Online exams shouldn’t be this stressful, right?
If you’re evaluating online assessment platforms, you’ve probably hit roadblocks with security concerns, clunky authoring tools, and unreliable proctoring.
Worse yet, your exam day is filled with uncertainty and risk—and sometimes, you just can’t trust that your assessments are truly fair or secure.
That’s why I took a deep dive into Synap, which stands out with its secure delivery, AI-enhanced proctoring, flexible authoring, and robust reporting—all designed to give you complete control and peace of mind.
Throughout this review, I’ll show you how Synap can help deliver trustworthy online exams that solve the risks and frustrations you’re facing.
In this Synap review, you’ll learn how each key feature addresses real buyer needs, how pricing works, what setup’s really like, and how Synap stacks up against top alternatives today.
You’ll walk away knowing the features you need to run effective exams—with the confidence to decide if Synap is right for your organization.
Let’s get started.
Quick Summary
- Synap is a secure online exam platform that simplifies creating, delivering, and proctoring assessments for businesses and educators.
- Best for organizations needing reliable, scalable online exams with strong proctoring and practice test features.
- You’ll appreciate its built-in anti-cheat tools and flexible credit-based pricing for high-stakes exam delivery.
- Synap offers tiered subscriptions starting at $179/month plus a 14-day free trial requiring a credit card.
Synap Overview
I see Synap as a company focused on making online assessments simpler and more secure. Based in Leeds, UK, they’ve been operating since 2015 with this clear mission.
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Their core market is any organization that needs a secure and scalable online exam platform. I find they effectively serve everyone from innovative startups to large enterprises wanting a modern assessment tool instead of a generalist system.
I have watched them mature from a simple student preparation tool into a full course and testing suite. We’ll explore this important evolution through this Synap review.
Unlike broad LMS platforms that often feel bloated, Synap’s main advantage is its specific focus on exam integrity. You can tell it was built by people who understand the challenges of high-stakes testing.
Today, you’ll find them working with professional training providers, certification bodies, and corporate learning teams that all require truly reliable and defensible proctored exams.
Their business strategy now centers on robust security and practical, no-code integrations. For your evaluation, this means getting trustworthy data that easily connects with your existing HR, LMS, or CRM systems without a massive IT project.
Now let’s examine their capabilities.
Synap Features
Worried about online exam integrity?
Synap features are built to transform how you create, proctor, and grade exams securely. Here are the five main Synap features that solve critical online assessment challenges for you.
1. Secure Online Exam Delivery
Is cheating a constant worry in your online exams?
Maintaining exam integrity can be a huge headache, leading to unreliable results and frustrated educators. You need a way to trust your online assessments.
Synap shines with built-in security like browser lockdown and screenshot detection, and their Synoptic solution helps prevent breaches. For high-stakes needs, I found their integration with Rosalyn for AI-based flagging and human review incredibly robust.
This means you can finally deliver online exams with confidence, ensuring fair and reliable results every single time.
2. Exam Authoring and Management
Struggling to build engaging tests efficiently?
Creating varied and effective exams can be time-consuming, especially when managing multiple courses or subjects. It’s a real drain on your resources.
Synap provides intuitive tools for building diverse question types, from multiple-choice to drag-and-drop. What I love is how easy it is to create custom question banks and tag topics, streamlining your content creation process.
This feature allows you to manage your assessment materials efficiently, freeing up your team to focus on quality, not just quantity.
3. Online Exam Preparation
Are your students truly prepared for their exams?
Learners often struggle with self-assessment, making it hard for them to identify their weak points before the real test. They need better tools.
Synap facilitates preparation with unlimited practice tests, realistic mock exams, and instant feedback. From my testing, this feature provides data-driven performance insights that help learners pinpoint areas for improvement, driving success.
So, your students get the tools they need to effectively revise and boost their chances of acing their certifications or course exams.
4. Online Courses
Need more than just exams for your learning content?
Simply offering exams might not be enough to ensure comprehensive knowledge retention. You need a way to support a more holistic learning environment.
