Using Proctorio in Canvas: A Faculty Workflow

Quick Links: | Prerequisites | Configure an Assessment | Prepare Students | Configure Accommodations | Administer the Assessment | Review Results | Refine Future Assessments | Troubleshooting |

Introduction

Proctorio integrates with Canvas so instructors can add proctoring and exam-security requirements to selected online assessments.

A successful Proctorio assessment requires more than just enabling the tool. Instructors should configure the assessment deliberately, communicate expectations in advance, provide students with a representative practice assessment, account for accommodations and exceptions, and review Proctorio results in context. .

Prerequisites

Before configuring a Proctorio assessment:

• Your Canvas course must be authorized and activated for Proctorio.
• Secure Exam Proctor must be available in your course.
• You should have access to a computer and browser that meet Proctorio's current system requirements (such as Chrome or Edge, as of the publishing of this article)
• The Canvas quiz or exam you want to proctor should already be created.
• Students should already have been informed that Proctorio will be used in the course.

If Secure Exam Proctor is not available in your course, review Request Proctorio for a Canvas Course.

Note: The first time you open Proctorio settings or the Review Center, Proctorio may ask you to accept its Ethical Software Agreement.

Configure a Proctorio Assessment

1. Open the Canvas course. 
2. Select Quizzes.
3. Create a new quiz or open the assessment you want to proctor.
4. Configure the Canvas assessment settings, including:
   • Availability dates
   • Due date
   • Time limit
   • Number of attempts
   • Question and answer settings
5. Enable Secure Exam Proctor for the assessment.
6. Configure the Proctorio settings that match the testing conditions you intend to require.

Canvas controls the quiz itself, while Proctorio controls the proctored testing environment. Proctorio settings are configured separately for each assessment.

Choose only the Proctorio restrictions and monitoring options that are appropriate for the assessment. More restrictive settings are not necessarily better.  For example, an open-note assessment should not use restrictions that prevent students from accessing materials you have explicitly permitted.

Prepare Students

Before students complete a high-stakes Proctorio assessment:

• Clearly identify which assessments use Proctorio in appropriate course locations. 
• Tell students what computer, browser, extension, webcam, microphone, or other technology may be required.
• Explain which materials and resources are allowed or prohibited.
• Describe the expected testing environment and whether breaks are permitted.
• Provide Proctorio support information.
• Explain how students should report a technical problem that affects an assessment.
• Provide a representative, low-stakes practice assessment.

Students should receive this information in the syllabus and throughout the Canvas course before they are expected to complete a proctored assessment. Proctorio will enforce the settings the instructor configures, but the instructor communicates the course and assessment expectations.

Provide a Practice Assessment

The practice assessment should use settings similar to the actual exam so students can identify technical or access problems in advance.

Use the practice assessment to give students an opportunity to:

• Confirm browser and software compatibility
• Install or update required Proctorio software
• Test webcam and microphone access when required
• Experience the Proctorio pre-check process
• Identify technical or environmental barriers before a graded exam

Do not make a high-stakes Proctorio assessment the student's first experience with the tool.

To Create a Practice Assessment

1. Open the Canvas course.
2. Select Quizzes.
3. Create a short practice assessment with a few simple or non-graded questions.
4. Edit the practice quiz and enable Secure Exam Proctor.
5. Apply the Proctorio settings students will encounter during the actual exam.
6. Make the practice quiz available several days before the first proctored assessment.
7. Ask students to complete the practice quiz using the same computer and testing setup they plan to use for the real exam whenever possible.

The practice quiz should reproduce the testing experience rather than the academic difficulty of the real assessment.

Configure Accommodations and Exceptions

Before the assessment opens:

1. Configure approved Canvas accommodations such as additional time, attempts, or availability.
2. If a student needs different Proctorio conditions, configure the appropriate Proctorio exam exception.
3. Confirm that the student's approved testing conditions do not conflict with the Proctorio restrictions enabled for the assessment.

When disability-related accommodations are involved, follow the approved accommodation information provided through the Accessibility Resource Center.

Administer the Assessment

Students access Proctorio-enabled assessments through Canvas rather than through a separate Proctorio website.

When students open the assessment, Proctorio may require them to complete pre-checks based on the settings you selected. These may include checks for required software, browser permissions, webcam or microphone access, identity verification, or the testing environment.

Students should contact Proctorio Support promptly if a technical issue prevents them from starting or completing the assessment.

Review Completed Attempts

After students complete the assessment:

1. Open the assessment in Canvas.
2. Open the Proctorio Review Center.
3. Review attempts and any indicators or flags that may require closer attention.
4. Consider the flagged activity together with the assessment instructions, permitted resources, accommodations, technical conditions, and other available evidence.

Important: A Proctorio flag or indicator does not by itself establish that academic misconduct occurred. Automated indicators should be treated as information for instructor review, not as a final determination.

If your review raises an academic integrity concern, follow Chico State's applicable academic integrity and student conduct procedures.

Refine Future Assessments

After reviewing completed attempts, consider whether any recurring issues point to changes you should make for future assessments.

You may want to adjust:

• Proctorio settings that created unnecessary flags or student confusion
• Instructions about permitted materials or testing conditions
• Practice-assessment settings
• Canvas availability, timing, or attempt settings
• Student communication about technical requirements or support

Use what you learn from each assessment to make future Proctorio experiences clearer and more reliable for both students and instructors.

Troubleshooting

Secure Exam Proctor is Not Available

Confirm that Proctorio has been authorized for the correct Canvas course. See Request Proctorio for a Canvas Course for licensing and activation guidance.

A Student Cannot Start the Assessment

Ask the student to:

• Confirm that their computer and browser meet Proctorio's current requirements.
• Complete any required browser extension or software installation.
• Check camera, microphone, and browser permissions if those features are required.
• Contact Proctorio Support if the issue continues. As of publishing, Proctorio has 24/7 support resources, including live chat. Students should contact support while the problem is occurring whenever possible so support staff can diagnose the issue.

If a technical problem affects a Canvas deadline, consumes an attempt, causes lost testing time, or prevents completion, the instructor must determine the appropriate course-level response. Proctorio support can address Proctorio technical problems, but course decisions remain with the instructor.

A Student Needs Different Testing Conditions

Confirm any approved accommodations and configure the appropriate Canvas accommodation and Proctorio exam exception before the student begins the assessment.

An Attempt Is Flagged

Review the full attempt and surrounding context before drawing conclusions. Technical issues, permitted behaviors, accessibility needs, or ordinary testing-environment activity may contribute to automated indicators.

Related Articles

• Request Proctorio for a Canvas Course
• Proctorio Faculty FAQ
• Proctorio Student FAQ