UK Maritime Agency Discloses Biometric Proctoring Tool for Seafarer Exams

The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency has disclosed that it uses a biometric proctoring tool to monitor seafarers sitting online certification exams, in a government transparency record describing how the system checks a candidate’s identity and watches for cheating.

The disclosure comes through an Algorithmic Transparency Record, a standardized document the UK government publishes to explain how public-sector bodies use algorithmic and AI tools. The record covers Proview Proctor, a record-and-review proctoring system supplied by Talview, which the agency uses to run written assessments remotely, replacing physical test centres and manual invigilation.

According to the record, the tool combines several forms of monitoring. For biometric identification, a photo of the seafarer is taken during the exam and compared against the passport photograph submitted with their application, to confirm the correct candidate is taking the assessment. Face detection is triggered if a second person enters the frame or replaces the original candidate, and gaze detection is triggered if the candidate looks away from the screen, a signal the system uses to flag possible use of prohibited materials. During the assessment, the candidate is monitored through a webcam, an auxiliary camera, a secure browser, and the device microphone.

The agency says the system does not decide outcomes on its own. Once an exam is complete, a member of staff logs into an external website to review any flags the AI has raised, and judges whether the flagged behavior breaches the exam’s code of conduct. Cases judged to be breaches are escalated for further action, while the rest proceed to results. The exams feed into a UK Certificate of Competency or a UK Flag State Endorsement, credentials that allow seafarers to work aboard UK-flagged vessels.

The disclosure reflects the growing use of biometric monitoring to move examinations online, an approach seen when the University of Johannesburg secured remote exams with a facial recognition proctoring app.

Sources: GOV.UK

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By Ali Nassar-Smith