The Best AI for Proctored Exams in 2026
TL;DR
Browser-based AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude.ai, Gemini) all live inside windows that proctoring captures normally. Lockdownify is the only tool that runs as a system overlay excluded from screen capture.
Every student who's looked up "how to use AI on a proctored exam" has hit the same wall: the AI works fine — the proctoring software just sees you using it. Tab switches are logged, second devices are flagged, screen captures show the chat window.
The question is which AI tool is actually deployable during a proctored test.
Browser AIs (ChatGPT, Claude.ai, Gemini)
All three are excellent models, but they live in browser tabs. LockDown Browser blocks browser switching entirely. Honorlock and Proctorio capture the tab in full as part of their screen recording. Using any of them mid-exam shows up directly in the proctor's review.
Phone-based AI (mobile apps)
Looking at a phone triggers the eye-gaze detector in every modern proctoring tool. Even three or four glances over the course of an exam pushes the suspicion score into review.
AI overlays (Lockdownify)
An AI overlay is software that runs in the operating system's system-window layer — invisible to every screen capture, invisible to webcam tracking (since it's on your screen, not behind you), invisible to process scanners (since it isn't categorized as a screen recorder, VM, or remote-desktop tool).
Lockdownify is the only product in market that runs this way. It supports Claude Opus 4.7 for theory, GPT-5 as a general-purpose default, and Gemini 3.1 Pro for diagrams and visual questions — switch between them per question.
How to pick the right model per subject
For essay-heavy or proof-heavy exams (philosophy, economics, advanced math), use Claude Opus 4.7. Its reasoning chain is the longest and most reliable.
For code, multilingual content, and general-purpose questions, GPT-5 is the safest default.
For anything visual — diagrams, organic chemistry structures, hand-drawn equations on the exam PDF — Gemini 3.1 Pro outperforms the others by a noticeable margin.
Try Lockdownify on your next exam.
100% bypass guarantee on every plan. Refund + exam-fee reimbursement if you ever get flagged.
Sign up nowFrequently asked questions
Can I just use ChatGPT during a proctored exam?
Only if you don't mind the proctor seeing it. ChatGPT runs in a browser tab; the screen capture records the tab; the proctor reviews it. There's no privacy from screen capture at the browser level.
Why use Lockdownify instead of just running AI in a separate window?
Because separate windows still appear in the screen capture. The operating system's capture API enumerates every visible window. Lockdownify is in the system-overlay layer, which the API skips entirely.
Will Lockdownify get me caught?
No. Lockdownify is filtered out of every screen-capture pipeline at the operating-system level — before a single pixel is ever encoded. LockDown Browser, Honorlock, Proctorio, Zoom, Teams, and Meet all read the same OS frame buffer, and Lockdownify is excluded from it. We re-test against every major proctoring tool weekly. If you ever do get flagged, we refund your subscription and reimburse the exam fee.
What platforms does Lockdownify support?
macOS 13 Ventura and later, and Windows 10 and 11. Both desktop apps ship today.
How much does it cost?
$40/month or $28/month if you pay annually (save 30%). One plan unlocks every model — Claude Opus 4.7, GPT-5, and Gemini 3.1 Pro — unlimited questions, unlimited screenshots, and the 100% bypass guarantee. Cancel anytime.
Keep reading