Systems and methods for dynamic monitoring of test taking

Abstract

A system and process for dynamic security monitoring of test taking. The system combines historical information about the test taker or relevant conditions, and includes sensors which objectively monitor test taker's actions, inactions, and involuntary response to the test given before and during the test, and at a specific test location. The information collected from the sensors is compared to a plurality of predetermined individual risk factors, which indicate a possibility of test fraud by the individual test taker to create a test event risk profile. The individual risk profile is combined with non-individual specific risk factors to create a holistic test event security profile. Security resources are then dynamically assigned to or removed from the test event based on the unique test event security profile.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for monitoring an individual test taker and verifying compliance with rules of behavior with regard to a test event, during a test session administered to an individual at a test location, the system comprising:
 a software application operating on a mobile computer device or on a computer device, which are in communication with at least one sensor for monitoring the test event, the software application configured to receive information related to the individual test taker from the sensor and to communicate the information through a wired and/or wireless communication network to a risk analysis management server located at the test location or at a location remote from the test location, and   a processor that is in communication through the wired and/or wireless communication network with the software application, as well as the risk analysis management server, the processor is configured to call up from a database of the system upon communication of the information to the risk analysis management server: (1) a plurality of predetermined individual risk factors, which indicate a possibility of test fraud, cheating, or test theft, by the individual test taker or others at the location, and have been previously uploaded by an owner or author of the test or an employee, contractor, or agent of the owner or author, (2) a non-individual risk factor, which has been previously uploaded by an owner or author of the test or an employee, contractor, or agent of the owner or author, and (3) a set of threshold risk levels which have been previously uploaded by an owner or author of the test or an employee, contractor, or agent of the owner or author;   whereby the processor is configured to actively monitor the information related to the test event;   whereby the processor is configured to determine an individual risk profile by comparing the information received from the sensor(s) against the individual risk factors to identify whether the risk profile needs to be adjusted;   whereby the processor is configured to determine a security profile for the test taker by combining the individual risk profile and the non-individual risk factor into the test event risk security profile, and compare that security profile to the threshold risk level; and   whereby when the processor determines that the security profile is above or below specific threshold risk levels, within a range of tolerance, the processor is configured to notify the software application.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein, the software application allocates greater security resources if the security profile is above more of the threshold risk levels, and the software application allocates less security resources if the security profile is below less of the threshold risk levels. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein, based on active monitoring of the test event by the sensor, the system is configured to dynamically increase or decrease the allocation of security resources based on how many threshold risk levels the security profile is above. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein, based on active monitoring of the test event by the sensor, the system is configured to increase the allocation of security resources when the security profile traverses the threshold risk level, within a range of tolerance, from below an individual threshold risk level to above the individual threshold risk level. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3  wherein, based on active monitoring of the test event by the sensor, the system is configured to decrease the allocation of security resources when the security profile traverses the threshold risk level, within a range of tolerance, from above an individual threshold risk level to below the individual threshold risk level. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein, the non-individual risk factor is a location risk factor. 
     
     
         7 . A system for monitoring an individual test taker and verifying compliance with rules of behavior with regard to a test event administered at a test location, the system comprising:
 a software application operating on a website accessible through a wired or wireless communications network by a unique mobile computer device or a unique computer device which are synced with at least one sensor for monitoring the test event, the software application configured to receive information related to the individual test taker and testing location from the sensor and to communicate the information through a wired and/or wireless communication network to a risk analysis management server located at the test location or at a location remote from the test location; and   a processor that is in communication through the wired and/or wireless communication network with the software application, as well as the risk analysis management server, the processor is configured to call up from a database of the system upon communication of the information to the risk analysis management server: (1) a plurality of predetermined individual risk factors, which indicate a possibility of cheating or other types of fraud by the individual test taker and have been previously uploaded by an owner or author of the test or an employee, contractor, or agent of the owner or author, (2) a plurality of non-individual risk factors, which have been previously uploaded by an owner or author of the test or an employee, contractor, or agent of the owner or author, and (3) a set of threshold risk levels which has been previously uploaded by an owner or author of the test or an employee, contractor, or agent of the owner or author;   whereby the processor is configured to actively monitor the information related to the test event;   whereby the processor is configured to determine an individual risk profile by comparing the information received from the sensor against the individual risk factors to identify any that might require the risk factor to be adjusted;   whereby the processor is configured to determine a security profile for the test event by combining the individual risk profile and the non-individual risk factors, and compare the current security profile to the threshold risk level; and   whereby when the processor determines that the security profile is above or below specific threshold risk levels, within a range of tolerance, the processor is configured to notify the software application.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein, the software application allocates greater security resources if the security risk profile is above more threshold risk levels, and the software application allocates less security resources if the security risk profile is below less threshold risk levels. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7  wherein, based on active monitoring of the test event by the sensor, the system is configured to dynamically increase or decrease the allocation of security resources based on whether the security profile is above or below the threshold risk level. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8  wherein, based on active monitoring of the test event by the sensor, the system is configured to increase the allocation of security resources when the security profile traverses the threshold risk level, within a range of tolerance, from below the threshold risk level to above the threshold risk level. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9  wherein, based on active monitoring of the test event by the sensor, the system is configured to decrease the allocation of security resources when the security profile traverses the threshold risk level, within a range of tolerance, from above the threshold risk level to below the threshold risk level. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7  wherein, the non-individual risk factor is a location risk factor. 
     
     
         13 . A method for monitoring an individual test taker and verifying compliance with rules of behavior with regard to a test event, the method comprising:
 receiving information related to the individual test taker from a sensor for monitoring the individual test taker and test taking environment synced through a wired and/or wireless communication network with a software application operating on a mobile computer device or on a computer device;   upon receiving the information, using a processor to verify the identity of the individual test taker and call up: (1) a plurality of predetermined individual risk factors, which indicate a possibility of cheating or test theft by the individual test taker, (2) non-individual risk factors, and (3) a set of threshold risk levels;   creating an individual risk profile by comparing the information received from the sensor against the individual and non-individual risk factors;   combining the individual risk profile with the non-individual risk factors, creating a security profile for the test event;   comparing the security risk profile of the test event to the threshold risk levels; and   notifying the software application if the security risk profile is above or below a specified threshold risk level.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 assigning security resources based on whether the security profile is above or below the specified threshold risk level.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 dynamically increasing or decreasing the allocation of security resources based on active monitoring of the test event by the sensor. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein, increased security resources are allocated if the security profile crosses the specified threshold risk level, within a range of tolerance, from below the specified threshold risk level to above the specified threshold risk level. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein, decreased security resources are allocated if the security profile crosses the specified threshold risk level, within a range of tolerance, from above the specified threshold risk level to below the specified threshold risk level. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein, the non-individual risk factor is a location risk factor.