Online Exam

eExams fall into the category of eAssessment, where students demonstrate academic achievement using computers. Within this broad spectrum, eExams form a distinct use of technology where a 'bring your own device' (BYOD) computer is started up (booted) from a USB flash drive.

Because each computer is booted from a USB flash drive, every candidate uses the same full operating system and application programs, irrespective of those installed on the internal hard drive. eExams optionally include networking connections, but these are usually restricted or eliminated to prevent collusion. Unlike most online quiz tools, the eExam is not restricted to a web-page, but makes the whole candidate computer available for the assessment.

eExams are seen as having potential for curriculum transformation by changing the nature of assessment to fully incorporate computer technology.

Autosave is a common feature of eExams, with intervals from 10 seconds to every 2 minutes. Some emerging models have been released into the public domain, and others are proprietary commercial material (with costs).