chakraborty said, “Students have to keep their device camera on during the exam. Even if they so much as look at a book on the side or a person in the same room, or if there is another person in the frame, the software can capture the activity. Some amount of leeway in movements will be accommodated, but if it happens too often, a student can be logged out of the exam portal.”

Another city college principal, who did not wish to be named, said his institution will use similar technology adding that while colleges have the option of capturing videos and photographs, most are expected to opt for the latter as video software will require higher bandwidths. He said, “The software also keeps track of notifications on the phone. However, we have to be cautious about it as notifications can also be genuine, such as if the phone battery is low or the internet connectivity snaps.”

Meanwhile, Jai Hind College, which can set its own exam since it’s an autonomous institution, has already had some experience with conducting online exams. “Our continuous assessments have been conducted online and students are used to the pattern. While we keep the questions the same, the order of the questions and the answers is mixed up. So, students do not have the same sequence of questions and multiple choices. Secondly, once they log into the platform, their internet connection is blocked and they complete the exam in an offline mode. Indulging in unfair means is not going to be so easy,” said principal Ashok Wadia.

The university has told colleges to prepare a set of 250 questions per subject and each exam will comprise of 25-40 questions and students will be given choices in the number of questions to be attempted.

Source: Mumbai Mirror

Read: UGC to Supreme Court: Final year exams can be postponed, not cancelled