Fully Exam Kiosk vs TAO

Fully Exam Kiosk locks an Android device to a configured exam website during an online exam. Students can use the quiz site and its features, while the kiosk blocks access to other websites, apps, and device features; it also blocks app switching and screen capture. It supports learning management systems that work with Safe Exam Browser, including Moodle. Teachers can prepare configurations and distribute them as FEK files, permalinks, or QR codes, and can import Moodle Safe Exam Browser configuration files (.seb). Other exam websites can be used if their URL is kept secret, since students could otherwise open the site in another browser. The app can run on school-owned or student-owned devices. Safe kiosk mode may require show-on-top and usage-data access permissions. Kiosk mode can end through a configured quit link, a password-protected quit button, or a device reboot. The plan is free, with free access stated to last at least until the end of 2027. The maker notes that exam-site speed, bugs, and user experience are outside its control.

TAO is an online platform for creating, delivering and managing digital assessments. Authors can build tests manually, convert existing exam files, use AI-assisted drafting or import QTI packages. Question formats include Choice, Extended Text, File Upload, Hotspot and Text Entry. Scoring supports automatic and manual methods, partial credit, weighted responses and cut scores, with branching logic also available. Results can be reviewed through session and test-taker reports, custom reports, CSV results, Data Explorer and TAO Insights. TAO supports QTI 2.2 and QTI 3.0, and promotes interoperability through QTI and LTI. Delivery options include online, LMS via LTI, test centers, local proctoring, and cloud-hosted or self-hosted configurations. TAO Cloud offers shared or private hosting using providers including AWS, Google Cloud and Linode. Starter is free for one author and 50 learner attempts monthly; Community Edition is a free, self-hosted open-source option. Paid plans include TAO Author at $149 a month and TAO Ignite at $990 a month; custom plans are also listed.