BetterExaminations

BetterExaminations - End-to-End Exam Management & Online eAssessment Solution

BetterExamination's eAssessment platform is an end-to-end high-stake digital exam management and assessment delivery platform. Securely create, approve, manage, deliver, proctor, invigilate and mark examinations through a single cloud-based system. Everything you need to securely prepare, draft, share, comment, edit, and approve paper exams for administrators, lecturers, and external examiners.

Features

  • Cloud platform - anywhere, anytime with over 50 question types
  • A complete solution to manage the entire exam process
  • Exam approval, support for external examiners and custom workflows
  • Innovative assessments to offer new forms of assessments
  • Invigilation and proctoring options for increased exam integrity
  • Intuitive marking and feedback platform with customised rubrics
  • Post exam analytics.
  • Flexible user types including exam staff, academics & external examiners
  • Flexible proctoring & invigilation options
  • Exam management & governance features

Benefits

  • Allows students to work on their own devices, anywhere
  • Secure, control and easy plan assessment processes
  • Innovative assessments, across all disciplines with over 50 question types
  • Increased exam management administrative efficiencies
  • Improved productivity through a very user friendly interface
  • End-to-end platform to improve exam efficiency for staff and students
  • Comprehensive reporting dashboard
  • Support for online exams, paper exams or hybrid
  • Strong security, encryption and scalability features
  • Integration with student management systems and virtual learning environments

Pricing

£6.00 a unit a year

  • Education pricing available
  • Free trial available

Service documents

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at piero.tintori@betterexaminations.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 13

Service ID

4 3 2 3 7 2 4 3 0 7 0 3 0 3 9

Contact

BetterExaminations Piero Tintori
Telephone: 1753 542 234
Email: piero.tintori@betterexaminations.com

Service scope

Software add-on or extension
No
Cloud deployment model
  • Public cloud
  • Private cloud
Service constraints
N/A
System requirements
Modern web browser

User support

Email or online ticketing support
Email or online ticketing
Support response times
Our standard SLA is outlined in our Service Definition document. Our standard help desk operates 9am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday with 24/7 monitoring and fault remediation. Support window is larger during exam periods.
User can manage status and priority of support tickets
No
Phone support
Yes
Phone support availability
9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
Web chat support
Web chat
Web chat support availability
9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
Web chat support accessibility standard
WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
Web chat accessibility testing
We internally conduct automated testing and manual testing with assistive technology users.
Onsite support
Yes, at extra cost
Support levels
Service provided as outlined in the pricing document provided.
1 - Critical impact/service down: Business critical functionality is inoperable or critical interface has failed. Condition requires an immediate solution. Response: Within 2 hours.

2 - Significant impact: A service feature or function is severely restricted in its use or Client is in jeopardy of missing business deadlines. Response: Within 3 business hours, Monday to Friday business hours.

3 - Minor impact: Indicates the service or functionality is usable. Response: Within 8 business hours, Monday to Friday business hours.

4 - Minimal impact: An inquiry or non-technical request. Response: Within 1 business day, Monday to Friday business hours
Support available to third parties
Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

Getting started
Onboarding is an important stage and we assure our clients are at ease throughout with minimal work. Our Sure Start package includes: Onsite Training Days for Staff Online Support and Web Chat User Documentation Tutorial Videos
Service documentation
Yes
Documentation formats
HTML
End-of-contract data extraction
At the end of the contract all customer data will be made available for extraction, using either APIs or other tools to transfer the data to a new system/storage. Once transferred all data held by BetterExaminations will be securely destroyed in line with ISO27001 best practice.
End-of-contract process
At the end of the contract we will provide support as required to extract any existing data from BetterExaminations systems and transfer them to the customer/new supplier. This will be priced using the provided day rates as the exact level of support will vary from customer to customer and installation to installation.

Using the service

Web browser interface
Yes
Supported browsers
  • Internet Explorer 11
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
  • Opera
Application to install
No
Designed for use on mobile devices
Yes
Differences between the mobile and desktop service
Users have the same range of functionality on mobile as desktop.
Service interface
Yes
User support accessibility
WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
Description of service interface
There is a full HTML service interface into the solution that meets ATAG-AA standards.
Accessibility standards
WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
Accessibility testing
We conduct technical testing but also user testing using screen reader technology.
API
Yes
What users can and can't do using the API
Users can interact with the system using the API in various ways however we provide a user interface for it for practical use.
API documentation
Yes
API documentation formats
PDF
API sandbox or test environment
Yes
Customisation available
Yes
Description of customisation
Customisation is available. The display can be altered to include customer logos, colour schemes and small UI changes to align with customer branding. This varies among customers and is defined at project implementation

