Proctor Definition & Role: Understanding Exam Supervision

A proctor is a person who supervises an examination or test. Typically, a proctor is a teacher, professor, or other educational staff member. In some cases, a proctor may be a non-educational professional, such as a lawyer or a doctor, who is hired to supervise a test or exam. Here is an example of a proctor:

During a final exam, a professor serves as the proctor. She is responsible for ensuring that the exam is conducted in a fair and orderly manner. She hands out the exams, collects them when students are finished, and monitors the students to make sure that they are not cheating. She also answers any questions about the exam that students may have.