ProctorU vs CyberSeal.ai: Why Human Proctors Alone Aren't Enough in 2025
ProctorU pioneered live online proctoring and remains the market leader for high-stakes exams requiring human oversight. But as AI cheating becomes more sophisticated, even trained human proctors struggle to identify AI-generated answers and sophisticated cheating tools. Here's how CyberSeal.ai fills the gaps.
ProctorU's Strength: Live Human Oversight
ProctorU built its reputation on having real people watch students take exams via webcam. These trained proctors can intervene when they see suspicious behavior - students looking off-screen too long, unusual movements suggesting they're reading notes, or detecting unauthorized people in the room.
For traditional cheating methods, this human oversight is excellent. A proctor can spot behaviors that automated systems might flag incorrectly. They understand context: a student looking down isn't necessarily cheating; they might be reading the question more carefully. This nuanced judgment is ProctorU's key advantage.
The AI Era Challenge: What Human Proctors Can't See
The challenge ProctorU faces is fundamental: human proctors can only observe behavior, not analyze content. When a student uses ChatGPT on a second device - a phone or tablet positioned just out of camera view - the proctor sees someone sitting calmly and typing. There's no suspicious behavior to flag.
This creates a concerning scenario for institutions using ProctorU alone. Students can:
AI Cheating Methods Human Proctors Miss:
- Use ChatGPT on second devices: Type questions into phones/tablets, copy AI-generated answers back
- Screen sharing assistance: Share their screen with helpers who provide answers in real-time
- Use virtual cameras: Feed pre-recorded or synthetic video to bypass identity verification
- Receive AI voice coaching: Get real-time answers through tiny earpieces from AI voice assistants
In each case, the student appears calm and focused - exactly how an honest test-taker looks. Human proctors, no matter how experienced, cannot detect AI-generated content by watching behavior alone.
CyberSeal.ai: AI Detection for the AI Era
CyberSeal.ai takes a completely different approach. Instead of watching students, we analyze the digital environment: detecting AI tools, identifying synthetic media, and recognizing the linguistic patterns of AI-generated text. Our system achieves 99.7% accuracy because it's looking for AI signatures, not suspicious behaviors.
The key difference: CyberSeal.ai detects the tools, not the user. We identify when ChatGPT or other LLMs generate responses. We spot virtual camera software and screen sharing. We recognize AI assistance patterns. These are technical detections that no amount of human observation can replicate.
Head-to-Head: Detection Capabilities
| Threat Type | CyberSeal.ai | ProctorU |
|---|---|---|
| AI-generated answers (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) | ✓ 99.7% accuracy | ✗ Cannot detect |
| Screen sharing detection | ✓ Real-time detection | ✗ Cannot detect |
| Virtual camera software (OBS, etc.) | ✓ Automatic | ✗ Cannot detect |
| Second device usage | ✓ Advanced | ~ Limited visibility |
| Traditional cheating (notes, helpers) | Optional | ✓ Excellent |
| Human judgment & intervention | Optional | ✓ Core feature |
Better Together: ProctorU + CyberSeal.ai
The comparison above reveals something important: ProctorU and CyberSeal.ai are complementary, not competitive. ProctorU excels at catching traditional cheating through human observation. CyberSeal.ai excels at detecting AI-assisted cheating through technical analysis.
Many institutions keep ProctorU for high-stakes exams where human judgment is valuable, while adding CyberSeal.ai to catch the AI cheating that human proctors miss. This layered security approach provides comprehensive protection without requiring institutional migration or training.
Cost Considerations
ProctorU's human proctor model means per-session charges that add up quickly for high-volume testing. CyberSeal.ai's AI-first approach offers unlimited detections within your plan, often providing better protection at lower cost for institutions with frequent assessments.
For institutions with occasional high-stakes exams, using both solutions makes sense: ProctorU for premium assessments where human oversight justifies the cost, and CyberSeal.ai for all other exams where AI detection is critical but human proctors aren't required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I switch from ProctorU to CyberSeal.ai?
CyberSeal.ai detects AI cheating methods that ProctorU misses, including ChatGPT usage and virtual cameras. While ProctorU relies on human proctors, CyberSeal.ai uses advanced AI detection with 99.7% accuracy. Plus, CyberSeal.ai integrates with your existing ProctorU setup - no migration needed.
Can I use CyberSeal.ai alongside ProctorU?
Yes! CyberSeal.ai is designed to enhance your existing proctoring solution, not replace it. You can add CyberSeal.ai's AI detection layer on top of ProctorU for comprehensive protection against both traditional and AI-powered cheating.
How does CyberSeal.ai pricing compare to ProctorU?
CyberSeal.ai offers transparent session-based pricing starting at $299/month. Unlike ProctorU's human proctor model which charges per session, CyberSeal.ai provides unlimited AI detection within your plan, often resulting in significant cost savings for high-volume institutions.
Does CyberSeal.ai detect ChatGPT cheating better than ProctorU?
Yes. ProctorU was built before the AI cheating era and relies primarily on human proctors watching video feeds. CyberSeal.ai was purpose-built to detect AI-generated responses, including ChatGPT, Claude, and other LLMs, with 99.7% accuracy.
See How CyberSeal.ai Fills the Gaps
Whether you're looking to enhance your ProctorU setup or explore a complete alternative, we'll show you exactly what AI cheating looks like and how CyberSeal.ai detects it in real-time. Our demo includes actual examples of cheating attempts that human proctors missed but our system caught immediately.