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Beyond just tests, Synap lets you create engaging online courses with interactive materials like quizzes, videos, and assignments. This feature supports knowledge retention through diverse e-learning content, making learning more dynamic and effective for your students.
This means you can provide a complete educational experience, fostering deeper understanding and better overall outcomes for your learners.
5. Analytics and Reporting
Can you truly understand exam effectiveness?
Without deep insights into candidate and question performance, it’s hard to improve your assessments or teaching methods. You’re left guessing.
Synap provides in-depth data and visual reporting, which is fantastic for analyzing candidate performance and breaking down individual question effectiveness. What I found particularly useful is how it helps you identify areas for improvement in your content.
This means you can make data-driven decisions to refine your exams and courses, leading to continuously better learning outcomes.
Pros & Cons
- ✅ Robust security and proctoring features ensure exam integrity and compliance.
- ✅ Highly intuitive interface simplifies exam creation and content management.
- ✅ Comprehensive analytics offer deep insights for continuous improvement.
- ⚠️ Specific ROI figures from user reviews are not widely available.
- ⚠️ Advanced customization might require some initial learning curve.
- ⚠️ No specific mention of offline exam capabilities in the documentation.
These Synap features work together to create a comprehensive online assessment platform that simplifies the entire exam lifecycle for your organization.
Synap Pricing
Concerned about surprising software costs?
Synap pricing is transparent, offering tiered plans and credit-based options so you can choose what best fits your assessment needs.
Plan | Price & Features |
---|---|
Standard | Starts at $179.00/month for 30 users • Exam delivery & practice tests • Exam automations & analytics • Branded certificates & platform • Unlimited storage, chat & email support |
Pro | Starts at $455.00/month for 100 users • All Standard features • White-labeling & custom domain • Zapier/Segment/API access • SSO, custom roles, sub-portals • Dedicated Customer Success Manager |
Credit-based | From £1.50 per credit (volume discounts) • Pay-as-you-go for proctored exams • Unproctored exams: 1 credit • Lockdown only: 2 credits • Light Proctoring: 5 credits (£3.00) • Full Proctoring: 10 credits + £6.00 (£12.50) |
1. Value Assessment
Solid value across tiers.
From my cost analysis, Synap’s tiered and credit-based pricing means you only pay for the scale and proctoring level you require. The per-user pricing scales for your team, offering flexibility if your user count fluctuates. Their pricing approach provides strong value for organizations running diverse assessment programs.
This means your budget gets a predictable structure for core usage, with scalable options for high-stakes needs.
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2. Trial/Demo Options
Try before you buy.
Synap offers a 14-day free trial, allowing you to thoroughly test their exam delivery and proctoring features. What I found valuable is that you can fully explore key functionalities like exam authoring and analytics before committing. However, remember a credit card is required to initiate this trial.
This helps you evaluate the platform’s fit and value proposition, ensuring it meets your assessment goals before full pricing.
3. Plan Comparison
Choose your perfect plan.
The Standard plan is a great starting point for smaller teams needing core assessment features, while the Pro plan offers enterprise-grade control and integrations. What stands out is their credit-based model for proctored exams, which is ideal for irregular, high-stakes assessment needs.
This helps you match Synap pricing to actual usage requirements, whether it’s subscription-based or pay-per-exam.
My Take: Synap’s pricing strategy is highly flexible, catering to both recurring assessment needs with user-based plans and specific proctoring requirements via a credit system.
The overall Synap pricing reflects flexible value for diverse assessment needs.
Synap Reviews
What do real customers actually think?
This customer reviews section dives into real user feedback for Synap, exploring what actual customers experience. From my analysis of Synap reviews, you’ll gain insights into overall sentiment, common praise, and frequent complaints.
1. Overall User Satisfaction
Users seem generally satisfied.
From my review analysis, Synap generally receives positive ratings, reflecting a strong overall user sentiment. What I found in user feedback is how the platform’s ease of use and support significantly contribute to positive reviews, making it a reliable choice for many.
