ETS Strengthens Test Integrity and Reduces Identity Fraud with Advanced Identity Verification

Ensuring that the candidate is who they say they are when they register for the assessment and is the same person who ultimately sits for the test, is central to the credibility of any assessment program. For ETS, this became a growing concern as both the scale of global testing and the sophistication of fraud attempts increased, including the rise of ‘proxy testing’ where a more qualified individual is paid to take the exam and organized cheating rings. Remote testing in particular introduced new opportunities for impostors, who could exploit gaps in online verification or manipulate digital identity artifacts. Complicating matters further, the threat landscape evolved at a pace that outstripped traditional identity assurance methods. Deepfakes became accessible to the general public, enabling impersonators to present AI generated likenesses during remote proctoring.

Meanwhile, providing legitimate candidates with a frictionless, efficient onboarding process on registration-day and reducing the friction introduced by additional verification on test-day was imperative.

According to the Entrust 2025 Identity Fraud Report, digital document forgeries increased 244% globally in 2024, driven largely by AI assisted fraud techniques. Against this backdrop, ETS needed a modern, scalable, and adaptive identity verification solution capable of responding to evolving risks in real time while maintaining global consistency across thousands of testing locations.

主な課題には、次のようなものがありました。

• Rising proxy testing and impersonation: Fraudsters used both professional impersonators and AI generated likenesses to bypass security checks during remote exams.
• Rapid emergence of deepfake driven fraud: New generative AI tools enabled realistic spoofing that could successfully deceive traditional identity checks and proctoring workflows.
• Proliferation of document forgery: Counterfeit IDs, including digitally altered passports, surged dramatically year over year.
• Need for unified processes: ETS required a consistent, low friction identity experience across remote and physical exam environments.

These escalating threats made it clear that ETS needed a future ready identity verification approach with strong AI-powered fraud detection, biometric authentication, and seamless integration across all testing modalities.

To address these challenges, ETS implemented Entrust Identity Verification (IDV) as the cornerstone of a secure and globally consistent identity assurance framework. The solution not only strengthens fraud prevention but also improves the candidate experience by moving robust identity verification to the registration stage—minimizing repeated checks on test day. This framework is further enhanced by Entrust’s AI driven fraud detection capabilities, which power critical steps such as biometric matching and liveness analysis, ensuring that fraudulent attempts are identified early in the process.

This modernized workflow begins with strong identity proofing at registration, incorporating mobile-based ID document verification, NFC chip reading for enhanced smart credential validation, selfie capture, and AI driven liveness detection and biometric matching. Entrust then securely orchestrates and transmits identity data—leveraging more than 250 verification signals—into ETS systems.

On test day, ETS relies on this trusted, previously verified identity record to confirm that the individual appearing for the exam matches the person validated during registration, whether testing in person or online. The result is a flexible, integrated architecture that enables ETS to rapidly respond to emerging threats, strengthen test integrity, and reduce friction for legitimate test takers across its global programs.

Core solution components included:

• Document authentication with NFC chip scanning to validate government IDs with higher assurance.
• Biometric verification and liveness check to establish the trusted identity of the candidate on registration day and to confirm the match on test day.
• AI driven deepfake detection to identify and stop impersonation attempts using synthetic faces or manipulated video feeds.
• Identity orchestration and secure data transmission enabling ETS to make confident decisions while protecting sensitive data.
• Unified user experience across mobile registration, test center check in, and secure remote proctoring environments.

Together, these capabilities created a single, trusted identity profile for TOEFL and GRE candidates, reducing operational strain and elevating test security across these assessment programs.

The adoption of Entrust IDV has had a wide ranging impact across ETS’s global assessment programs. By performing robust identity verification earlier in the process, ETS dramatically improved the security and efficiency of test day operations. This has reduced the burden on test center staff, streamlined candidate onboarding, and strengthened confidence in remote test delivery—an essential capability as high stakes exams continue shifting online.

Most importantly, the integrated identity framework has significantly expanded ETS’s ability to detect and deter emerging forms of fraud. Deepfake related attacks can now be intercepted using Entrust’s AI powered detection mechanisms. The identity-centric approach has also reduced the window of opportunity for professional impersonators and proxy testers, helping protect the fairness and reputation of ETS assessments.

Key results included:

• Strengthened fraud prevention through advanced biometric matching, liveness checks, and deepfake detection.
• Lower friction for legitimate test takers, with streamlined authentication on test day thanks to robust registration day IDV.
• Improved operational consistency across global test centers and remote proctoring environments.
• Future ready security posture built on continuous AI improvements and scalable data driven verification.
• Heightened resilience in the face of evolving fraud trends, including deepfake frequency and document forgery spikes.

These results affirm ETS’s leadership in secure, identity centric assessment delivery and demonstrate the value of a unified global verification system.