This guide will walk you through the essential steps for setting up and managing your proctored exams in Canvas using SmarterProctoring.

Key Benefits for Your Course

  • Secure Canvas Integration: Access SmarterProctoring directly from your Canvas course menu for a simple, streamlined setup.
  • Quick & Proctored Exam Import: Easily import your Canvas quiz details into a locked, secure testing environment.
  • Automatic Roster Sync: Student rosters update automatically, ensuring accurate and secure access control.
  • Live Proctoring for Maximum Security: Every session is monitored by a live proctor through the student's screen, preventing cheating and ensuring academic integrity.
  • Comprehensive Monitoring & Reporting: Review live session recordings, flagged incidents, and detailed reports from your dashboard for complete oversight.

Access SmarterProctoring

Add the SmarterProctoring option to your Canvas Navigation links from the list of available applications.

Faculty Training

Getting Started in Your Canvas Page

  1. Log in to your Canvas account: Go to your Canvas login page and login with your credentials.
  2. Navigate to your course: From your Canvas dashboard, select the course for which you want to set up proctored exams.
  3. Access SmarterProctoring: In your course navigation menu (the left-hand sidebar), click on the SmarterProctoring link
  4. First-Time Access: The first time you click this link, you may be prompted to Authorize the application. Click Authorize and then complete any brief registration steps. Agree to the terms of use and click Submit.


Set Up Your Exam for Online Proctoring

Important: SmarterProctoring works best when you've already created your exam in Canvas. The following steps should be completed in your Canvas Quiz settings before you copy and import the exam into SmarterProctoring.

Prepare Your Canvas Exam

Before importing, ensure your Canvas "Classic" Quiz has the following settings: Click Edit to open the Quiz settings.

Selecting the Edit button on a quiz to access the Quiz settings in Canvas

  • Time Limit: Your Canvas Quiz must have a time limit.
    Setting a time limit for a Canvas Quiz
  • Multiple Attempts: Your Canvas Quiz must have "Allow Multiple Attempts" selected, even if you only want to allow one attempt. For one attempt, enter 1 in the box.
    Setting Multiple Attempts to 1 in Canvas Quiz settings
  • Access Code and IP Address: Your Canvas Quiz must require an access code. This is critical for security. Deselect the "Filter IP Addresses"option and confirm the settings match the example shown below.
    • Important: Never distribute the password to students. SmarterProctoring handles it automatically.
      Quiz Restrictions interface in Canvas providing settings for access code and IP address filtering
  • Assign To: The section is directly below the access code settings, and the Quiz must be assigned to "Everyone."
  • Availability Dates: Enter the start and end dates for your Exam window as you normally would in Canvas.

Import Your Exam Into SmarterProctoring

  1. Navigate to the SmarterProctoring dashboard on the left-hand side of the Canvas course menu.
    Locating SmarterProctoring in the Canvas course menu
  2. Click Import Exam. If you've used SmarterProctoring before, select New Exam from the top-left menu instead.
  3. Select the relevant quiz from your Canvas course dropdown. This will pull over the exam name, duration, and the password you set.
    Selecting a quiz to import into SmarterProctoring
  4. Click Import Exam.

Note: Any future edits to the exam name, duration, or password must be done in the Canvas exam first, as SmarterProctoring will sync with Canvas.

Exam Settings in SmarterProctoring

To complete the import process into SmarterProctoring, please review and confirm that the following critical details have been configured correctly within the exam settings.

  1. On the Exam Details page, complete all required sections accurately. Then, select Scheduling Window and enter the time frame for students to schedule their exams.
  2. On the Permitted Items page, select any items you want to allow or prohibit for this online proctored exam.
  3. On the Notes page, you can add student notes and proctor notes for the SmarterProctoring staff member monitoring the exam.
  4. On the Proctor Settings page, select "Automated Online Proctoring" or "Automated Online Proctoring with Review" (do not choose both). For Automated, the teacher reviews the recordings/flags, for the option with Review, SmarterProctoring assigns one of their team members to review the recording/flags first. "Institution Testing Center" is always available for accessibility purposes. To use the institution testing center, teachers must submit a cover sheet to the Learning Commons.
  5. Choose from Custom settings, Strict, or Lenient depending on your requirements. Then you can modify any further Recording Options and/or Lock Down Options as preferred/needed.
  6. Once you've reviewed and confirmed that all exam settings are accurate, click Confirm on the bottom-right of the confirmation page.

