Back to pen and paper: Recovering assessment questions from computer-based examination applications

Computer-based examination platforms are increasingly utilized to deliver examinations. The advantages of implementing such a solution over a traditional pen-and-paper approach include support for remote candidates, reduced financial costs, shorter grading time and reduced carbon footprints. While the benefits are attractive, the nature of computer-based examinations makes them more susceptible to cheating. One conjecture previously discussed in the literature is that candidates could recover questions from hard drives. However, minimal research has been conducted to affirm these assumptions. Hence, this research investigates the extent to which questions can be recovered from a computer-based examination and makes recommendations to counter such problems based on the Routine Activity Theory. The study contributes to the discipline by empirically demonstrating that questions can be recovered from three computer-based examination applications using freely available computer forensic tools, and highlighting the need for additional security measure to enhance the creditability of the computer-based examination applications.