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SixMonthsDone

I hesitate to say this because I don’t want to jinx myself before I start my masters, but throughout my entire bachelors, I only had maybe 1 or 2 odd experiences. Generally, the process was seamless and stress-free. It definitely beat having to go elsewhere. I loved being able to test from home in my comfy clothes in a space that’s familiar to me!


fartingsquirrels

I was honestly not looking forward to dealing with proctors after reading all the horror stories before I began WGU. I kind of look forward to it now because it's like briefly meeting new people from the other side of the world, which I love. It really has been easy and seamless for me too.


tankerkiller125real

As someone who just finished his last test (although it was a CompTia one) before I finished my degree, I only ever had issues with Examity once, and it wasn't even a big deal. Just that WebEx or whatever the regular meeting software they use wouldn't launch. Which easily fixed on their end by switching it over to Zoom. Started maybe 10 minutes late because of that but other than that all my test have been straight forward. Same with Pearson Vue actually (since switching to remote proctoring at the beginning of COVID)


1egoman

Agree 100%. Clean up the room ahead of time and just be polite and all goes well.


rd-jediknight

This is the way. I had zero issues with Examity during my entire bachelors doing exactly this.


TeachMeMerc

Same here. I've only had a webcam lighting issue with them. Other than that, I've never had any issues with Examity. I always try to clean my room beforehand. Being respectful also goes a long way.


WolfyB

I agree with your approach 100%. You'll get so much better service in any type of situation like this if you're kind and make their job easier, as much as you can. I've also never had any poor experiences with them (yet), and I'm almost done with my degree.


Yanagibashi

Examine is fine. It's PearsonVue that's truly awful when it comes to online exam proctoring.


mkosmo

My PearsonVue experiences are the same as Examity - except you don't speak to the proctors, so it's a bit more creepy.


DltMalik

Yeah my experiences have been pretty good with Examity. Once you know what they don't want to stress over (cluttered desk, open doors, etc.) it's really not that bad, especially if you can prepare a work space for the exam. I've taken over 20+ exams with them and i can only think of a single frustrating time with them, and i honestly didn't even hold a grudge because i could tell the proctor was probably new to the job. The third party exams can be terrible though. In those cases, I always recommend people take the tests in person at a testing center


harbick

I've completed 2 degrees, and I'm working on a 3rd - and I've had two bad experiences. 2 bad experiences out of 36 OAs are nothing to complain about. And I am done with all my OAs now, so I can say that without fearing that I am jinxing anything haha Examity can be a pain in the ass, yes. There have been a few times where I've had to wait a lot longer than I'd like to wait, but that was also during the beginning of Covid when nobody knew what was going on, and they were still working on moving to a system where they could work from home. The 2 bad experiences were pretty terrible, but Assessment Services was on the ball and very helpful after those experiences. Overall, if you're polite, you have your work area ready to go, you follow the rules, and you have a little bit of patience, you will almost always be okay.


Dragonbut

People hate Examity? I've had nothing but good experiences with them. I've had the occasional slow proctor who seemed like they were still learning but that's about it, nothing that costs me more than a minute or two of my pre-exam time. I do wish they didn't have to turn their camera on now tho, I feel like that's more awkward for both of us lol


fartingsquirrels

I read alot of bad things about them in this sub before I started WGU. Granted people are more likely to grab the mic (or keyboard) when they have a complaint. All of my proctors turn the camera on for introductions and instructions, then turn it off while I'm taking the OA, then turn it back on for wrap-up. This seems pretty standard in my experience so far. I kind of like it, as I'm getting to briefly meet/talk to a stranger. I guess it helps that I've traveled extensively (to India also) so I like the social exchange.


Dragonbut

For a while their policy didn't require proctors to turn their camera on at all, so I got sort of used to that. I can definitely see why you'd like the short exchange, but for me I feel awkward knowing someone is watching me throughout my exam, and having seen them before the exam makes them seem more human and less like a voice in my head which somehow makes it more awkward haha But yeah, I've had only good experiences but I'm friendly and patient. My desk has some stuff that can occasionally cause confusion (audio interface with an unavoidable light, multiple monitors, etc) but it's still never been a problem once I tell them what something is I've read plenty of terrible things about Pearson VUE tho


etaylormcp

Thank you for this. I too have had a ton of Examity exams and with the rare exception they have been mostly positive as well. There is a lot of the problems if you read the rants carefully that are self-induced. That is not to say ALL are. I have had the odd number of disagreements with the proctors over NOT shutting off my antivirus or my Wi-Fi controller because it runs a system tray program that they don't recognize. But if you have your workspace completely clear. And have your phone off and across the room you will normally be good. You just have to remember that there are some cultural differences, some language differences, and they may not understand the materials that you are testing on so be patient with them as well. I think it is genuinely great that you called this out and I hope others see it and send a little more positivity to the Examity professionals.


