Exam security is a critical aspect of maintaining the integrity and fairness of licensure exams. With the increasing use of smartphones and electronic devices, the opportunities for exam fraud have increased, making it essential for credentialing organizations to strengthen security measures.
Ensuring the security of licensure exam content is critical to uphold the credibility of the licensure process. In this blog, you will read about the importance of exam security in relation to real estate licensure exams, the threats they face, and the measures that can be taken to protect exam content.
Security for real estate licensure exams
Security for real estate licensure exams starts at the very beginning of the assessment lifecycle. From secure technology and processes for exam content development and administration, through to data forensics which looks for evidence of potential exam fraud. This includes ensuring the security of exam content and exam items, to uphold the credibility of the licensure process.
Many of the security threats to real estate licensure exams, such as proxy testing and content theft, have been the same for decades. But technological advances, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), have elevated the threats. In response, the tools we use to protect exam integrity have also advanced.
1. Advanced ID verification for real estate licensure exams
Exam security threat:
Recent years have seen a rapid global increase in digital document forgery and deepfake attempts, as well as cheating rings.
Deepfake attempts occurred at a rate of one every five minutes in 2024. And digital forgeries accounted for 57% of all document fraud in 2024, a 244% increase from 2023. These digital forgeries often target National ID Cards, which make up 40.8% of global digital forgeries.i
Exam security response:
- A thorough check-in process with trained specialist personnel, for both remote online proctored exams and onsite exams at test centers.
- Advanced ID verification with multi-layered biometric checks. This can include facial, keystroke, and speech similarity detectors.
- Deepfake detection AI algorithms that spot facial anomalies, such as unusual head movement or lack of micro-expressions.
- Fingerprinting services for state or federal background checks are another tool that can be used for real estate licensure exams.
Read about PSI’s partnership with Entrust for deepfake detection and advanced ID verification.
2. Fraud prevention before a real estate licensure exam
Exam security threat:
Of course, exam security begins long before a candidate checks-in for their real estate licensure exam – whether they are arriving at a test center or joining an online proctored exam session. Candidates and even Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who share exam content with individuals or small groups continue to be a risk. But now, enabled by communication tools that protect anonymity, organized cheating rings that sell exam papers for large fees are becoming more common.
Exam security response:
- Non-disclosure agreements with SMEs and secure item authoring and banking software.
- Exam publishing tools such as Linear on the Fly Testing (LOFT) that protect content by creating a unique and equivalent exam form for every candidate. Exam forms are collated from a comprehensive pool of valid items.
- AI in exam content generation, an emerging use for AI in testing which takes Automated Item Generation a step further. AI creates items for human SME review, to efficiently increase the size of item banks and reduce item exposure.
3. Fraud detection during a real estate licensure exam
Exam security threat:
A real estate licensure exam can be a stressful experience. It might be the start of a new career or the gateway to a promotion. Maintaining exam security needs to be balanced with delivering a positive candidate experience. Security threats during an exam might include content theft, access to unauthorized resources or devices, and collusion.
Exam security response:
- Empathetic and effective proctoring:
- Training, supervision and regular audits, for both onsite and online exam proctors.
- Annual training and recertification for Test Center Administrators (TCAs) to ensure they are current with the latest security measures.
- Low candidate to proctor ratios for onsite exams, and one proctor per candidate for live online proctoring.
- Technology for security and comparability across modalities:
- Lockdown browser prevents access to copy, paste and other applications or websites.
- For live online proctoring, a secure browser means the proctor does not have remote access to a candidate’s device, protecting privacy. Exam content is obfuscated for proctor view, and candidates and proctors communicate via chat function.
- AI video indexing that flags potentially fraudulent behaviors for online proctor review, supporting human proctors and increasing exam security.
- AI authenticity detection to identify generative AI created content from tools like ChatGPT.
- PSI has also introduced wanding at all our test centers to ensure no prohibited items, such as phones / earbuds or anything that can receive / transmit, are flagged before an exam.
4. Data forensics after a real estate licensure exam
Exam security threat:
Exam security continues, even after a candidate has left a test center or logged out of an online test. With crime scene forensics, every contact leaves a trace. The same applies in testing. Statistical detection methods can reveal exam item pre-knowledge, proxy testing, fraud hot spots, and much more.
Exam security response:
- Data forensics uses indices to detect patterns in testing data that might indicate malpractice, such as response similarity, errors in common, or abnormal item or response time. The move towards real time data forensics reduces the response time when anomalies are spotted in the data.
- Investigations will review audio and video recordings, registration details, and other available information when suspicious activity is flagged, either by a proctor or data forensics.
- Web crawling supports investigations by systematically searching the web for compromised content on the internet, social media, and more recently the dark web.
Multi-layered approach to real estate licensure exam security
By layering the latest technology and AI advances on top of our already effective exam security measures, we can stay ahead of the evolving threats to real estate licensure exams. Protecting the integrity of licensure exam programs, by detecting known threats such as proxy testing and digital ID forgeries and staying vigilant to new and emerging threats.
i Entrust Cybersecurity Institute, 2025 Identity Fraud Report.
A bit more about… licensure exam security
Why is licensure exam security important?
Exam security is essential for maintaining the value and credibility of exam results. Licensure exams, such as those administered by the New Jersey Real Estate Commission and the California Department of Real Estate require a high level of security to ensure that no candidates gain an unfair advantage.
Exam security measures, such as those implemented by PSI, are designed to prevent fraud and maintain the integrity of the examination process. By enforcing strict security measures, we ensure that the results accurately reflect a candidate’s knowledge and abilities, thereby preserving the trust in licensure.
What threats are there to exam security?
There are several threats to exam security, including the increasing use of technology such as smartphones and electronic devices, and unauthorized access to materials and collaboration with others.
To combat these threats, credentialing bodies must prioritize innovative solutions to maintain the integrity of the examination process. This includes staying ahead of technological advancements that could be exploited for fraud and continuously updating security protocols to address new vulnerabilities.
How are exam content and exam questions protected?
Protecting exam content and questions is crucial for maintaining exam security. This can be achieved using secure test centers, online and onsite proctors, and security measures such as audio/video surveillance, a lockdown browser, and data forensics.
Additionally, exam content and questions should be kept confidential, and candidates should be prohibited from sharing or disclosing exam information – with clear policies that are easy to find. Credentialing bodies can also use advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence-powered fraud detection algorithms, to detect and prevent cheating. By implementing these measures, we can ensure that exam content remains secure, and that the examination process is fair for all candidates.
How are identities verified to prevent impersonation?
Verifying identities and preventing impersonation is an essential aspect of exam security. This can be achieved using secure identity verification methods, such as biometric checks.
Also, technologies like facial recognition software can be used to verify candidates’ identity. By verifying identities and preventing impersonation, this ensures that candidates are who they claim to be and prevents exam fraud. These measures protect the integrity of the exam and uphold the credibility of the license awarded to successful candidates.