How to Complete Proctored Exams
Every Chipola course includes at least one proctored exam or component. Your instructor decides where you’ll take it — in class, at a Testing Center, or in a quiet location conducive for online testing using Honorlock. Here’s exactly what to expect for proctored exams taken outside of class.
College Testing Center
Your instructor requires an in-person, proctored setting on campus or at another approved location.
See Testing Center details ↓ Option 2Online with Honorlock
Your instructor allows remote testing using webcam-based proctoring software — from home or from a designated Honorlock testing area in the college library.
See Honorlock walkthrough ↓Check your course in Canvas to confirm which option your instructor has assigned for each exam.
College Testing Center
If your instructor requires you to complete proctored exams in the college Testing Center, visit the Testing Center page for hours, location, and what to bring.
Online Testing Using Honorlock
Honorlock lets you complete a proctored exam in a quiet location conducive for online testing — whether that’s home, if you have reliable internet and the right hardware, or one of the designated Honorlock testing areas in the college library. Using it means agreeing to the Chipola College Academic Honor Code and the Online Testing Requirements below.
Devices & Access
- Use a desktop or laptop computer — the Canvas Student App and mobile devices (phones, iPads, tablets) are not supported for Honorlock exams.
- You’ll need reliable internet access and to meet the hardware/software requirements below.
- Prefer not to test at home? The Chipola library has designated Honorlock testing areas with webcams, set apart from the open lab area. Ask library staff when you arrive. See Library Hours (opens in new tab).
Online Testing Requirements
The online testing environment and testing area should mimic that of the “in class” testing environment. Online Testing includes the following requirements:
Your Space
- No writing visible on desk or on walls.
- Make sure music/televisions are not playing in the background.
- No other persons except the test-taker should be in the room during testing.
- Sit at a clean desk or table (not on a bed or couch).
- Lighting in the room must be bright enough to be considered “daylight” quality. Overhead lighting is preferred; however, if overhead is not possible, the source of light should not be behind the student.
- Ensure your desk or table is cleared of all other materials.
Your Setup
- No websites other than Canvas and the Honorlock proctoring extension should be used or open while taking a proctored exam.
- Close all other programs and/or windows on the testing computer prior to logging into the proctored test environment.
- Using a phone or any other electronic device, other than your test-taking device, is not permitted.
- Headphones or smart watches are not permitted.
- Dual monitors are not permitted.
- Caps/hats are not permitted.
- Textbooks, notes, etc. are not permitted unless clearly stated in the testing instructions provided at the beginning of the exam.
- Make sure your laptop is fully charged, or keep the charger within arm’s reach.
Photo ID & Workspace Check
- When prompted to provide a photo ID, make sure your fingers do not cover any information on the ID. Photo capture of the photo ID must be clearly legible, and photo must clearly represent the student taking the exam.
- When prompted to do a room scan, be sure to carefully include your desk/work area in your scan. Make sure to do a complete 360-degree rotation of your room, then show your work space. Replay your room scan for verification. Partial scans and/or failure to show your work space may be flagged during the proctoring review and may result in a zero (0) grade on the exam.
- If prompted to submit a workspace photo, use your mobile device to scan the QR code provided, rotate your device to take a landscape-style photo, take several steps back from your workspace to capture as much as possible, and follow the directions that appear on your mobile device to capture and submit the photo.
During the Exam
- Communication or receiving assistance from others is not permitted during a proctored assessment.
- Remain visible in the web camera during the entire duration of the exam.
- Leaving the room during the testing period is not permitted.
- You must not take the computer into another room to finish testing (exam must be completed in the same room the “Exam Environment View” is completed in).
- Unless your instructor allows notes, textbook or other materials, keep your eyes on your screen, not focused on any other area of the desk or room.
Students should also consult their course in Canvas for any additional proctored testing requirements required by their instructor.
How to Take a Proctored Exam with Honorlock
Four checkpoints, start to finish. Open each step for the full instructions.
