--- title: "Study: Students Are Very Good at Outsmarting Anti-Cheating Software" description: "A recent study shows that kids are actually wildly good at getting around the anti-cheating software Proctorio's promised capabilities." date: "2022-09-09" modified: "2022-09-09" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/study-outsmarting-anti-cheating" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "proctoring software" - "proctorio" - "school" - "the digest" --- # Study: Students Are Very Good at Outsmarting Anti-Cheating Software ![A recent study shows that kids are actually wildly good at getting around the anti-cheating software Proctorio's promised capabilities.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* ## Cheat Day Proctorio — which admittedly sounds more like a Marvel villain than a computer program — is an expensive anti-cheating software that took off like wildfire during the pandemic. Kids were stuck at home for school, and teachers needed a way to hold them accountable during exams. But [as spotted by *Vice*](), a [recent study]() shows that kids are actually pretty deft at getting around the program's capabilities. In fact, the tech may not be much more than a pricey placebo. ## Placebo Effect The study was [first presented]() by researchers from the University of Twente in the Netherlands back in 2021. It's important to note that their sample size was pretty small — there were just 30 student participants, all college-aged kids working towards bachelor degrees in computer science. Still, the results were striking. Of those 30 students, six were explicitly asked to cheat, five were asked not to cheat but to act "[suspicious]()," and the rest were told to take the test honestly. "The most important findings were that none of the cheating students were flagged by Proctorio, whereas only one (out of 6) was caught out by an independent check by a human agent," reads the study. "The sensitivity of Proctorio, based on this experience, should therefore be put at very close to zero." Ouch! But on the plus side, the researchers do think that Proctorio does well as a placebo. In other words, even though it may not be effective, the fact that it's there at all seems to deter some kids from trying to cheat in the first place. A feather to your cap, Proctorio. ## What's it Worth? For their part, Proctorio reached out to *Vice* offering [multiple]() [studies]() that they claim supports the case for their software. But none of the studies, as *Vice* pointed out, actually tested whether anti-cheating software was effective at catching cheaters. It's worth noting that not working isn't the software's only problem. Other research has shown that it's [vulnerable to hackers](), and there's been a great deal of controversy over [troubling privacy concerns]() and [discrimination]() in the space, as well as whether it's wise for students to feel surveilled all the time. And considering the cost, [how much is a placebo]() — let alone one with this much controversy and confusion surrounding what it actually does — really worth? **READ MORE:** *[Scientists Asked Students to Try to Fool Anti-Cheating Software. They Did.]()* \[*Vice News*\] **More on creepy proctoring software:** *[Anti-Cheating Software That Scans Students' Rooms Is Unconstitutional, Court Rules]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()