Scaling

Independence of resources
BetterExaminations uses Amazon Web Services as our hosting provider which allows the system to automatically create new resources such as new servers automatically in the event that more are needed to deal with extra demand

Analytics

Service usage metrics
Yes
Metrics types
Student usage metrics as well as Exam Management reports
Reporting types
  • API access
  • Real-time dashboards

Resellers

Supplier type
Not a reseller

Staff security

Staff security clearance
Other security clearance
Government security clearance
Up to Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)

Asset protection

Knowledge of data storage and processing locations
Yes
Data storage and processing locations
United Kingdom
User control over data storage and processing locations
Yes
Datacentre security standards
Managed by a third party
Penetration testing frequency
At least every 6 months
Penetration testing approach
Another external penetration testing organisation
Protecting data at rest
Physical access control, complying with SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
Data sanitisation process
Yes
Data sanitisation type
Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
Equipment disposal approach
Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v.30, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001

Data importing and exporting

Data export approach
Data can be exported in a number of common formats, such as csv, file extraction and pdf. It can also interact with VLEs. This is configurable on a user roles basis, so users can only export the appropriate data that they should have access to.
Data export formats
CSV
Data import formats
CSV

Data-in-transit protection

Data protection between buyer and supplier networks
TLS (version 1.2 or above)
Data protection within supplier network
TLS (version 1.2 or above)

Availability and resilience

Guaranteed availability
We offer a 99.95% availability, assured by contractual commitments. Exact SLAs will vary from client to client
Approach to resilience
BetterExaminations uses Amazon Web Services as our hosting provider which allows the system to automatically create new resources such as new servers automatically in the event that more are needed to deal with extra demand from other users. BetterExaminations run servers in multiple datacentres so that if one datacentre becomes unavailable, the other can take over. BetterExaminations do the same for our databases, where we always have a completely separate database which is in a different database ready to take over in the event of an outage of one of them.
Outage reporting
We have a public dashboard at http://status.betterexaminations.com

Identity and authentication

User authentication needed
Yes
User authentication
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
  • Username or password
Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels
Each user on the system has a defined access level which is given by the administrator user for each client, access to different interfaces in the system is governed and restricted by this access level.
Access restriction testing frequency
At least every 6 months
Management access authentication
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
  • Username or password

Audit information for users

Access to user activity audit information
Users contact the support team to get audit information
How long user audit data is stored for
User-defined
Access to supplier activity audit information
Users contact the support team to get audit information
How long supplier audit data is stored for
User-defined
How long system logs are stored for
User-defined

Standards and certifications

ISO/IEC 27001 certification
Yes
Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001
BM Trada
ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date
20 October 2015 (first awarded)
What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover
N/A
ISO 28000:2007 certification
No
CSA STAR certification
No
PCI certification
No
Cyber essentials
Yes
Cyber essentials plus
Yes
Other security certifications
No

Security governance

Named board-level person responsible for service security
Yes
Security governance certified
Yes
Security governance standards
ISO/IEC 27001
Information security policies and processes
BetterExaminations adheres to all criteria outlined in the ISO27001 certification. Security is a pillar of the business structure and we engage in penetration testing and analysis of our software on an ongoing basis. Further details and documentation regarding our internal policies can be obtained at buyers request.

Operational security

Configuration and change management standard
Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
Configuration and change management approach
Change management of network and infrastructure equipment is part of our ISMS, based on ISO 27001 standards. Changes are categorised depending on their impact and risk and are approved or rejected by change advisory boards (consisting of members of the business responsible for the infrastructure in question, as well as representatives from other business areas or customers who could be affected by the change). Normal changes require a full testing and rollback plan as well as scheduled notification for the affected parties. Where possible, changes are managed using automated configuration management systems.
Vulnerability management type
Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
Vulnerability management approach
Information security hazards at Better Examinations arise from our business activities that require us to comply with Data Protection legislation and arises when we store data on our own customers in our systems (Better Examinations acts as a Data Controller) or when we store information on our customer’s counterparts in our systems to allow them to operate our services (Better Examinations acts as a Data Processor). Security patches are automatically applied to our services by AWS and we get information of potential threats from various security services and websites.
Protective monitoring type
Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
Protective monitoring approach
We identify potential compromises by reviewing logs at regular intervals and monitoring network traffic for unusual traffic. It is of vital importance that we ensure the continued privacy / confidentiality of client held information and the integrity of the Better Examinations systems. Accordingly, all non‐conformities are classified as minor, major, or critical and reported to the appropriate manager for investigation.
Incident management type
Conforms to a recognised standard, for example, CSA CCM v3.0 or ISO/IEC 27035:2011 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
Incident management approach
A nonconformity whether in the area of process, contractual or policy may be detected at any stage in relation to any area of the integrated organisational management system. The non-conformities generally arise as a result of the reporting by customers or staff, of issues that can be classified under the following 4 headings: Information security event, Systematic Issues, Problems, and complaints. Users can report incidents via email or our helpdesk and we provide incident reports where relevant via email.

