Secure distribution and administration of digital examinations

Abstract

A kit for administering a secure examination includes examinee interfaces and an enclosure with a gateway, power adapters to power the examinee interfaces, and a local examination server, wherein the local examination server includes a first network adapter configured to communicatively couple to a central examination server via a first network connection through the gateway and a second network adapter configured to communicatively couple to the plurality of examinee interface via a second network connection, and wherein the local examination server obtains examination items from the central examination server, transmits the examination items to the examinee interfaces, obtains a responsive input to the examination items from the examinee interfaces, transmits the responsive input to the central examination server, and causes the examinee interfaces to enter an examination mode that restricts access to applications, networks, and devices not required for taking the examination.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A system for administering a secure examination comprising:
 a plurality of examinee interfaces;   a gateway; and   a local examination server, the local examination server comprising a network adapter, a security system, a processor, and a non-transitory memory with computer executable instructions embedded thereon;   wherein the network adapter provides a first network connection to a central examination server through the gateway and a second network connection to the plurality of examinee interfaces;   wherein the computer executable instructions cause the processor to:
 obtain a plurality examination items from the central examination server; 
 transmit the examination items to the plurality of examinee interfaces; and 
 obtain, from the examinee interfaces, answers corresponding to the examination items; 
 transmit, to the central examination server, the answers after all examinations have been completed; and 
   wherein security system is configured to:
 perform a first scan of the plurality of examinee interfaces before first use to record properties of each of the plurality of examinee interfaces and verify that the examinee interface conform to a predetermined configuration; 
 perform a second scan of the plurality of examinee interfaces and the first and second network connections to verify the first and second network connections and the plurality of examinee interfaces conform to the predetermined configuration; 
 enter an examination mode, wherein the obtained examination item is displayed to the plurality of examinee interfaces within a secure examination window; 
 disable access to restricted applications and system functions; 
 monitor the first and second network connections and plurality of examinee interfaces while the examinee interfaces are in examination mode to verify conformance with the predetermined configuration; and 
 cause the examinee interfaces to exit examination mode after completion of the examination.