> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mergeoa.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Candidate Proctoring Notice: What to Expect Before Start

> Understand how Merge notifies candidates about proctoring before recording begins, and what they must consent to before starting the assessment.

When your organization has proctoring enabled, Merge is transparent with candidates before any recording begins. Candidates see a clear notice during the pre-assessment setup flow and must explicitly acknowledge it before the session starts. No camera, audio, or screen-share capture occurs until the candidate has seen this notice and chosen to proceed.

## The pre-assessment notice

Before the assessment begins, every candidate subject to proctoring passes through a dedicated notice screen as part of the setup flow. Here is what that experience looks like:

* The screen explains that proctoring is enabled for this assessment and identifies your organization as the one requesting it
* The notice lists exactly which signals will be captured — **camera**, **audio**, **screen-share**, and/or **browser signals** — reflecting only the options your organization has enabled, not the full list of possible signals
* Candidates must actively acknowledge the notice before they can proceed to the assessment
* If a candidate is unable or unwilling to proceed under the stated conditions, they can exit without starting the assessment and without any recording taking place

Merge does not allow the assessment to begin — and does not initiate any capture — until the candidate has acknowledged the notice.

## What candidates grant access to

After acknowledging the notice, candidates are prompted to grant browser-level permissions for the signals your organization has configured. Depending on your settings, the browser may request:

* **Camera access** — required if camera snapshots are enabled
* **Microphone access** — required if audio capture is enabled
* **Screen sharing** — required if screen-share snapshots are enabled

Candidates must grant all requested permissions to proceed. If a permission is denied, the assessment cannot start. Browser signals (tab visibility and window focus) do not require a separate browser permission and are collected automatically once the candidate acknowledges the notice and begins the session.

## Your responsibilities as a hiring organization

<Warning>
  As a Merge customer, you are responsible for obtaining any required candidate consents and complying with applicable employment, privacy, and data protection laws in your jurisdiction. Requirements vary significantly by region and may include obligations around notice language, explicit opt-in, or restrictions on certain types of recording. Merge provides the technical notice and acknowledgment mechanism; legal compliance is your responsibility. Consult qualified legal counsel before enabling proctoring for candidates in jurisdictions you are unfamiliar with.
</Warning>

## Candidate questions

Direct candidates to contact your hiring team with any questions about why proctoring is enabled or how their data will be used. Merge does not field candidate inquiries about individual assessments on your behalf.

For privacy-related requests — such as a candidate asking to access or delete their proctoring data — the request should come to your organization first. You can then action it by deleting the relevant invite or assessment data from within Merge. Deletion removes all associated proctoring recordings.

<Note>
  Merge does not share proctoring recordings outside your organization and does not use them for advertising, model training, or any other purpose beyond delivering the assessment to your team.
</Note>