How a scholarship program serving 10,000 students streamlined selection and tripled test attendance using Quilgo

Quilgo: What were the biggest obstacles in managing such a large-scale selection process before moving online?

G. Umasankar Rao: All testing was conducted offline, with locations spread across multiple states and districts, utilising local centres. This process was resource-intensive, expensive, and difficult to manage. However, the pandemic forced us to reevaluate our approach. We had to transition to a digital format quickly. After exploring several options, we discovered Quilgo and decided to use it. It struck a balance between user-friendliness and the strong features we required.

Quilgo: What made Quilgo stand out compared to other platforms you tested?

G. Umasankar Rao: Two crucial aspects to consider are simplicity and integrity. Quilgo is remarkably user-friendly, which is essential when your test-takers may have limited access to technology. Additionally, it provides us with confidence in test security due to features such as camera monitoring, screen toggling detection, and behavioural indicators like the trust score.

Quilgo: How has your testing process evolved since adopting Quilgo?

G. Umasankar Rao: The impact has been tremendous. We now manage our national testing process entirely from our head office. Attendance rates increased from 30% to 70%, representing a significant shift. And we can now invite significantly more students to take the test - something that would've been impossible before. And since everything is online, we've dramatically reduced our operating costs and manual workload.

Quilgo: What features or tools within Quilgo have been most helpful to your team?

G. Umasankar Rao: The built-in proctoring tools are key - we rely on camera reports, screen toggling counts, and the confidence metric to monitor test integrity without making students uncomfortable. We also love the integrated email feature. Being able to send bulk, individualised test links directly from the platform is a significant time-saver and helps us stay organised across thousands of participants.

Quilgo: How often do you use Quilgo, and what role does it play in your annual process?

G. Umasankar Rao: We use Quilgo annually during our three-month selection cycle. During this time, it is essential as it powers our entire nationwide testing process.

Summary of Results

• Attendance rate increased: from 30% to 70%
• Fully scalable and stable for large volumes - smoothly supports 10,000+ concurrent test-takers
• Significant cost and time savings processes
• Complete transition from offline to digital testing managed centrally
• Effective proctoring (camera, screen, behaviour metrics)
• Streamlined communication via integrated bulk email tools
• Accessible and student-friendly through mobile

At Quilgo, we are proud to support meaningful missions like Vidyadhan's, which helps thousands of talented students gain access to life-changing educational opportunities. We are deeply grateful to the Sarojini Damodaran Foundation team for trusting us to be a part of this essential process.

Thank you to Mr. G Umasankar Rao and the entire operations team for sharing your story and the impact of your work.

We look forward to supporting more organizations around the world as they scale, modernize, and create fairer and more accessible testing experiences.