Secure development

Approach to secure software development best practice
Independent review of processes (for example CESG CPA Build Standard, ISO/IEC 27034, ISO/IEC 27001 or CSA CCM v3.0)

Public sector networks

Connection to public sector networks
No

Social Value

Fighting climate change

Fighting climate change

BetterExaminations, part of Terminalfour Group, invests in conducting a socially responsible business, and we work hard to ensure we abide by and improve our three pillars of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). This includes keeping a careful eye on our Environmental Impact. The environmental footprint at BetterExaminations is minimal, we work on an office floor and are 99% paperless, and we reuse or recycle at all times where possible.

Some key measures we take include: Promoting effective waste management and recycling practices; conducting sessions with all employees to increase awareness of environmental responsibility; and promoting sustainable forms of transport and communication by all our staff members.
Covid-19 recovery

Covid-19 recovery

As a responsible business, committed to customer satisfaction and employee wellbeing, we’ve been monitoring and planning since the COVID-19 novel coronavirus was first reported. The impact of the pandemic hasn’t stopped or slowed down our hiring process; we’ve created more job opportunities, re-trained staff, and offered return-to-work opportunities to many. Our recruitment strategy and forecast confirm our teams will continue to grow significantly in 2022 and in the following years.

We have a robust wellness and employee assistance programme (EAP) in place to help staff members and our communities recover from the impacts of COVID-19. We also quickly moved to a remote working model to ensure social distancing and adherence to all government guidelines and restrictions.

As an ISO-27001 and ISO-9001 certified organisation, BetterExaminations maintains business continuity and disaster recovery plans that assure all of our clients that their environments continue to be hosted on the most secure and resilient infrastructure possible.
Tackling economic inequality

Tackling economic inequality

We recognise our industry is a high-growth sector. We're committed to creating more opportunities and employing more people now and in the future. We have an internal review process that enables us to promote team members to leadership positions. All staff receive ongoing training and upskilling to address skill gaps within our company and the wider industry.

The commitment to an annual salary review is enclosed in the contract of employment. BetterExaminations, part of Terminalfour Group, is an equal opportunities employer.

Underrepresented groups will be encouraged to apply for training and employment opportunities with BetterExaminations. Wherever possible, special training will be provided for such groups to prepare them to compete on genuinely equal terms for jobs and promotions.

Our recruitment policy reflects our belief that diversity in all areas including cultural, generational, language, and national backgrounds is necessary for helping us succeed in both domestic and global markets. The organisation will not discriminate against any prospective employee during the recruitment process.
Equal opportunity

Equal opportunity

We are committed to creating an environment that promotes equality at work and treating all employees, customers and business contacts equally regardless of gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race or membership of the travelling community.

We have formulated and implemented policies and practices that value diversity, provide equality of opportunity, and ensure that no job applicant, employee, customer or business associate receives less favourable treatment on any grounds. We also ensure that other policies and practices reflect our commitment to treating people fairly, promoting an integrated way of working and respecting the dignity of employees at all times.

We strive to ensure that modern slavery or human trafficking does not support our supply chain or our business. This objective is explicit in our relevant policies and our approach to how we conduct our business. In conducting appropriate due diligence, BetterExaminations assesses its suppliers across a number of key risk areas, at the onboarding stage and annually. We seek assurances, where appropriate, from our suppliers, that they are complying with applicable laws and regulations including laws relating to minimum wage, working conditions and child labour and other applicable legislation.
Wellbeing

Wellbeing

BetterExaminations, part of Terminalfour Group. operates a comprehensive health and wellness programme that all our employees can sign up to. This programme provides our employees access to self-help resources, e-learning modules, informative blog articles on all aspects of wellbeing, on-demand webinars on health and wellbeing, and so much more.

BetterExaminations operates a number of flexible working arrangements, including part-time hours, working from home policy (part or full-time working from home), and supports and encourages and has policies in place around statutory leave such as parental leave, parents leave, paternity leave, etc.

BetterExaminations asserts that workplace safety is a priority and commits itself to maintain the highest standards of safety reasonably possible in and about the premises of BetterExaminations/Terminalfour.

Pricing

Price
£6.00 a unit a year
Discount for educational organisations
Yes
Free trial available
Yes
Description of free trial
While the trial instance mirrors some of the features and functionalities of the BetterExaminations Online system, it doesn’t include all of them. We’ve created a sample environment for our trial that lets users experience the BetterExaminations system before it’s configured to their requirements.

Service documents

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at piero.tintori@betterexaminations.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.