Canvas Quiz Proctored on Mac - What to Expect
A "Canvas quiz" can run with no proctor (open-web) or with a proctor layered on top (Respondus, Honorlock, Proctorio, Examity). The technical experience depends on which proctor your professor enabled.
Instructure's Canvas LMS allows instructors to require Respondus LockDown Browser, Honorlock, Proctorio, or Examity (and a few others) for any quiz. The setup runs through Canvas' "Quiz Settings" page; you see whichever proctor your instructor picked when you click "Take the Quiz". Each proctor has its own characteristics (covered in our individual ai-overlay guides), but they share one trait on Mac: they capture through APIs that honor window privacy. The overlay is invisible to whichever your professor enabled.
Key points
- Canvas does not capture by itself.
- Common proctors on Canvas: Respondus, Honorlock, Proctorio, Examity.
- All four honor macOS window privacy.
- The overlay is invisible to whichever your professor enabled.
- Per-proctor specifics in our individual guides.
Common questions
How can I tell which proctor my Canvas quiz uses?
The "Take the Quiz" button reveals it - either it launches Respondus directly, or it asks you to install a Chrome extension (Honorlock, Proctorio), or it kicks off an Examity setup flow.
Can my professor add AI-detection to Canvas?
Yes - Turnitin AI Detection plugs into Canvas. It analyzes submitted text, not the live exam.
Does Canvas Speedgrader see anything during the exam?
No - Speedgrader is post-exam grading. Live monitoring is the proctor's job.