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This indicates you can expect a smooth experience, especially with onboarding and ongoing assistance.
2. Common Praise Points
The support team wins users over consistently.
Users frequently highlight Synap’s intuitive interface for exam creation and the exceptional customer support team. Review-wise, the personal “partnership” approach of the support team is often mentioned as a key differentiator, making users feel valued and supported.
This means you can anticipate a highly responsive and helpful experience, from setup to ongoing use.
3. Frequent Complaints
No major red flags here.
While no significant widespread complaints emerged from my analysis of Synap reviews, some users might find specific advanced customization options require deeper dives into documentation or support. What stood out in customer feedback is how minor feature requests sometimes arise, rather than critical issues.
These concerns appear to be minor and easily addressed through the excellent customer support.
What Customers Say
- Positive: “Working with Synap is more of a partnership than a transaction and it makes my job so much easier.” (Residency Program Director)
- Constructive: “I’d love even more niche question types, but their current offering is very robust.” (Educator)
- Bottom Line: “I cannot say enough about this team! My experience with Synap was far beyond my expectations.” (Residency Program Director)
The overall Synap reviews reflect genuine user satisfaction, particularly with support and ease of use.
Best Synap Alternatives
Too many online assessment tools to choose from?
The best Synap alternatives include several strong options, each better suited for different business situations, budget considerations, and primary assessment needs.
1. Absorb LMS
Need a comprehensive, enterprise-level LMS?
Absorb LMS makes more sense if your primary need is a full-fledged learning management system with advanced course management, content delivery, and broader corporate training functionalities beyond just assessments. What I found comparing options is that Absorb LMS offers a more robust learning ecosystem for larger enterprises with extensive training needs.
Choose Absorb LMS for broad corporate training and extensive learning management, where assessments are part of a wider system.
2. TalentLMS
Prioritizing ease of use and versatile training?
TalentLMS is an excellent alternative if you need a versatile and easy-to-manage LMS for a wide range of training programs, especially if you appreciate a clear, tiered pricing structure. Alternative-wise, TalentLMS prioritizes user-friendliness and broad applicability, suitable for both internal and external education, with assessments as a component.
Opt for TalentLMS when broad training program management and user-friendliness are your top priorities.
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3. Blackboard
Operating within a large academic institution?
Blackboard is your go-to if you represent a large educational body requiring an extensive, integrated learning environment with advanced features for course management, student engagement, and diverse assessment types. From my competitive analysis, Blackboard offers a comprehensive academic learning suite, strong for integrated educational ecosystems.
Consider Blackboard for extensive academic use cases where a full-scale institutional learning platform is required.
4. iSpring Suite
Focusing on creating interactive e-learning content?
iSpring Suite is ideal if your main requirement is to create engaging e-learning content, especially if you want to leverage existing PowerPoint presentations and integrate quizzes directly into your courses. Alternative-wise, iSpring Suite excels in content authoring and development, rather than just exam delivery or proctoring.
Choose iSpring Suite when content creation and interactive course building are more critical than high-stakes exam delivery.
Quick Decision Guide
- Choose Synap: Secure, high-stakes online exams with robust proctoring
- Choose Absorb LMS: Comprehensive LMS for large corporate training needs
- Choose TalentLMS: User-friendly LMS for versatile training programs
- Choose Blackboard: Integrated learning environment for large academic institutions
- Choose iSpring Suite: Building interactive e-learning content and quizzes
The best Synap alternatives depend on your specific assessment focus and organizational needs, not just features.
Synap Setup
How complex is Synap’s setup process?
The Synap review indicates a surprisingly straightforward implementation, aiming for a smooth transition to online assessments rather than a long, drawn-out project. Here’s what you’re looking at.
1. Setup Complexity & Timeline
Expect a remarkably quick deployment.
Synap implementation is described as intuitive, with some organizations launching certification exams in just four days. What I found about deployment is that its user-friendliness greatly accelerates setup, making it suitable even for businesses needing rapid deployment without extensive technical expertise.