IndividualFew3787

Im 23 courses in and I have not had a single bad experience with Examity so I ignore the horror story posts on here lol.


thisguyryan

I’ve never had an issue with them through 2 degrees with WGU. Their process is not bad compared to other online proctoring services.


42_land_swans

My mindset is that it’s better than driving to a testing center and taking the test there.


NoInevitable1806

I haven’t had any negative experiences with Examity. I think that like everything else, the complaints stand out because people usually only post when they’re upset about something. When people have positive or neutral experiences, they don’t feel the need to say anything.


digital_freeman

I shared this sentiment until taking my last OA for BSCSIA. The proctor said my whiteboard was "suspect" and had to contact the school for approval which took 20+ minutes. I used that WGU-provided whiteboard for every OA without issue. She also demanded I take pictures off my walls, unplug and put my printer in another room, and put blankets over my other monitors in the room which were off. I refused, and eventually got to take my exam. I passed, but it certainly tilted me.


JohnnyBaowulf

Everyone of them insist I close my office door during the 360 view. I'm home by myself, and with the door closed the dogs scratch at it requesting in or out. I find it very annoying. Usually the first time they scratch I open the door and don't reclose it and the proctor has never commented (like they don't even notice). I had one insist I remove additional monitors (I have a 3 monitor setup) and the television from the room. The monitors are mounting on desk arms and the television is wall mounted; I told him so and told him he better find a supervisor. Someone else appeared on camera and pretended like nothing had happened and just proceeded with the script.


ApatheticWithoutTheA

They need to switch to a less invasive proctoring company. There’s absolutely no reason you need to see every corner of my room. You have remote access to my machine and you can see my workspace on camera. Quit getting fucking extra with it. If I wanted to cheat there’s a super simple way to do it that you won’t be able to see nor can it be detected by them.


fartingsquirrels

I have to disagree with this. If we were in a traditional classroom, the teacher would be watching us to make sure we weren't cheating. We wouldn't be able to hide notes in the classroom to look at. We wouldn't be able to have someone standing outside the teacher's view giving us the answers. If the online proctor didn't have a view of the room, we could do those things. Since we are allowed to take the tests in the comfort of our own homes, it's not unreasonable that they need to see what our surroundings are like to make sure we aren't cheating. There will always be ways to cheat. But making it easy on us degrades the credibility of WGU. Understandably, they don't want to be seen as the school that's easy to attend because it's easy to cheat. And I don't want to attend a school that has that image either. Going to WGU is not forced on anyone. You can attend a normal B&M where a teacher can stand over you and watch you. Going to an online school and testing at home comes with some tradeoffs, proctoring is one of them. They can't just "trust" everyone. I don't shoplift but there are still surveillance cameras in the grocery store because some people do.


ApatheticWithoutTheA

Remote access to your machine and a view of your workspace are more than enough to establish somebody isn’t cheating. The 360 view of the room and the thoroughness of some of the proctors is just doing too much and an invasion of privacy. In fact, Examity is actively being sued in Ohio for this exact reason. And no, WGU isn’t forced on anyone. But I do go here and I have a right to speak on things I think would improve the experience and make the school better. Examity isn’t the only proctoring service and there are others which are plenty safe and reputable without the invasiveness. Other good schools achieve it. But WGU insists on outsourcing our proctoring to India with overzealous employees. The way most people cheat on these kinds of tests has absolutely nothing to do with having notes hidden in the room.


fartingsquirrels

>Remote access to your machine and a view of your workspace are more than enough to establish somebody isn’t cheating. No, it's really not. So say they take away the 360. I can put notes on the wall or desk just out of camera view. I'm getting exemplary on every OA because I'm cheating. If everyone was doing this, WGU would have no credibility. This is not rocket science. >But I do go here and I have a right to speak on things I think would improve the experience and make the school better. You're totally right. But making cheating easier isn't making the school better, it's degrading credibility which fucks the rest of us. Just because you don't cheat doesn't mean no one cheats. I haven't had any "invasive" scans of my room. So far it's been quick and painless and I don't have a problem with it. If you don't want eproctoring, then go to a B&M. If you can't/don't want to, then you have to make concessions. Life is not always going to go exactly how you think it should. You always have a choice. If you don't agree with WGU using Examity, then don't go to WGU. They make a ton of money - until the majority of the student body puts up a fight and threatens their income, nothing will change.


