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.

No - they are different products from different vendors. Your exam was contracted to one or the other.

Same invisibility. Window privacy is enforced by macOS, regardless of whether the app uploads later or never.

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.