Smowltech offers various systems for monitoring online exams, whether through the camera, microphone, or computer.
SMOWL CM is a computer monitoring software that tracks a user’s activity during an online test.
What does that mean?
This monitoring tool will review what a user or student does during an exam.
This doesn’t mean it will block you during the exam; rather, it will check which programs you have open, whether you are browsing the internet, or if you are doing anything not permitted by your institution.
Ask your institution about the conditions that will be established for your exam:
Can I use two screens? Can I open other programs?
All of this depends on your university or your course instructor. They set the limits for your monitoring.
Before Starting
If you have SMOWL CM 4.0.0 already installed on your device, please uninstall the program and download the new version (SMOWL CM 5.0.0) from your platform. SMOWL CM 4.0.0 is no longer a supported version.
Before performing a monitored activity, check with your entity where to download SMOWLCM within your platform.
How do I download SMOWL CM?
You will find the download link for SMOWL CM within your platform, in the course you are taking.
Depending on your platform, this location may vary. If in doubt, consult your teaching staff; they will inform you where to find it.
You can check within your course for your SMOWL tool. Below are some of the most common ways to find SMOWL CM.
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In MOODLE or OpenLMS, it’s common to find a block similar to this within your course. If you can’t find it, contact your institution. | In Blackboard, Canvas, or D2L, it is common to find a download button within the SMOWL tool. If you can’t find it, contact your institution.
| Within the monitoring block, you can find a download link by clicking on the computer icon 💻. |
System requirements
Windows: 10 or higher
MacOS: X (10.15 or higher)
Linux: Ubuntu 20, 22 and Debian 11
Internet Access: Before starting the installation process, ensure that the network allows connection to SMOWL.
If you are going to perform the activity on a device from a company, academic institution, university, or platform, make sure you have the necessary permissions to install new programs.
Recommended browsers
When taking an exam with SMOWL CM, we recommend using a Chromium-based browser: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera... It is also compatible with Mozilla Firefox.
If your institution has indicated that you need to install an extension in your browser, you should use any Chromium-based browser, such as Google Chrome.
Safari is not a recommended browser by Smowltech.
Installation on Windows
If you need help regarding SMOWL CM installation in Windows, you can read the following article:
Installation on MacOS
If you need help regarding SMOWL CM installation in macOS, you can read the following article:
Installation on Linux
If you need help regarding SMOWL CM installation in Linux, you can read the following article:
First Time Using SMOWL CM
Grant Browsing Permissions
The first time you access an activity, SMOWL will ask you to grant permissions to open SMOWL CM from the browser.
If you check the "always allow" box, you won’t have to grant permissions every time you access one of your exams.
Check SMOWL CM
Before accessing your activity, check that SMOWL has launched correctly. You need to ensure that SMOWL CM has launched successfully.
The camera monitoring block will inform you of the tool's status.
Connecting SMOWL CM | SMOWL CM not detected | SMOWL CM engaged |
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During the checking phase, SMOWL CM will open on your computer waiting for you to access your exam.
In case SMOWLCM is not launching correctly check your browser permissions.
During the activity
During a monitored activity, SMOWL CM will be responsible for ensuring that you meet all the requirements set by the person in charge of your course.
We recommend that you close any programs you may have running in the background that are not being used during the exam, such as Spotify.
When you access a monitored activity, you will see that SMOWL CM changes its status from waiting to System activated.
The SMOWL CM tool should be in “activity in progress” mode, displaying a red button that indicates END. In the monitoring block, you can see the blue icon along with the other tools.
If SMOWL CM is not launching correctly, check your browser permissions. If the tool is not running, the following image will appear.
Alerts During Monitoring
If during an exam the monitoring box indicates that SMOWL CM is not being detected, but the SMOWL CM tool appears active with the End button, you can refresh the page to correct the alert message.
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If the issue persists, contact your institution.
Closing SMOWL CM
Once you have completed the activity, click “submit all and finish.” The camera monitoring and audio capture (if enabled by your institution) will be interrupted.
If you have desktop monitoring, you must ensure to close SMOWL CM by clicking “End” and then “Confirm.”
If you close the activity without closing SMOWL CM, the tool will ask you if you have finished the exam.