Approved Accommodations and Exclusions

If a student requires accommodation such as extended time, or any other from of exception, the accommodation must be added to both SmarterProctoring and Canvas before scheduling their appoint. As SmarterProctoring charges by duration, please note that students will not be charged extra for additional time granted due to approved accommodation.

  1. In SmarterProctoring:
    1. From your exam dashboard, click View Exam in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
      View Exam button at the bottom-right of the SmarterProctoring dashboard
    2. Scroll down and locate the student in the roster.
    3. In the Select Action dropdown next to their name, choose Add Accommodation and configure the details.
      Adding an accommodation for a specific student from the Select action dropdown on the student roster
    4. Now you can edit the Exam Details of the student according to their official accommodations or exceptions, including duration/exam length.
      Editing student-specific exam duration for accommodations
    5. Next, you can edit allowed attempts and the length of the scheduling window.
      Edit the scheduling window of the exam
    6. If a student missed the original sign-up period or needs to reschedule, you can extend the scheduling timeframe in SmarterProctoring--even beyond the original exam dates (e.g., for makeup exams)--without adjusting the overall exam settings.
      Adjusting the scheduling window for individual student exceptions
    7. You can also edit the permitted or non-permitted items/actions.
      Editing permitted items for a specific student, including bathroom breaks
    8. If no further changes are needed, click Continue to complete the remaining sections--Student Notes, Proctor Settings (be sure to deselect "Verify ID" and "Room Scan" if needed), and Final Confirmation.
  2. In Canvas:
    1. Use the Moderate Quiz feature to apply the same accommodation (e.g., extra time) to your Canvas quiz.

Monitoring and Reviewing

  • View Exam Dashboard: From the SmarterProctoring section in Canvas, click View Exam to see your roster and each student's proctoring action (e.g., "Assign Proctor," "Locate Proctor," "Add Accommodation").
  • Reviewing Proctoring Sessions: For completed sessions, you can review recordings and flagged incidents. Go to the student's completed session on your dashboard and look for View Session Details or Review Recording.

Impersonate Student View

Seeing the SmarterProctoring interface from a student's perspective:

  1. From your exam dashboard, click View Exam.
  2. Choose any student from the roster.
  3. From the Action dropdown, select Impersonate Student.

Note: Canvas's built-in "Student View" does not fully replicate the SmarterProctoring experience. Use the "Impersonate Student" feature within SmarterProctoring for an accurate view.

Making Changes to an Exam

From your My Exams dashboard, click Edit exam to modify settings.

Caution: Avoid editing exam details once students have begun scheduling exam appointments as it will force students to reschedule and may require additional attempt accommodations if they have already started the exam.

When making changes to exam details like name, duration, or password, remember to make those changes in Canvas first. Then update the details in SmarterProctoring and add attempts for students as needed.

Help Services and Support

  • Practice makes perfect!: All courses using online proctoring tools need to have a low-stakes or no-stakes Practice Quiz/Exam so students can practice connecting to the proctoring service prior to any real proctored exams. It is recommended to give practice quizzes lot of extra attempts and a large time restrictions during set up, so students have time to work though any issues they face.
  • Early Communication: Announce proctoring requirements and instructions in your Canvas course site well before the exam, consider adding language about requirements to your syllabus.
  • Encourage Scheduling: Remind students frequently to schedule their appointments early! 
  • Utilize Support: SmarterProctoring offers 24/7 chat and email support directly from their dashboard. Click the Help on the dashboard or the Support icon at the top of your page during an exam for live help (cog wheel button).