Examplify vs Respondus LockDown Browser - Pro Exams vs Class Quizzes
Examplify (the desktop app from ExamSoft) and Respondus LockDown Browser overlap as "secure exam delivery on Mac" but rarely show up at the same student. Examplify carries bar exams and medical boards; Respondus carries undergrad finals. Their lockdown depth and threat model differ accordingly.
Examplify decrypts a question pack at exam start, locks the system to a single fullscreen window, and re-encrypts everything before upload. Network is optional during the exam; the app focuses on local integrity. Respondus is online-only - it loads your LMS quiz over HTTPS and depends on the LMS server for question delivery and answer recording. Both lock keyboard shortcuts and screenshots, both use Apple's standard screen-capture APIs when proctoring is enabled. The overlay sits below those APIs and is invisible to either.
Key points
- Examplify: high-stakes credentialing (bar exam, USMLE, MCAT, dental boards).
- Respondus LDB: undergrad LMS quizzes (Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, D2L).
- Examplify works offline; LDB needs internet.
- Both honor macOS window privacy when their proctor add-ons capture.
- Examplify's lockdown is more aggressive at the OS level.
How it works
┌── Examplify (offline) ┐ ┌── Respondus LDB ┐ │ │ │ │ └────────────────────────┘ └────────────────────────┘
Compatibility on Mac
| Stakes | Examplify: career-altering / LDB: course grade | ~ |
| Internet required | Examplify: optional / LDB: required | ~ |
| Lockdown depth | Examplify: harder / LDB: lighter | ~ |
| Overlay invisible | Yes (both) | ✓ |
Common questions
Will an Examplify exam ever switch to Respondus?
No - they are different products from different vendors. Your exam was contracted to one or the other.
Does Examplify's offline mode mean the overlay is more or less invisible?
Same invisibility. Window privacy is enforced by macOS, regardless of whether the app uploads later or never.
Can I use the overlay on a bar exam?
Technically yes (the overlay is invisible to Examplify). Policy-wise, almost certainly violation. We do not advise it for credentialing exams where the consequence of a procedural complaint is admission revocation.