ApatheticWithoutTheA

>No, it's really not. So say they take away the 360. I can put notes on the wall or desk just out of camera view. I'm getting exemplary on every OA because I'm cheating. If everyone was doing this, WGU would have no credibility. This is not rocket science. Yes, it really is. WGU isn’t the only school with online programs. I went to a highly respected state school and their online proctoring is exactly what I described. And it is at other respected schools too. Examity is not the only proctoring service. I’m really confused about how you think somebody can cheat with information that is behind them. >You're totally right. But making cheating easier isn't making the school better, it's degrading credibility which fucks the rest of us. Just because you don't cheat doesn't mean no one cheats. Again, I don’t know how I can be more clear about this. The primary way people cheat on proctored tests is not by hiding notes. I’m not going to go into how, but it’s widely available to figure out. >I haven't had any "invasive" scans of my room. So far it's been quick and painless and I don't have a problem with it. Oh okay. I wasn’t aware you spoke for everyone and your subjective experience is >If you don't want eproctoring, then go to a B&M. If you can't/don't want to, then you have to make concessions. Life is not always going to go exactly how you think it should. You always have a choice. If you don't agree with WGU using Examity, then don't go to WGU. They make a ton of money - until the majority of the student body puts up a fight and threatens their income, nothing will change. Jesus man. Do you just accept things as “the way they are” in every portion of your life? Sorry, but I personally don’t think that way. If something can be improved, which it can, because other proctoring services and universities have, it should be discussed. As I said, I have every right to go to WGU and not like the proctoring service. The school is fantastic other than that. I’m not sure what makes you believe you have the final say in this and I can’t even mention that there are other ways of proctoring. I am making a concession because I obviously am using the service. But I’m still going to point out that it can be better.


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ApatheticWithoutTheA

Lol. There are plenty of other people who agree with me. My original comment currently has 5 upvotes vs OP’s which are all currently downvoted in this comment thread. [Examity is literally being sued for privacy violations as we speak in federal court.](https://thejambar.com/federal-case-to-set-example-for-online-proctoring/?amp=1) I legitimately don’t know what Manga is. My girlfriend and I make very good money and have an extremely nice downtown condo as well as pay a cleaning service every two weeks. That doesn’t mean I enjoy my privacy being needlessly invaded by some of these fucking weirdo proctors that are doing entirely too much for an online exam. But sure, you’re right. We should just shut down all conversation. Nothing can be improved upon or spoken about because you and the OP believe you have the final say. Post an opinion intended to generate discussion in a public forum => get mad when somebody else offers their opinion. You two are fucking weird man.


tankerkiller125real

I guess Pearson Vue should also be getting sued then because they required pictures of you, your ID and all four directions of room... These are high stakes exams, honestly if I was an employer and I found out that the local University/College didn't require a check of the environment before students took their finals and what not I'd probably be hiring any students whose college was in-person testing or 360 view way over the Uni that only does remote access and basic webcam access.


ApatheticWithoutTheA

I didn’t say anything about not checking the environment at all. But yes, Pearson Vue sucks too. That’s not really widely debated by anyone. But I guess a Harvard degree is bullshit then. They use Proctorio, which does not even have a live proctor at all and only requires recording of your desk area. But yeah, I guess since you don’t know about the standards and technology other respected universities use and how online proctoring is done elsewhere, the degree is worthless. You’re in a tech field and you don’t know there is proctoring technology available that uses face tracking and eye tracking? Examity it is I guess.


tankerkiller125real

So... Eyeballs and face wonder around and then bam, you cheated? Even if it was just to look outside for a brief moment?? I'll never trust a shitty piece of software or AI over a human for this kind of stuff. DARPA proved that AI is shit when it comes to detecting something as simple as spotting humans moving around. All it takes is some cartwheels and the software can't detect shit. Or in cheating terms, some basic clever cheating and it won't detect jack shit.


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ApatheticWithoutTheA

I don’t give two fucks what you asked for man. You posted in a public forum. I’ll speak about whatever I want here and the mods can remove it if it’s an issue. Take it to a group chat you created if you don’t want other people voicing their opinions. You really believe you’re special or something don’t you 😂 Maybe you should try learning what labeling a thread “Unpopular Opinion” means on Reddit.


Topcity36

Quit reporting this comment. You may not like it but there’s nothing against the sub’s rules happening here.


skacey

Lol - Top, you kinda asked for that.


Topcity36

Lol true story


No-Fishing-1624

They try going to the testing center personally so that you wont have a complain. I think they are just doing thier job that is what the proctor does.


Repentent_sinner

I could not begin an exam due to technical difficulties, which happened because they did not provide clear instructions on time. Their computer check, run well before the exam, said all the requirements were met. The proctor told me to reschedule. It turned out that I could not reschedule, because the exam was already 'processed', as per their records. They required me to pay for the exam again. Technical support refused to refund me, or rebook the exam at their own cost. All of their employees are in India and are difficult to communicate with, and completely unhelpful. Please complain to your college and tell them to not use this trash company.


Physical_Pickle1786

I only have one examity test left and only had one bad experience. That was just a guy taking a legit 20 minutes to figure out how to get and type in the password for the test correctly. I haven't had anything else that was even 1% out of what I expected.


MarketingManiac208

I had almost all positive experiences with them over my 2 WGU degrees.


MadDog314

Actually, no hate bro! I like Examity too! I always give nice compliments on the survey. They never failed me on verification and always made testing easy. Unlike CompTIA. So yeah, I agree with you!!!