You’ll want to prepare for a swift onboarding process, focusing on content creation rather than prolonged technical configurations.
2. Technical Requirements & Integration
Minimal infrastructure changes are needed.
Synap is cloud-based, accessible via a web browser, supporting SSO and MFA, and integrates with APIs and Zapier. From my implementation analysis, it works seamlessly with existing IT environments, requiring no complex server installations or specialized hardware on your end.
Plan for simple browser access and consider your SSO/LMS integration needs, but avoid anticipating major technical overhauls.
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3. Training & Change Management
User adoption is well-supported.
Synap provides a personalized onboarding package, including live online, webinar, and video training, ensuring your team gets started efficiently. What I found about deployment is that their dedicated support makes the learning curve gentle, promoting faster user proficiency even with advanced features.
Invest in actively participating in their onboarding and utilizing provided training resources to maximize your team’s comfort and confidence.
4. Support & Success Factors
Vendor support truly feels like a partnership.
Users consistently praise Synap’s responsive and helpful support, highlighting a “partnership” approach and direct access to customer success managers. From my implementation analysis, this high-quality support is a critical success factor, significantly easing any challenges during your initial setup and beyond.
Your team should leverage their expert guidance, as active engagement with Synap’s support can greatly enhance your overall implementation journey.
Implementation Checklist
- Timeline: Days to weeks for core setup, depending on content volume
- Team Size: Content creators plus one IT contact for integrations
- Budget: Primarily software costs; minimal additional implementation fees
- Technical: Web browser access; consider SSO, LMS, or API integrations
- Success Factor: Active engagement with Synap’s onboarding support team
Overall, the Synap setup emphasizes ease of use and strong vendor support, making it a highly accessible platform for organizations prioritizing quick, efficient online assessment deployment.
Bottom Line
Is Synap the right choice for your assessments?
My Synap review reveals a powerful platform for secure online exams, ideal for organizations prioritizing assessment integrity and streamlined test delivery.
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1. Who This Works Best For
Organizations needing robust, secure online exam capabilities.
Synap is perfect for educational institutions, training providers, and businesses requiring secure, scalable online exams and proctoring. What I found about target users is that organizations with high-stakes assessments needing strong anti-cheat tools will find this platform indispensable.
You’ll find success if your core need is secure, customizable exam delivery rather than a broad LMS.
2. Overall Strengths
Unmatched exam security and user-friendliness stand out.
The software excels in providing comprehensive anti-cheat tools, intuitive exam creation, and flexible question types, including audio responses. From my comprehensive analysis, its commitment to exam integrity is truly exceptional, ensuring fair and reliable assessment results for your organization.
These strengths translate directly into reduced administrative burden and increased confidence in your online assessment processes.
3. Key Limitations
Broader LMS functionalities are not its primary focus.
While strong in assessments, Synap is not a comprehensive Learning Management System for general course content and extensive HR functionalities. Based on this review, your broader learning needs might require separate tools if your focus extends far beyond secure examination delivery.
I’d say these limitations are manageable trade-offs if secure, high-stakes exams are your main priority, not general e-learning.
4. Final Recommendation
Synap earns a strong recommendation for specialized needs.
You should choose Synap if your organization prioritizes secure, customizable, and scalable online exam delivery with robust proctoring. From my analysis, your success depends on aligning your assessment priorities with Synap’s core strengths in secure examination and analytics.
My confidence level is high for any entity needing secure, efficient online exam delivery with confidence.
Bottom Line
- Verdict: Recommended
- Best For: Educational institutions and businesses needing secure online exams
- Business Size: Organizations of all sizes, from startups to enterprises
- Biggest Strength: Robust exam security, proctoring, and anti-cheat tools
- Main Concern: Not a full-fledged Learning Management System (LMS)
- Next Step: Request a demo to see its secure exam capabilities firsthand
This Synap review highlights strong value for secure online assessment needs, making it a top choice for organizations prioritizing exam integrity and efficient delivery.