Respondus Monitor - Reviewing Videos

Last updated: July 16, 2026

It is important for faculty to review and check the exam recordings captured by Respondus Monitor. While Respondus does add "flags" to recordings, which can help you narrow down the videos you need to review; it's important to realize what Respondus does and does not flag so you're aware what behavior may go unnoticed by the automated flagging system. 

What Are Flags

Respondus flag icon Respondus "flags" denote events that occurred during the exam session where a problem might exist. The flags are added when certain events occured which allows you to view problematic videos more easily and to prioritize your review as needed.

What Is Flagged

Things such as multiple persons in frame, student missing from frame, internet interruption, low face detection, and session terminated early are a few things which may trigger a flag. To view the list of events which produce a flag, please click here. 

What Is Not Flagged 

  • Audio: There's no meaningful way to differentiate sounds that are allowed or just in the background without generating false flags. For example, some test takers read the questions to themselves or make noise typing. Additionally, some instructors embed audio in quiz questions (very common with foreign language exams).  
  • Eye Movement: If a student's face remains visible during the recording there may not be a flagged event, even though the student's eyes are looking down or off-screen. Flags are only added to a video if the system cannot detect a face, or only detects a partial face, eyes are not tracked independently.

These are important considerations to remember because that behavior would only get noticed during your review of the exam recordings. Eyes constantly looking down, or off-screen, or audio which gives students the answer may only get noticed because of your review of the recordings. However, there is a setting you can adjust which may increase the number of flags added to the recordings. 

Sensitivity Setting

Flags are applied to recordings based on a sensitivity level setting, which is a course-section-level setting. Because it lives at the course section level, we are unable to adjust it globally across all course sections. However, if you wish to adjust this setting, you may do so. 

What is the Sensitivity Setting

Adjusting the sensitivity level affects which events are flagged for review and the Review Priority value. Additionally, the sensitivity setting allows you to select whether to flag when a handheld device, such as calculators or phones, were detected in frame. 

 

Sensitivity level has three options:

 

Strict

Strict sensitivity adds the “Partially Missing” flag to indicate when the student’s eyes and/or portions of the face aren’t appearing in the video. Strict sensitivity detects when portions of the face have moved outside of the video frame, or when both eyes of the test taker aren’t visible. Strict sensitivity might be appropriate for tests where students aren’t using outside resources like books, calculators, or scratch paper.

 

Standard (DEFAULT)

Standard sensitivity, which is the default setting, is for a typical exam environment where students have a frontal camera and are mostly looking in the direction of their screen.

 

Relaxed

Relaxed sensitivity relies less on face detection and more on whether a student is somewhere in the video frame. A Missing flag will still result if a person cannot be detected at all. Relaxed sensitivity is recommended for exams that permit students to use additional resources (notes, books, calculators etc.), write on paper, or generally, look away from their screen. It is also recommended when an instructor requires the webcam to be positioned with a side-view angle of the student.

 

As you review the exam recordings in your sections, if you notice behavior that should result in a flag but one is missing from the video - try increasing the sensitivity level to "Strict". You can do so from within your course, by following the steps below. 

Adjusting the Sensitivity Setting

Please be aware that strict sensitivity may generate additional flags but it does NOT track eye movement nor does it specifically flag a student simply for looking down. If the student’s face and eyes remains within the camera frame, the behavior may not be flagged even with Strict sensitivity. This is why manual review is important.