Astra Schedule vs Optime Exam
Astra Schedule
aais.comOptime Exam
eventmapsolutions.comSide by side
| Figure | Astra Schedule | Optime Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | £0.08/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 11 |
| Spec score · Exam Scheduling Software | 8.1 (#7) | 8.9 (#3) |
| Headquarters | Overland Park, Kansas, United States | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Integrations | Ad Astra lists integrations with Banner, Colleague, Jenzabar, Workday, and Oracle PeopleSoft Campus Solutions. | The G-Cloud price document lists API access, Outlook and Google calendar synchronization, Microsoft 365 integration, MFA, SSO and SSO role auto-provisioning as included functions. |
| Mobile access | The product page says mobile event scheduling lets users update event details from any location. | Exam schedules are accessible on mobile devices and tablets can be used for attendance monitoring. |
| Purpose | Ad Astra describes its Essential Scheduling solution as software for academic, event, and room scheduling at higher education institutions. | Optime Exam produces scheduled and resourced examination timetables and supports examination and invigilation scheduling. |
| Reporting | The product includes reports and analyses for schedule effectiveness, space use, faculty assignments, events, and course scheduling patterns. | Reports and exports include invigilator instructions, attendance registers, cover sheets and schedule information, plus dashboard metrics. |
| Security | Ad Astra’s corporate privacy notice says it uses encryption, secure servers, and monitoring to safeguard data. | EventMAP states that Exam uses end-to-end encryption for data traffic and account security and complies with GDPR. |
| Support | Support includes ticket submission, a software knowledge base, on-demand training, implementation, and strategic consulting. | Optime users can access a support centre with technical assistance and a self-help knowledge base. |
Plans
Optime Exam
- Application licence, 25,001+ studentsFree
- Application licence, 15,001–25,000 students£1 a year
- Standard user account£1.25 a year
- Application licence, 500–15,000 students£1.50 a year
- Administrator user account£20 a year
- SendGrid mail provider£500 a year
- Additional environment£4,000 a year
- Standard platform licence£6,000 a year
- Premium platform licence£12,000 a year
- Enterprise platform licence£18,000 a year
In their own words
Astra Schedule
Astra Schedule has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Optime Exam
Optime Exam is a cloud-based application for producing examination timetables and scheduling invigilation. Its AI-based engine creates clash-free, student-centric schedules with invigilator assignments and seating plans, taking configured requirements into account. These can include student needs, resource availability, invigilator workloads, and course or room constraints. Individual accommodations may include extra time, breaks, separate rooms, equipment, and assistance. The system gathers invigilator availability and workload preferences, supports automatic assignment of invigilators and teams, and allocates student seats. Invigilators can monitor attendance and check identities. Reports and exports include attendance registers, cover sheets, instructions for invigilators, and schedule information. Schedules can be published to students and invigilators, who can receive change notifications. The maker says schedules are accessible on mobile devices, including tablet attendance monitoring. A documented API is available for connecting Optime data with other applications or hardware. Pricing is on request, and a free trial can be requested.