Summary

This release introduces key flexibility for automated exam environments, enabling seamless integration with secure Lockdown Browsers by making the Chrome extension optional per exam and introducing a dedicated completion URL. Additionally, backend security has been enhanced to support safe cryptographic key rotation without reporting downtime.

New Features

[Admin] Flexible Chrome Extension Requirement per Exam

Institutional administrators can now make the ProctorExam Chrome extension optional for specific exams, allowing test-takers to smoothly run sessions inside secure Lockdown Browsers that typically block third-party extensions. This feature introduces a master toggle in the institute's Advanced Settings, which allows authorized admins to turn off the Chrome extension requirement on a per-exam basis via the Admin UI or API. 

Please note that this feature is managed by an environment-level flag; customers who wish to utilize this capability should contact their Customer Success Manager (CSM) to have it enabled for their environment. 

While this feature provides essential compatibility for lockdown browser environments, it is critical to understand its implications. Disabling the Chrome extension removes mandatory installation and validation steps, which also means disabling specific extension-dependent proctoring features, such as the ability to monitor the student's browsing activity and open tabs. Because of this reduction in proctoring capabilities, this setting should strictly be used within a lockdown browser scenario, where the browser itself secures the desktop, and should not be disabled for standard exams running in regular commercial browsers.

How to enable Chrome extension optional feature per institute

How to make Chrome extension optional per exam

Improvements to existing features

[Admin] Dedicated "Exam Ended" URL for Lockdown Browsers

When a student finishes an exam, the system now automatically redirects them to a brand new, distinct URL structured as /student_sessions/<token>/ended. This change is entirely seamless and will not alter the user experience (UX) or the visual flow for the exam-takers themselves. However, this unique URL provides a reliable technical anchor that custom browser software (such as lockdown browsers) can instantly detect to know the exam has officially ended, allowing the software to automatically close and safely return control of the computer to the user. To maintain exam integrity, direct navigation back to the active session URL after completion is blocked and will automatically redirect the user back to this dedicated exam ended page.

[Security fix/Infra] Secure Key Rotation Readiness

We have improved the reporting portal architecture by removing hardcoded encryption dependencies linked to the system's root keys. Database connections now securely fetch credentials directly from the secrets vault during execution. This backend optimization ensures enhanced data security and allows infrastructure teams to safely rotate security keys without risking any reporting downtime or service interruption for clients.