School examinations in the containment Review: when telemonitoring is debated

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Schools closed, some exams will be organized at health home. To fight against cheating, the use of specialized apps could become widespread, which worries students concerned about respecting their privacy.

In exceptional situations, exceptional measures. Jean-Michel Blanquer announced it: the progress of the major national exams will be turned upside down with the cancellation of the final tests of the patent, the baccalaureate and the BTS, in favor of assessments based on the booklet (cf. government FAQ).

However, certain partial exams, admission exams and other competitions will be maintained. To organize them, and to ensure that the students do not cheat during the completion of the requested work – necessarily carried out at health home -, the deployment of anti-fraud solutions is being considered, which is not without posing delicate privacy issues.

Valentin Hamon-Beugin, journalist at Figaro, bring investigation and cites several software for securing remote exams that have existed for several years and whose demand is exploding, such as TestWe or Mereos.

Students filmed and listened to

Their operation, adapted to the concept of remote examination AND at health home, provides for the use of the webcam to monitoring students. When the exam starts, TestWe asks the student to take a picture with his student card to prove his identity, then the software blocks everything on the computer and takes several photos per minute. In the end, a film is created and the examiners can check in fast motion that there was no cheating.

The Mereos software goes even further by filming (with sound) the student during his exam, after asking him to present his work environment in 360 °. An algorithm has even been developed to identify the most common fraud cases.

Credible diplomas

Inevitably, this incursion into their private life worries the students. Those from Paris Descartes University are waiting to see if software of this type will be imposed for their next exams. A third-year law student explains to Figaro : “What I dislike about this system is that it is very intrusive and disrespectful of human rights. We feel like we are in a police state within our university. " Another adds: “On the form, it seems completely insane. We are dealing with real spyware. ”

For the time being, no major French university has confirmed that software of this kind will be used, but certain presidents of the establishment insistently mention this possibility, in a major crisis to help students validate credible diplomas.

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In the private sector, these solutions are already used, and according to their creators, the feedback from students is particularly positive: very good evaluation of the tools, few calls from students, strict adherence to the principles of the GDPR. We will have to see if, in the coming weeks, when schools could remain closed for a while, the use of these health home exam solutions will increase.

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