How can I reduce cheating in online exams without invasive proctoring?

The most effective approach is usually a mix of exam design and sensible quiz settings. The aim is less to catch cheating than to make it harder and less useful.

Design the assessment so copying helps little

• Ask for application, not recall. Case studies, problems with real data, "explain why" questions. Answers that can be searched in seconds are easy to cheat on.
• Open-book by design. If notes are allowed anyway, a search engine gives less advantage.
• Several smaller assessments instead of one high-stakes exam lower the pressure to cheat.
• Short oral follow-up. A few minutes on video asking a learner to explain their answer is a strong check and less intrusive than recording the whole exam.
• Projects and portfolios for skills that a timed quiz measures badly.

Use the quiz settings (Moodle)

• Draw random questions from a large question bank and shuffle answer options, so learners see different papers.
• Use a realistic time limit with automatic submission.
• Show one question per page with sequential navigation.
• Set open and close times; use overrides for learners with adjustments.
• If the exam is in a room, add a password or restrict by network address.
• For higher stakes, consider Safe Exam Browser on the learners' devices.

Set expectations

• Explain what is allowed and what is not, and ask learners to confirm an honesty statement before starting.
• Review quiz reports afterwards for unusual patterns, and treat them as a reason to talk, not as proof.

No method removes cheating completely. Matching the level of control to the stakes of the exam is usually fairer and more practical.