Can Candidates Use ChatGPT in Online Tests? What Employers Should Do in 2026
Ismayil Ismayilov8 min read
Key takeaways
- Yes, they can try: in another tab, another app, or on a phone. No software can read what happens inside another app or device.
- What works is a combination: time limits, randomised questions, full-screen mode, tab-switch and copy-paste detection, and a full session recording a person can review.
- Design matters as much as detection: realistic tasks, short timers and video answers are hard to outsource to AI.
- Treat flags as evidence to review, not automatic rejections.
How candidates use AI during tests
- Second tab or window: copying the question into ChatGPT and typing back the answer.
- Copy-paste: pasting AI-generated text into essay fields.
- Screenshots: capturing questions to ask an AI or a friend.
- Second device: a phone next to the keyboard.
- Someone else takes the test.
What detection can (and can't) do
| Method | Catches | Doesn't catch |
|---|---|---|
| Tab-switch / focus detection | Leaving the test window | A second device |
| Copy-paste detection | Pasted answers | Retyped AI answers |
| Screenshot-attempt detection | Capturing questions with shortcuts | Photos taken with a phone |
| Full-screen enforcement | Using other apps on the same screen | A second device |
| Screen + webcam recording | Looking away, a phone, another person, other screens, for a human to review | Nothing is automatic; a person must review |
| Time limits | Long lookups | Fast lookups |
| Question randomisation | Shared answer lists | Real-time AI help |
No single method is enough. Together they make AI help hard and visible.
Warning signs in results
- A perfect score in a fraction of the usual time
- Several tab switches right after questions appear
- Essay answers in a polished, generic style that doesn't match the candidate's video answer
- Strong test score, weak interview on the same topic
- Webcam: the candidate repeatedly looks down or to the side, or someone else appears
Design tests that resist AI
- Short, timed questions: 60–90 seconds per question leaves no time to copy, paste and read an AI answer.
- Large randomised question pools, so leaked answers don't help.
- Practical, context-specific tasks using your own data, products or rules.
- One or two video questions: speaking spontaneously is hard to fake.
- Follow-up in the interview: ask the candidate to explain one answer from the test.
How TheyTest handles it
- Full-session screen + webcam recording with the candidate's consent, reviewable with jumps to each flagged moment
- Detection of tab switches, copy-paste, screenshot attempts, leaving full screen and stopping screen sharing
- Mandatory entire-screen sharing: if sharing stops, the test pauses behind a blocking message
- Randomised questions, time limits, no-going-back options, paste blocked in essays
- A risk grade per candidate, with the final decision made by a person
FAQ
Can online tests detect ChatGPT?
Not directly: no tool can see inside another app or device. But tab-switch and copy-paste detection, full-screen enforcement, time limits and session recording make AI use very hard to hide.
Should I reject a candidate who switched tabs?
Not automatically. A notification can cause a tab switch. Review the recording at that moment, then decide.
Is it legal to record candidates during a test?
In most countries, yes, with clear information, consent where required, a defined retention period and secure storage. See proctoring and GDPR.
