Free and low-cost proctored online exams for colleges in India (2026)
Last updated · By LogicWiz Team
Short answer: For a college that wants free or low-cost proctored exams, the realistic options are Safe Exam Browser with Moodle for lockdown, PaperShala's free proctoring, and trials or demos from Mercer Mettl, YouTestMe, SpeedExam and LogicWiz Exams. Free tools usually cover lockdown or basic webcam checks, while live human review and recordings come with paid platforms. Whatever you pick, tell students what is recorded and why before the exam, and keep the data only as long as you need it.
A placement cell or exam department asking for free proctored exam software is usually asking two things: can we stop students copying, and can we do it without a budget approval. This guide explains what proctoring actually is, compares the options a college can try, and gives a plan for a fair mock drive in one afternoon. We read each vendor's own pages on 22 October 2026 and link them. LogicWiz Exams is one of the options and we are not neutral, so we state where it is weaker. Free tiers and trials change, so confirm terms with each vendor.
What proctoring means
Proctoring is any measure that makes an unsupervised exam trustworthy. The measures differ in strength and in how much student data they collect.
- Webcam checks. The camera confirms who is sitting the exam and can flag a missing face or extra faces. Some tools take snapshots only when something looks wrong; others record continuously.
- Tab-switch and fullscreen tracking. The page notices when the student leaves the exam window and logs or blocks it.
- Lockdown browser. A locked-down browser restricts other applications, shortcuts and websites during the exam.
- Live monitor. The invigilator watches who has started, who is writing and who has flagged events, in real time.
- Human review. A person looks at flagged attempts afterwards. Automatic flags are leads, not verdicts: a student's webcam can fail, and a flag alone should not fail anyone.
- Privacy and consent. Any recording or camera use should be explained in advance, with a way for a student with no camera to sit the exam another way.
The options, from their own pages
| Option | What its pages state | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Safe Exam Browser | Freeware, open source, runs on Windows, macOS and iOS, turns a device into a secure workstation and sends no personal data to a central server | It does not proctor by webcam by default; video through Jitsi or Zoom is optional and needs each candidate's agreement |
| Moodle with Safe Exam Browser | A per-quiz setting that lets students attempt a quiz only inside Safe Exam Browser | Moodle's page does not mention proctoring plugins; you host and run Moodle yourself |
| Google Forms locked mode | Keeps students on the quiz, emails the teacher if they leave or open another tab | Needs a Google Workspace for Education account and a school-managed Chromebook for each student |
| PaperShala | Webcam snapshots on abnormal movement, a live video view, optional IP logging and a downloadable secured program that blocks other tabs | The page gives no limits for the free proctoring; read its free plan terms |
| Mercer Mettl | AI flags, live human proctoring, record and review, a secure browser with a free-trial button, and demos | No consent flow or retention period on the page; ask both |
| YouTestMe | AI proctoring or live supervisors, lockdown, review of recordings, and a dedicated environment per customer | Ask for a trial; the home page points to a pricing page and a call |
| SpeedExam | Image-based, audio and video, and AI-based proctoring, secure browser lockdown, a free account and a free demo | Ask which proctoring types are in the free account |
| LogicWiz Exams | See below | Not a lockdown browser |
All rows checked 22 Oct 2026. "Not on the page" does not mean "not offered".
Where Google Forms stops
Locked mode is a real control, but Google's own page ties it to Workspace for Education accounts and school-managed Chromebooks. Students on personal laptops or phones cannot be locked, and a plain form has no identity check, so it suits low-stakes quizzes, not a placement drive.
LogicWiz Exams
LogicWiz Exams lets a college run a timed test with a camera face check on the student's own device, an ID photo before the exam, fullscreen enforcement, tab-switch tracking and a suspicion score for each student, so a teacher knows whose attempt to review first. A live monitor shows who has started, who is writing and who has submitted, and results export to Excel with a rank list. The companies and colleges page describes creating a proctored screening test from a job description with ready-made aptitude sections. For practice before the real drive, students can sit company-pattern mock tests with sectional timers.
Where we are weaker: our proctoring runs in the browser and is not a locked-down operating environment, so a student with a second device is harder for us to catch than with a secure-browser product. We do not offer live human invigilation. We do not publish a price list, so ask us for terms for your college.
Run a fair mock drive in one afternoon
Students who want to rehearse before the drive can use the free aptitude practice or our guide to free placement preparation resources.
This plan works with any tool above.
- Day before. Fix the pattern (for example, aptitude 30 questions, reasoning 20, coding 2) and tell students the rules in writing: what is recorded, who sees it and when it is deleted. Offer an alternative for students with no working camera.
- Test the setup. Ask 5 students to join from the worst device and network in the batch. Fix what breaks.
- Build the paper. Use sections with their own timers and one shared negative-marking rule. Shuffle question and option order so neighbours do not see the same screen.
- Start in two waves if your lab is small, so invigilators can watch one group properly.
- During the drive. One person watches the live monitor; another handles student problems. Do not remove a student for a single flag.
- After. Review flagged attempts by eye, publish ranks, and keep a short log of which flags you acted on and why.
Privacy points for student data
- Tell students first. The DPDP Act, 2023 calls the college the one that decides why and how student data is processed, and it expects clear notice. Read the Act's text with your legal adviser.
- Collect less. Prefer snapshots on a flag over full recordings for mock drives.
- Set retention. Delete camera images and ID photos after the review window, not at the end of the semester.
- Limit who sees them. Only the invigilators and the placement officer, and ask the vendor how access is controlled.
- Ask where data is kept and whether the vendor uses student data for anything else. LogicWiz's own terms are on its privacy page.
Frequently asked questions
Is there free proctored exam software for colleges in India?
Yes, within limits. Safe Exam Browser is freeware and works with Moodle for lockdown, PaperShala advertises free proctoring, and SpeedExam offers a free account. Free options rarely include live human review or long recording storage, so check the limits.
What is the difference between a lockdown browser and webcam proctoring?
A lockdown browser restricts what the device can do during the exam. Webcam proctoring watches the person. Safe Exam Browser does the first and not the second by default. Colleges often combine both for high-stakes tests.
Can Google Forms be used for a proctored placement test?
For low-stakes quizzes, yes. Google's locked mode needs managed Chromebooks and Workspace for Education accounts, so it does not cover students on personal devices. For a placement drive, use a tool with identity checks and monitoring.
Do students have to consent to proctoring?
Tell them in advance what is captured and why, and offer an alternative for students who cannot use a camera. Safe Exam Browser's own page says video options need each candidate's explicit agreement. Get your college's legal advice on notice and consent under Indian law.
How many students can sit a mock drive at once?
That depends on the tool and your network, so test it. Ask each vendor for the concurrency it supports and run the setup test with a group on your real Wi-Fi before the day.