Proctored exams may decrease cheating.
Required proctored exams decrease cheating by making sure that students are in a sterile and monitored testing environment. Furthermore, student identity can be verified. Are these proctored exams necessary?
If the instructor wants to measure a student's ability to memorize facts and formulas, I would recommend a proctored exam. If the instructor wants to measure the students ability to analyze information and present a coherent argument based on their interpretation of the information, then there should be no need for a proctored exam.
If someone wants to cheat and have another person write their paper or complete their exam, the instructor will know there is a difference in the writing style of the student based on previous course work paper submissions.
Take care,
Mike Vigh
