The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has carried out a full review and updated its security procedures following online testing fraud
BESA has carried out a thorough review of the security procedures behind its online training schemes following the jailing of two construction skills testers last month.
The two men have each been given 28 month prison sentences after pleading guilty to charges that they falsified CITB health, safety and environment tests used to assess whether a worker is qualified to carry a skills card needed to work on UK construction sites.
The CITB uncovered a large-scale criminal operation
The large-scale criminal operation was uncovered by CITB investigators. They discovered that criminals were helping individuals, the majority of whom were foreign nationals, to get through the safety tests to qualify for the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) cards. The CSCS cards are used by site managers to verify the training and qualifications of all site workers.
In some instances, administrators were sitting exams on behalf of the candidates. Alternatively, they were feeding candidates answers during the tests.
The online testing fraud meant that unqualified individuals were receiving CSCS cards and working on building sites under false pretences, putting members of the public and other construction workers at risk.
It is believed that many of these workers may also have been trafficked by criminal gangs.
The scale of the online testing fraud prompted BESA’s online training academy to review test verification procedures and tighten up security measures. Employers and candidates can now rest assured that online testing fraud is a thing of the past.
BESA is using a security system called Proctortrack to avoid online testing fraud
Proctortrack is being used to regulate and monitor BESA’s online testing. This has controls in place that, for example, prevent the use of any other application while undertaking a test or exam, including the use of a remote mouse.
The Association’s director of training and skills Helen Yeulet made the following comments:
“The Proctortrack system recognizes over 430 applications and background processes and the list is constantly being updated,”
“Any student using an app outside of that list, or any unauthorised window that is found to be open during an exam will be instantly detected and reported as an online aid.”
The technology is also able to monitor any background audio such as a student communicating with someone else during an exam, she added. Proctortrack also uses a ‘zoomed video frame’ which allows it to capture the full view from the student’s webcam so anyone to the side of the student will be seen. Any suspicious facial expressions or behaviour will also be flagged up.
The BESA academy will pick up any ‘violations’
The BESA Academy has a list of ‘violations’ picked up by this process. This includes students looking away from the screen for more than three seconds or looking at devices other than their laptop.
It will also highlight any ‘imposters’ being present while the individual is taking their test. If it sense that the candidates is accessing course materials on a separate screen, it will register the test as violated.
“The vast majority of people undertaking our tests do so honestly, but we are always vigilant to make sure we catch those who try to cut corners,” said Yeulet.
“We have been reassured by our review of the Proctortrack system that everything humanly and technologically possible is being done to protect the integrity of our schemes.
“It is particularly important that health & safety testing is underpinned by a robust verification process to keep workers and the public safe – and any violations will automatically lead to the student failing the test.”
“The fraud prosecutions were a timely reminder that we must do everything possible to protect this hugely valuable system from a minority who seek to undermine it,” she added.
Yeulet explained how the expansion of online training and testing, and its growing sophistication and flexibility, is benefitting the building services industry by making it easier for more people to improve their knowledge and skills.