Prep your machine
Verify system requirements, install the extension, remove other Chrome add-ons.
Verify your ID
Open the exam in Canvas, launch proctoring, photograph yourself and your ID.
Workspace check
360° room scan OR photo of workspace — reviewed before your exam unlocks.
Take the exam
Stay on camera, eyes on screen, and follow the Online Testing Requirements.
Step 1 — Immediately before your exam
Review the Online Testing Requirements above — a poor room scan alone can result in a 0 on the exam. You’ll need:
- Government-issued photo ID (or Chipola student photo ID)
- A working camera and microphone
- Stable internet connection
- A table or desk in a quiet environment
Chrome extensions: Honorlock requires Google Chrome, and the Honorlock extension should be the only extension enabled unless your instructor says otherwise. To check:
- Open Chrome, click the three dots (top right) → Extensions → Manage Extensions.
- Remove everything listed except Honorlock.
- Close and reopen Chrome.
To install the Honorlock extension, visit honorlock.com/extension/install (opens in new tab). Having trouble? See Troubleshooting the Honorlock Extension (opens in new tab).
Taking a 3rd-party exam (MyLab, Lumen, McGraw-Hill Connect, SAM) through Honorlock? See Taking a 3rd Party Exam Using Honorlock (opens in new tab).
Step 2 — Launch your exam and verify your identification
Open Chrome, log into Canvas, go to your course, and click your exam. Selecting Launch Proctoring starts authentication: you’ll photograph yourself and your ID. From there, Honorlock records your webcam and screen for the session, and its integrity algorithm can detect search-engine use — so don’t attempt to look up answers, even on another device.
If you’re prompted for an access code, check these first:
- Confirm you’re on a laptop or desktop with webcam and microphone — not a phone, tablet, or iPad.
- Confirm Chrome is current using Honorlock System Check (opens in new tab), agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Notice, then install the extension from the Extension page and try again.
- Still stuck? Notify your instructor.
Step 3 — Complete the Workspace Check
This is the step most likely to trip students up.
Your workspace must be a desk or table.
If prompted to complete a room scan, your scan needs to show, in one slow, continuous 360° pan:
- Every wall, the floor, and behind your desk if it’s an open area
- Your entire desk/table surface and your lap
- No other people, electronics, books, notes, or posters in view
- Your phone powered off and set away from the testing area
If your instructor allows notes or a textbook, show and briefly explain them during the scan. Watch the replay before continuing — if anything’s missing, re-record it. A rushed or partial scan is one of the most common reasons students lose credit.
Watch: Honorlock Room Scan Example (video opens in new tab)
If prompted to take a workspace photo, step back from your workspace and take a landscape photo to capture as much of your workspace as possible. Here is a link to an example of the Honorlock Workspace Scan (opens in new tab).
Step 4 — Take your exam
Follow the on-screen prompts until your exam appears, then stay in front of your webcam and keep your eyes on your monitor (unless notes are permitted). Everything from the Online Testing Requirements above still applies for the full exam.
Testing on Campus Instead
The library has several computers set up for Honorlock proctored testing, complete with webcams, in a quiet area away from the open lab. Ask library staff for a designated computer when you arrive. See Library Hours (opens in new tab). If your instructor requires the Testing Center specifically, see Testing Center.
Honorlock Tech Support
Look for the Live Chat icon — it’s in every Honorlock session.
Honorlock’s own support team is available 24/7/365, separate from Chipola IT. If something isn’t working during your exam, don’t wait: click the Support icon inside the Honorlock window to open Live Chat right away.
Quick Reference
- System check: app.honorlock.com/support/msr-check (opens in new tab)
- Extension install: honorlock.com/extension/install (opens in new tab)
- Guided tour: prep.honorlock.com (opens in new tab)
- Full Knowledge Base: honorlock.kb.help (opens in new tab)
This page summarizes the Online Testing Requirements and Academic Honor Code as they apply to proctored exams. For the full policy text, see the Student Governance section of the Chipola College catalog.