Meaning & use
proctor
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Meanings
nouncountableAmerican
A person who watches over students during an exam to make sure nobody cheats and the rules are followed.
Grammar: A countable noun: the proctor handed out the papers.
Patterns
- a proctor for something
The proctor reminded us to put our phones away before the test began.
Each room had a proctor walking between the rows of desks.
She volunteered as a proctor for the entrance exams.
verbtransitiveAmerican
To supervise an exam to make sure it is taken fairly and according to the rules.
Grammar: Takes an exam as its object: proctor the final.
Patterns
- proctor an exam
- proctor a test
Teachers took turns proctoring the final exams.
Who will proctor the online test tomorrow?
He proctored the exam in a quiet side room.
nouncountableBritishformal
An official at some universities who is responsible for student discipline and order.
Grammar: Used mainly in academic titles at certain universities.
Patterns
- university proctor
The proctor reviewed the case of the disruptive student.
Oxford proctors enforce university rules.
A proctor attended the formal ceremony.
Word forms
| plural | proctors |
|---|---|
| third person singular | proctors |
| past tense | proctored |
| -ing form | proctoring |
Common combinations
- exam proctor
- The exam proctor collected every booklet at noon.
- proctor an exam
- Teachers proctor the exam in turns.
- online proctor
- An online proctor watched through the webcam.
- test proctor
- The test proctor announced a ten-minute warning.
- proctored exam
- It was a proctored exam, so notes were not allowed.
Synonyms and how they differ
- invigilator
- Invigilator is the British word for the same role, while proctor is mostly American.
- supervisor
- Supervisor is general and can mean any manager, whereas proctor is specific to exams.
- monitor
- Monitor can mean anyone who watches, including hall monitors, and is less formal than proctor.
- examiner
- An examiner sets or marks the exam, rather than just watching the room.
Word family
- proctoring noun
- the act of supervising an exam
- proctored adjective
- supervised by a proctor
- proctorial adjective
- relating to a proctor
- procurator noun
- an agent or official in law, from the same Latin root
Commonly confused: proctor or procter? proctor or doctor?
proctor vs procter
This is not a standard spelling; the word is proctor, and Proctor & Gamble is a company name.
proctor vs doctor
Doctor and proctor look alike but are unrelated; a proctor oversees exams.
Practice
Who tells students when to begin and stop an exam and watches for cheating?
Choose one answer.
A proctor supervises an exam and enforces its rules. The other options are not related to exam supervision.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “proctor”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.