It depends on the settings your instructor or employer chose. Proctorio can block new tabs outright, or it can allow them and log every page you visit. The exam's requirements screen tells you which setup applies.
The settings that control this
Proctorio's lockdown options include:
- Disable New Tabs, which blocks you from opening a new tab
- Close Open Tabs, which makes you close existing tabs before the exam starts
- Force Full-Screen, which keeps the exam in full screen
- Only One Screen, which requires a single monitor
If new tabs are disabled, you cannot open one. If they are allowed, the next question is whether the session is recording them.
What gets logged
Proctorio's recording options include Record Screen and Record Web Traffic. With web traffic recording on, Proctorio logs the URL and a screenshot of each page you visit during the exam.
Behavior settings can also log an event whenever you open a new tab, browser or application other than the exam. Each event goes into the session record.
If you open a tab while the exam is running and logging is on, the event goes into the session record for review.
What you cannot do
You cannot open a tab when the setting blocks it. You cannot hide a visit when web traffic recording is on, because the URL and screenshot are captured.
The extension only watches the exam. Proctorio's extension is only active during the exam and deactivates when you submit. Reviewers cannot see sites you visited before or after the exam.
How to tell which settings apply
Check the exam's requirements screen before you start. It lists the settings for that exam. If it is not clear, ask your instructor or the exam administrator which options are switched on.
What the flags mean
Proctorio flags behavior for a human to review. The instructor decides what the flag means. A logged page visit still needs a person to judge it.
If you want the wider picture, read whether Proctorio detects cheating.
For employers
A tab-switch log says little about job performance. Evaluate skills with structured scoring. AI Candidate Evaluation gives you that comparison.