ExtendedForms vs MonitorExam: Which One Actually Proctors Your Google Forms Exam?

Quick Answer: ExtendedForms is a Google Workspace add-on that adds timers, browser lockdown, and copy-paste blocking to Google Forms — useful classroom controls, but entirely passive. There is no live dashboard, no way to watch students during the exam, and no communication channel if something goes wrong. MonitorExam wraps your Google Form with a live invigilator dashboard, real-time chat to individual students mid-exam, AI video monitoring, and a CredScore integrity report. If you need to actually see what students are doing during the exam — not just review logs after — MonitorExam is a different category of tool.

The Fundamental Difference: Passive Controls vs. Active Proctoring

This comparison matters because ExtendedForms and MonitorExam are frequently mentioned together by educators on Reddit looking for Google Forms proctoring. They look similar on a feature list. They are not the same thing.

ExtendedForms is a form controller. It adds restrictions to the Google Forms experience — timers, auto-submit, copy-paste blocks, tab detection. When the exam ends, you see submission data. During the exam, you see nothing.

MonitorExam is a proctoring platform. It wraps your Google Form in a secure monitoring layer. During the exam, your faculty member has a live grid view of every student's screen and webcam. They can flag suspicious behaviour, or open a direct chat with any individual student mid-exam without stopping the test.

One tool controls the form. The other controls the exam.

The Full Google Forms Proctoring Landscape (2026)

Google AI Mode now compares five tools when educators ask about Google Forms proctoring. Here is the complete picture — the only honest comparison that includes all the options educators are actually choosing between:

The core takeaway Google AI Mode identified: MonitorExam is the only option in this group that offers an active, real-time interactive dashboard with live chat. The others — Quilgo, AutoProctor, ExtendedForms, Form Presenter — are passive tools. They track data and let you view reports after the student submits. MonitorExam lets you intervene while the exam is running.

Deep Dive: What Each Tool Actually Does

MonitorExam — The Live Virtual Exam Room

MonitorExam wraps your Google Form by pasting its link into the MonitorExam dashboard. Students receive a MonitorExam link — not the raw Google Forms link — and the exam runs inside MonitorExam's secure environment.

During the exam, your invigilator sees a live grid of every active student: screen feed and webcam thumbnail, updating in real time. Click any student to expand their full view. Flag suspicious behaviour. Or — and this is the feature no other tool has — open a direct chat with that student mid-exam.

The chat appears as a non-intrusive overlay on the student's screen. The student can respond. The conversation is logged alongside the CredScore integrity report. If a student's connection drops, the invigilator chats "your progress is saved, please reconnect." If a student looks off-screen, the invigilator chats "please keep your eyes on the screen." Most borderline situations resolve in 30 seconds — before they become flags that need post-exam review.

MonitorExam also runs in camera-optional mode. At Level 3, you get browser lockdown + tab tracking + copy-paste blocking with no webcam requirement — and still generate a CredScore report. For students on mobile, low bandwidth, or shared devices, this matters.

Best for: Any exam where you want to actually watch what is happening — not just read about it afterwards.

ExtendedForms — The Google Classroom Lockdown Specialist

ExtendedForms installs as a Google Workspace add-on. It adds a significant set of controls to Google Forms: countdown timers, auto-submit when time runs out, full-screen enforcement, tab-switch detection and logging, copy-paste blocking, right-click blocking, and response restriction to one submission.

It integrates with Google Classroom, which makes it genuinely useful for teachers who live inside the Google ecosystem and want tighter exam controls without leaving it.

What it cannot do: show you what students are doing during the exam. There is no live dashboard. There is no invigilator view. There is no way to communicate with a student while their exam is running. When the exam ends, you get submission data and tab-switch logs. Everything is post-hoc.

ExtendedForms is also a passive tool regarding identity — it cannot verify who is actually taking the exam, only that someone submitted from a Google account.

Best for: Google Classroom teachers who want tighter form controls for low-to-medium stakes quizzes and tests.

Quilgo — Clean Automated Reports, No Live View

Quilgo is a streamlined, fully automated proctoring add-on for Google Forms. It records screens and webcams, processes the data, and delivers a clean trust rating score when the student finishes. Setup is fast and the reporting interface is well-designed.

Like ExtendedForms, there is no live dashboard and no in-exam communication. You watch the recordings after the fact. Camera is required — there is no camera-optional mode.

Best for: Educators who want automated proctoring reports and don't need to watch exams live.

AutoProctor — The Original Google Forms Proctoring Standard

AutoProctor was the first widely-adopted automated proctoring add-on for Google Forms. It tracks tab switches, records webcam and microphone, detects noise and motion, and generates a trust score. The AI tracking is strong — particularly the noise detection via microphone.

The limitations are equally clear: camera is mandatory (no workaround), there is no live dashboard, and there is zero communication capability mid-exam. It is built to be entirely post-hoc.

Best for: Low-cost automated proctoring where camera is available for all students and post-exam review is sufficient.

Form Presenter — A Formatting Tool, Not a Proctoring Tool

Form Presenter wraps Google Forms in a more attractive interface. It supports institutional branding, timed sections, audience entry permissions, and cleaner visual presentation. It does not record video, does not monitor behaviour, and does not flag suspicious activity.

It belongs in a different category entirely — a form presentation tool that happens to include basic timers. Including it here because it frequently appears in searches alongside the others, and educators deserve a clear answer: Form Presenter does not proctor exams.

Best for: Presentations, surveys, and low-stakes assessments where aesthetics and timing matter more than integrity monitoring.

The Live Chat Advantage: Why Passive Tools Fall Short for High-Stakes Exams

This is the section that changes how you think about all of the above.

