- What is CoMaS and how does e-Proctoring work?
- Before Your E-Proctored Exam
- Starting Your Exam
- Online and In-Person CoMaS Exams
- Hybrid CoMaS
- E-Proctoring Privacy and Security
- Concerns About Using CoMaS
- Technical Problems During an Exam
- Need Help with CoMaS?
- FAQ, Instructional videos and Guide
Scheduling and Examination Services (SES) provides e-Proctoring support for online and in-person digital assessments at Carleton University.
E-Proctoring helps support academic integrity during digital assessments while allowing students to complete their exams using approved online tools and resources.
The main e-Proctoring system used at Carleton is CoMaS, an application developed and managed at Carleton University.
What is CoMaS and how does e-Proctoring work?
CoMaS works alongside your exam and monitors activity during the assessment based on the requirements set for your course.
Depending on the exam setup, CoMaS may:
- Capture screenshots of your screen;
- Use your webcam to take images at intervals when required;
- Record applications and processes running on your computer;
- Record browser and web activity;
- Identify documents, applications, or websites used during the exam; and
- Restrict access to certain applications, websites, or other resources when additional controls are required.
Not every CoMaS exam uses all of these features. The setup depends on the type of assessment and the resources your instructor has allowed.
CoMaS is not an AI-based proctoring system and does not automatically decide whether academic misconduct has occurred. Information collected during the exam is reviewed by the Online Exams team within Scheduling and Examination Services (SES).
Before Your E-Proctored Exam
If your course uses e-Proctoring with CoMaS, SES will send you instructions 7 calendar days before your assessment. These instructions will explain how to install CoMaS, log in, test your setup, and prepare your computer.
You should:
- Download and install CoMaS at least 3 days before your exam;
- Complete the required CoMaS test to make sure it works properly on your computer;
- Make sure the required screen and camera permissions are enabled;
- Review which websites, applications, files, and other resources you are allowed to use during your exam; and
- Contact the Online Exams team before your exam if CoMaS is not working correctly.
Please do not wait until exam day to install or test CoMaS. Testing early gives us time to help if there is a problem with your setup.
Starting Your Exam
Always start and log in to CoMaS before accessing your exam.
The order is important:
- Open CoMaS and log in using the information provided in your invitation email.
- Allow the required screen and camera permissions, if prompted.
- Once CoMaS is running correctly, log in to Brightspace (if exam is written in Brightspace) and go to your course and assessment.
- For many Brightspace exams, the exam password will be displayed in one of the CoMaS browser tabs.
- Enter the password in Brightspace if required.
- Wait until the scheduled start time and begin your exam.
Keep CoMaS running for the entire assessment. Do not close CoMaS or any required CoMaS browser tabs until your exam is complete.
Online and In-Person CoMaS Exams
CoMaS can be used for both remote online exams and in-person digital exams.
If you are writing remotely, your CoMaS setup may include webcam monitoring in addition to screen and computer activity.
If you are writing an in-person digital exam, some requirements may be different because you are already writing in a supervised exam location. For example, webcam monitoring may not be required.
Always follow the instructions provided for your specific assessment, as the setup may differ from one course or exam to another.
Hybrid CoMaS
Some assessments use Hybrid CoMaS, which provides additional controls during the exam. Depending on the assessment, Hybrid CoMaS may restrict access to applications, websites, or other computer resources that are not permitted during the exam.
If your assessment uses Hybrid CoMaS, follow the instructions provided in our student guide carefully. You may also be required to run CoMaS with administrator access. Windows and macOS handle administrator access differently, so follow the instructions provided for your operating system.
Important: Make sure your CoMaS folders are not synced with OneDrive or another cloud storage service, as this may interfere with your CoMaS session.
E-Proctoring Privacy and Security
Carleton University takes the privacy and security of student information seriously. CoMaS has undergone reviews by Carleton’s Information Security and Privacy Offices.
CoMaS monitoring takes place during your active exam session. The information collected depends on how CoMaS has been configured for your assessment and may include:
- Screen captures;
- Webcam images, when required;
- Browser and web activity;
- Applications and processes running during the assessment;
- Documents or files used during the assessment;
- Network and system information; and
- Other activity related to your CoMaS exam session.
Information collected by CoMaS is securely transferred to Carleton’s internal servers and is only available to authorized staff for review.
Concerns About Using CoMaS
If you have privacy, accessibility, technical, or other concerns about using CoMaS, please speak with your course instructor well before your exam.
Depending on the circumstances and the requirements of the assessment, your instructor and SES can review your concern and determine what options may be available.
If your concern is technical, please contact the Online Exams team as early as possible so there is enough time to troubleshoot your setup before the assessment.
Technical Problems During an Exam
If you experience a problem with CoMaS during your assessment, contact us immediately. If CoMaS closes or stops working, try to restart it. If you are unable to get CoMaS running again, contact us immediately for assistance.
Do not continue writing your exam without CoMaS running. CoMaS is required for assessments using e-Proctoring. The Online Exams team will review the issue and help you get back into your exam. Where applicable, additional time may be provided to account for time lost because of the technical problem.
If your Internet connection is temporarily interrupted, do not close CoMaS. CoMaS can continue collecting information while your connection is unavailable and upload it once the connection returns.
If the connection problem prevents you from continuing your exam, reach out to our team as soon as possible. We will review the issue and determine whether additional time or other support is required.
Need Help with CoMaS?
For CoMaS installation, testing, setup, or technical questions, contact the Online Exams team at:
When contacting us, please include:
- Your full name;
- Student number;
- Course code;
- Exam date and time;
- Whether you are using Windows or macOS, including the version if known;
- A short description of the problem; and
- A screenshot of any error message, if available.
Providing this information will help us review the issue and assist you more quickly.
You can also review the CoMaS Student Guides and Frequently Asked Questions below for help with common setup questions and exam-day situations.