AI Overlay for Coursera Proctored Exams on Mac

Coursera Plus and Coursera for Business deliver many courses with optional proctored final exams. The proctor is typically ProctorU, integrated through a Chrome extension and a Coursera-side launcher.

A "verified" Coursera exam runs in two phases: an identity check via webcam plus ID, then a screen-shared session monitored by a ProctorU live agent or an asynchronous AI review. Both phases use ProctorU's Guardian Browser or Chrome extension to capture the screen and webcam. macOS' capture pipeline is mediated by Apple, not by ProctorU; the privacy flag we set on the Fracture window is enforced before any frame reaches Coursera or ProctorU. The recording, the live agent feed, and the asynchronous AI review all see the same filtered frames.

Coursera Plus is a subscription tier, not a proctor. The proctored exams within Plus use ProctorU or Examity; the overlay is invisible to both on Mac.

You lose it if you violate the Coursera Honor Code and they catch you. Technical invisibility does not change the policy. We do not advise using the overlay for graded work where AI is forbidden.

The ID step uses your webcam to compare a live photo with a stored ID. The overlay is on the screen, not in front of the camera, so it does not affect the ID match.