Honorlock is one of several tools Ohio State uses to help maintain fairness and protect the integrity of your work. When enabled on a CarmenCanvas exam, Honorlock offers the freedom to take the exam anywhere and at any time within the given time frame. However, there are several best practices to consider.
What to expect
- Honorlock is not compatible with iPad, may cause issues for those with limited internet bandwidth, and may not be accessible internationally. If you are concerned about Honorlock for one of these reasons (or any others) reach out to your instructor to discuss alternative options.
- When you use Honorlock, you may be recorded via your webcam and microphone, your screen and environment may also be recorded, depending on the settings chosen by your instructor. However, there is no physical person observing you and no live pop-ins will occur. You may occasionally get pop-ups on your screen reminding you of exam policy and allowing you to make adjustments.
- Honorlock is not making decisions about whether or not cheating has occurred. That will be up to your instructor when they review your recorded session and after discussion with you about any concerns. The recommendation is that instructors view all recorded sessions regardless of flags or suspicion ratings.
- At the start of the session, you may be required to show your camera your BuckID, or other photo ID. We strongly recommend you use your BuckID for this process. Regardless of the ID you use, the name must match what you have in the CarmenCanvas system for the Honorlock AI to accept your ID. If you have any trouble, please chat with Honorlock support and they can help you with solutions to get into your exam.
- At the start of the session, you may also be asked to scan the room or to take a picture of your environment using your phone to make sure you are alone and able to take the exam independently without resources that may be unauthorized, depending on the settings chosen by your instructor. This may feel strange, but again, no one is observing you, but this does help to maintain the integrity of you and your classmates’ work. Instructors are encouraged to review all scans regardless of any flags or suspicion ratings.
- As you take the exam, there is support built-in so that you don’t have to leave the exam to get help if you need it. At any point you can use the Honorlock chat feature located on the bottom right for support, troubleshooting or questions.
Honorlock tips
- Take a deep breath. Exams can be anxiety-provoking and stressful. Take deep breaths and think about spending a few minutes before the exam exploring the Wellness app for some stress-relieving tips.
- Test Honorlock on your device before the exam. You can familiarize yourself with Honorlock prior to an exam by using the HonorPrep Guided Tour. This guided tour performs a system check to ensure your device is compatible with Honorlock and allows you to practice going through the authentication process outside of the pressures of an exam.
- Take your exam in a quiet place. This is important no matter what so that you can adequately focus. Honorlock will be recording your session and may flag strange sounds within the exam recording. This also means you’ll need to avoid playing music during your exam, even if it might help you focus. Be sure to talk to your instructor about any concerns or questions about the test taking environment.
- Take your exam in a place where you will not be disturbed. Another great tip for any exam! Do your best to ensure you have space to yourself. Consider discussing study and exam time ahead of time with family, roommates, etc. If someone does enter your space during an exam, Honorlock will record it and flag it for review. Rest assured, your instructor will have access to the recording and will be able to see the context if you are ever interrupted. However, you might reach out to your instructor proactively to explain the situation if this occurs.
- Strong internet connection. It’s bound to be stressful if your internet gives out mid-exam. And since Honorlock is using your webcam and other settings, there is a strong draw on bandwidth. Again, talk with roommates to try and keep internet use clear during the time you are taking your exam.
- Remove other devices. Many of us have multiple devices we use daily – smartphones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches. During your Honorlock session, however, you’ll want to remove these from your area to make sure they don’t put off some ambient sound or light that might raise flags.
- Charge your battery. Make sure your battery is fully charged and/or plugged into power. Your laptop will be working hard to record the session and that will take a lot from the battery.
Troubleshooting tips
Keep in mind that an Honorlock-enabled exam will not ask you for an Access Code to begin an exam. If you see something asking you for an Access Code, this usually means there is an issue with your Honorlock browser extension. Here are some troubleshooting steps to take:
- Make sure you are using Chrome.
- Uninstall and reinstall the Honorlock extension.
- Remove other browser extensions as they might be interfering with Honorlock.
- Clear your browser’s cache and cookies.
Get help
Honorlock provides 24/7 help via chat as well as Knowledge Base guides that can help you troubleshoot issues.
To access the support chat during an exam, click the chat icon on the bottom right.
To access help outside an exam, you can:
- Click the Honorlock tab in your Carmen course navigation. This will offer access to chat, Honorlock Knowledge Base guides and other resources including HonorPrep, a tutorial designed to help test takers through the Honorlock system requirement and authentication.
- Visit Honorlock's support site.
For additional assistance with Honorlock, contact the Learning Systems support team.