A 2017 study by Alessio et al. found evidence for the prevalence of cheating in online distance learning. The study examined 144 undergraduate students over the course of a full semester. Exams were administered online in one of two over-arching conditions: proctored and un-proctored. The results showed a significant grade disparity among the two conditions, with proctored students scoring an average of 17 points (two letter grades) lower per exam. Additionally, proctored students used significantly less test-taking time compared to their non-proctored peers. On average, proctored students used 30.5% less of the allocated exam time. These results were validated between-subjects as well as within-subjects. Likely, the higher exam grades and longer testing times observed in non-proctored students are due to time spent using restricted materials (Google, textbooks, notes, etc.). Given these results, the use of proctoring services seems to lessen the prevalence of cheating in online exams. However, additional research is needed in the field before assertions are made.