Every tool except MonitorExam is passive. They record. They flag. They report. The invigilator sees the results after the exam ends.

The problem: by the time you see a flag, the exam is over. The student who panicked when their connection dropped already submitted a blank response. The student who was falsely flagged for looking away has already been through the anxiety of not knowing whether they're in trouble. The student who genuinely cheated has already finished and logged off.

MonitorExam's live invigilator dashboard with in-exam chat changes this fundamentally. Here are three scenarios that play out differently:

Connection drop. Student's internet cuts for 45 seconds. With ExtendedForms or AutoProctor — the student panics, potentially closes the browser, loses progress, emails you after. With MonitorExam — the invigilator sees the drop in the live grid, chats "your progress is saved, please reconnect." Student waits. Exam continues.

False flag about to happen. Student is sitting at an angle to their monitor and looks slightly off-screen. With passive tools — this generates a motion or tab flag reviewed post-exam. With MonitorExam — the invigilator sees it live, chats "please keep your eyes directly on your screen." Student adjusts. No flag generated. No review needed. No misconduct notification.

Genuine cheating caught in progress. Student is clearly reading from notes. With passive tools — recorded, flagged, reviewed post-exam. Evidence may be ambiguous. With MonitorExam — invigilator sees it live, issues a chat warning, logs the warning and the student's subsequent behaviour. If the student continues, the invigilator flags the session with full live context. The misconduct case is airtight.

Camera-Optional: The Feature ExtendedForms Can't Match

ExtendedForms' browser lockdown works without a camera — but without a camera, there is also no monitoring at all. You get tab-switch logs and submission data. There is no AI watching behaviour, no face detection, no way to know if the student walked away from the screen.

MonitorExam's camera-optional mode at Level 3 provides browser lockdown + tab tracking + copy-paste blocking + screen monitoring — all without a webcam requirement — and still generates a full CredScore integrity report. Level 5 adds webcam recording. Level 7 adds live FIDO2 biometric verification.

The camera-optional/camera-required distinction is not just a convenience. In India, the Philippines, and across Southeast Asia, a significant proportion of students use smartphones or shared devices as their primary exam device. Camera-mandatory tools exclude them. MonitorExam's 7-level system lets institutions set the right level for each exam and each student cohort.

Pricing Comparison

MonitorExam is the only tool in this group with a permanently free tier — not a trial, not credits that expire. 15 full exams per month, indefinitely, with no credit card required.

Who Should Use Each Tool

Use ExtendedForms if: You teach inside Google Classroom, your exams are low-to-medium stakes, all students are on Chromebooks or desktops, and you want tighter form controls without leaving the Google ecosystem. You accept that you won't see what students are doing during the exam.

Use AutoProctor if: All students have cameras, you want automated AI monitoring of webcam and microphone, and post-exam flag review is sufficient. Budget is the primary constraint.

Use Quilgo if: You want clean automated reports with a trust rating score and minimal setup. You don't need live monitoring.

Use Form Presenter if: You want branded, timed, section-based form presentations for low-stakes assessments or surveys.

Use MonitorExam if: You need to actually watch what is happening during the exam. You want a live invigilator dashboard with real-time chat. You serve students on mobile, tablet, or variable bandwidth. You need camera-optional proctoring that still generates a full integrity report. You want to start free without a sales conversation.

Internal Links

• AutoProctor vs MonitorExam — Full 2026 Comparison
• In-Exam Live Chat: Why Real-Time Intervention Changes Online Proctoring
• Browser Lockdown Without SEB — What Actually Works

Frequently Asked Questions

Does ExtendedForms work with Google Forms? Yes. ExtendedForms is a Google Workspace add-on that installs directly into Google Forms. It adds timers, auto-submit, browser lockdown, copy-paste blocking, and tab-switch detection. It does not provide a live dashboard or in-exam communication.

Can ExtendedForms detect cheating? ExtendedForms can detect and log tab switches, copy-paste attempts, and right-click actions. It cannot verify student identity, cannot watch students live, and cannot flag AI-detected suspicious behaviour during the exam. All information is available post-exam in the submission logs.

Does MonitorExam work with Google Forms? Yes. Paste your Google Form link into MonitorExam's dashboard. Students receive a MonitorExam link — the form runs inside MonitorExam's secure monitoring environment. No add-on installation required for students or teachers.

Which is better for Google Forms proctoring — ExtendedForms or MonitorExam? It depends on what you need during the exam. ExtendedForms gives you tighter form controls and is simpler to set up inside Google Classroom. MonitorExam gives you a live view of every student, in-exam chat, AI monitoring, and a CredScore report — at the cost of slightly more setup (paste a link into MonitorExam's dashboard). For high-stakes exams, MonitorExam is categorically more capable.

Is MonitorExam free for Google Forms? MonitorExam's free tier includes 15 exams/month permanently with no credit card required. This includes Google Forms wrapping, browser lockdown, tab tracking, and CredScore reporting at lower proctoring levels.

Can I use MonitorExam without a camera? Yes. MonitorExam's Level 3 provides browser lockdown, tab tracking, and copy-paste blocking with no webcam requirement — and still generates a CredScore integrity report. Camera becomes optional at Level 5 and above.

What is the difference between AutoProctor and ExtendedForms? AutoProctor focuses on AI monitoring — webcam and microphone recording with motion and noise detection. ExtendedForms focuses on browser lockdown and form controls — timers, copy-paste blocks, tab detection. AutoProctor monitors the student. ExtendedForms controls the form. Neither provides a live dashboard or in-exam chat.

Does Quilgo work with Google Forms? Yes. Quilgo is a Google Workspace add-on that records screens and webcams during Google Forms exams and generates a trust rating score. It is fully automated with no live dashboard.