How Chegg's Honor Shield Addresses the Growing Challenge of Online Exam Integrity

As educational institutions worldwide accelerated their digital transformation during the pandemic, online testing became mainstream. However, this shift created new vulnerabilities in academic assessment. Chegg has now stepped in with Honor Shield, a confidential tool designed to safeguard exam integrity by blocking access to its study solutions during designated test periods.

The Scale of the Shift to Online Learning

The pandemic fundamentally reshaped higher education’s delivery model. At the peak of the crisis in spring 2020, 96% of colleges (1,388 out of 1,442 surveyed by the Davidson College Crisis Initiative) had transitioned to online instruction. By fall 2020, the transition proved more permanent than initially expected, with approximately 65% of the 2,958 U.S. colleges surveyed continuing to deliver at least some programs in virtual formats.

The Problem: Misuse of Educational Resources

With millions of students relying on remote learning, some have exploited online resources in ways unaligned with academic principles. Nathan Schultz, President of Learning Services at Chegg, acknowledged this challenge: “While the vast majority of our users leverage our platform appropriately for legitimate learning support, the rapid shift to online assessments created conditions where some students circumvented exam protocols. We recognized our responsibility in this ecosystem.”

Honor Shield: A Multi-Layered Solution

The Honor Shield tool allows educators to pre-submit exam questions confidentially and at no cost. During specified test windows, these questions cannot be answered through Chegg’s platform, creating a protective barrier for academic assessment. After successful pilot testing, Chegg has rolled out the service across the United States with plans for global expansion.

This initiative complements Chegg’s existing integrity safeguards, which include continuous technology and human monitoring, expert staff training, user prompts, platform bans for violations, strict DMCA compliance, and active cooperation with university honor code investigations.

Industry Collaboration as the Path Forward

Schultz emphasized that protecting academic integrity requires partnership: “As online education becomes the norm rather than the exception, technology companies and educational institutions must evolve together. This isn’t about restricting access to learning tools—it’s about ensuring those tools support legitimate educational outcomes.”

Chegg’s approach reflects a broader industry recognition that as education moves online permanently, platforms must balance accessibility with accountability. Honor Shield represents one practical solution to this complex challenge.