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Project: Exam Security Program Project
Client: Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC)
For this customer, members of the ResQSoft, Inc., staff performed an analysis
to identify the necessary resources and level of effort required to develop
and deploy a web-capable biometrics-based Exam Security Program for
the high-stakes testing community.
Following the requirements analysis phase, we designed, developed and
deployed a web-based, multi-layered biometrics exam security application which is the
only system available that can detect test-taking imposters who go from one test center
to another.
The biometric technologies utilized for the system include facial recognition,
fingerprint and handwriting capture.
Members of the ResQSoft staff performed the following tasks leading to the initial pilot of this technology:
- Identified pilot sites (both domestic and international)
- Built the workstation configurations
- Developed the ESP Workstation software
- Developed central site software and database
- Installed and configured the central site ESP Regional servers
- Provided training and documentation for the test site personnel
- Monitored the collection of biometric data and the operation of all the
hardware and software
- Analyzed and documented the results of the system deployment and
operation
Most biometric systems are verification systems -- systems that verify that a person is who they claim to be. In
these systems, individuals are pre-registered and their biometrics are stored along with their identity information; an
example of this kind of system would be a guard desk application for admitting employees to a secure facility.
The ESP system, however, is an identification system; test cheaters will hardly come forward to be registered,
so we have to identify them "out of a crowd" and without any initial registration at all. Identification systems are
difficult to build; we believe ours is one of the best, and it is the only one geared at catching exam-taking imposters.
Think it's not a problem? In New York, one imposter allegedly took over 150 exams at $3000-5000 each! And how did he
get caught? By advertising in the newspaper, which lead to an informant tipping off the District Attorney's office. But,
unfortunately, test centers have no way of detecting imposters, who arrive with forged ID and an appointment to take the
exam. Imposters also take patterns of tests to steal the content, to create test preparation materials that can be sold.
Yet the test centers will tell you they have no imposter problem, since they never see any.
With this kind of financial incentive, not only is it a problem, it's a real problem -- and our system can stop it cold.
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