Educational digitization has completely transformed how institutions, universities, training centers, and certification bodies evaluate their students or candidates.
In this new context, online supervision has become a key piece to ensure academic integrity, prevent fraud, and guarantee a fair and reliable assessment experience.
But each organization has different needs: some run a few occasional tests throughout the year, while others use continuous assessment systems with multiple activities per student.
That’s why at Smowltech we’ve designed two license options adapted to any scenario, providing flexibility, control, and efficiency for all types of institutions.
These options are:
- Annual exams subscription
- Annual users subscription
Both offer secure, scalable, and convenient supervision, but each is optimized for a different usage pattern.
Below we explain their features and help you identify which one best fits your institution’s needs.
1. Annual Exams Subscription: pay only for the exams you actually supervise
The annual exams subscription is the perfect option for institutions that run occasional assessments or specific processes requiring supervision—whether for regulatory, certification, or access reasons.
How does it work?
This model is based on a very simple and transparent credit system:
1 user = 1 monitored exam
You define how many exams you need to supervise during the year. SMOWL provides that volume as available credits and a unit is only deducted when a candidate completes a monitored activity.
This ensures you pay exclusively for actual usage, without excessive commitments.
Main features
- Pay-per-exam consumption model: each supervised evaluative activity deducts a credit.
- Annual validity: credits can be used throughout the year.
- Total flexibility: you can increase your volume if needed.
- Ideal for one-off assessments or processes with a limited number of participants.
Common use cases
This type of license is ideal for:
- Individual assessments
- Professional certification exams
- Admission tests and entrance exams
- Extraordinary convocations
- Competitive exams or specific tests
If your institution doesn’t have a steady flow of assessments and prioritizes budget efficiency and alignment, this option is the most suitable.
2. Annual users subscription: unlimited supervision throughout the academic year
For institutions where students take multiple evaluative activities throughout the year (as in universities, training centers, or long-term programs), the annual users subscription is the most practical and efficient option.
How does it work?
The model is also straightforward:
1 user = unlimited exams during one year
This means each student or participant is enabled to take as many assessments as needed during the contracted period, with no restrictions or extra costs per exam.
Additionally, this license includes a monthly unique-user allowance, which allows flexible management of enrollments and withdrawals throughout the course.
Main features
- Consumption per user/year: unlimited supervision for each assigned user.
- Monthly management of active users.
- Annual validity.
- Ideal for institutions with multiple assessments per student.
Common use cases
This option fits perfectly with:
- Undergraduate degrees
- Postgraduate programs and master’s degrees
- Long-term courses or continuing certification
- Corporate training with multiple assessments
- Continuous assessment plans or recurring activities
If your institution needs steady, ongoing supervision throughout the year, this model simplifies management and optimizes investment.
Do you want to stay on top of the latest trends in eLearning, EdTech, and Human Resources?
Fill out the form to receive our weekly newsletter with industry insights from our experts.
Which option should my institution choose?
As a quick guide, here’s a comparative summary:
| Need | Best option |
|---|---|
| Occasional or one-off exams | Annual Exams Subscription |
| Isolated certifications or tests | Annual Exams Subscription |
| Continuous and recurring assessment | Annual Users Subscription |
| Accredited programs (degrees, master’s, postgrads) | Annual Users Subscription |
| Unlimited supervision per student | Annual Users Subscription |
Conclusion: two models, one common goal
Both the Annual exams subscription and the Annual users subscription are designed to offer a reliable, scalable, and efficient supervision model. Whichever option you choose with SMOWL, you get:
- Security and reliability in every assessment.
- Flexibility to adapt to your real needs.
- Scalability to grow without complications.
- Simplicity in managing users and activities.
The key is identifying which model best fits your institution’s assessment pattern.
Detailed comparison table of SMOWL licenses
| Feature | Annual Exams Subscription | Annual Users Subscription |
|---|---|---|
| Consumption model | 1 user = 1 exam | 1 user = unlimited exams |
| Ideal for… | One-off assessments and certifications | Continuous assessment throughout the year |
| Consumption management | Per monitored activity | Per active user |
| Recommended evaluation frequency | Low or moderate | High, recurrent, and continuous |
| Type of institution | Certification centers, admission tests, entities with specific exams | Universities, training centers, academies, corporate training |
| Flexibility | You define how many exams you need per year | Monthly adjustment of the number of unique users |
| Validity | Annual | Annual |
| Scalability | Additional credits can be added | Additional users can be added |
| Expected volume of activities | Limited number of tests | Many activities per student |
| Predictable cost | Depends on number of exams consumed | Fixed according to the number of users contracted |
| Main advantage | You pay only for what you use | Unlimited supervision per student during the course |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about SMOWL licenses
1. Can I switch from one option to the other later?
Yes. SMOWL allows you to reassess your needs at the end of your annual license period. It’s common for some institutions to start with the exams model and migrate to the users model when they adopt continuous assessment.
2. What if I need more exams or more users mid-year?
You can expand your license at any time:
- In the exams model, you can add more credits.
- In the users model, you can add additional users as needed.
3. Do unused licenses expire?
Yes. Both exam credits and user rights have an annual expiration and must be used within the contracted period.
4. Does each exam a user takes consume a credit in the users model?
No. Under the Annual user subscription, each user can take unlimited exams at no additional cost per exam.
5. Which option is most cost-effective for universities or centers with continuous assessment?
The most appropriate option is the Annual Users Subscription, since it enables each student to be active during the course with unlimited supervision for all their evaluative activities.
6. What if my institution only runs entrance or certification tests once or twice a year?
In that case, the most efficient option is the Annual Exams Subscription, because you only pay for the exams you actually supervise.
7. Can I have both options at the same time?
Yes. Some institutions combine both models to optimize their budget. For example, they may use the users model for regular students and the exams model for external tests or one-off certifications.
8. How many exams equate to one user in practice?
It depends on the type of institution. As a reference:
- In programs with continuous assessment, a student can take between 6 and 20 activities per year.
- If the average exceeds 3–4 exams per student, the users model often becomes more cost-effective.
9. What happens if a student drops out or unenrolls?
With the users model, you can adjust the number of active users monthly, ensuring you only pay for those who are actually enrolled and taking assessments.
10. What if I don’t know how many exams I’ll have during the year?
We can help estimate it based on program type, student volume, and evaluation frequency. You can also opt for an initial license and expand it if demand grows.
Choose the SMOWL license that fits your institution and ensures secure assessments!
Whether you run occasional exams or manage continuous assessment programs: at SMOWL we have the solution you need.
Request your free demo or contact our team to receive a personalized recommendation based on the number of students, type of assessment, and exam frequency.
