Anna Kern, Social Media Manager at German EdTech startup cubemos, discusses the need for verified exam platforms and introduces their AI cloud based solution

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, many people have been severely restricted in what they can and cannot do. No more parties, no more meetings in larger groups and companies have had to switch their focus to the production of masks. Many social questions have consequently arisen. How can education continue at school and university? What should education look like in the future? How will tests be taken in the future?

Some courses of study have more than 1000 first-year students. The lecture halls are overcrowded, sometimes students have to stand or sit on the floor. A scenario that is no longer imaginable today. Should the number of study places therefore be reduced? Should studying become a privilege? Not at all! The only solution is a secure digitalization of education. Many state universities were already offering online teaching courses before the pandemic. At distance universities, an entire course of study can be completed online. However, there is one point that is relatively new for everyone: taking verified exams online.

But, the need for verified online exams goes far beyond schools and universities. In large companies, security training must be taken regularly. Every year, almost one million theoretical driving tests are conducted in Germany. IHK and vocational school tests are further examples of regularly conducted examinations on a very large scale. In the future, it is even conceivable that asylum applications and naturalization tests will be conducted online. At the border of a destination country, applicants are confident they will be granted admission.

That is our vision – with our solution we want to enable people to get access to online examinations. This includes education, systems, and even societies. With the cubemos software environment, exams can be carried out with the same security as paper-based tests.  Proof of successful exam completion is guaranteed and also that the right person took the exam.  The software can also ensure that there was no attempt at cheating during the exam.

Trust in such a solution is of utmost importance. This applies to both the examiner and the examinee. The examiner must be sure that the online exam has created the same conditions for all participants in the exam, where cheating is almost impossible. The examinee must be convinced that the tool supports him/her in verifying his/her performance online. Another important point to build trust from both sides is to comply with GDPR regulations. Data is only collected for the purpose of the exam and associated administration and deleted after a maximum of 30 days. Both the examiner and the examinee will be given access to the data and will be informed about this process.

The AI technology of the test platform is based on existing image processing software and algorithms from cubemos, which are already used by more than 3000 customers in various industries. Various forms of supervision can be selected, such as ID control, screen recording, or detection of other people in the room. The supervision of the test situation is completely automated, which allows the examiner to run a large number of tests simultaneously. If the system detects an anomaly, the supervisor is notified and can make direct contact with the examinee. However, the final decision on the test result still lies with the examiner.

With the new product, cubemos makes it possible to simplify access to education, system, and societies. Further information can be found at www.cubemos.com.