Does Mettl Use Your Camera? Face, ID, and Video Rules

Yes, whenever the employer has configured a Mercer Mettl test as proctored. As of September 9, 2026, Mettl's candidate guide asks for webcam and microphone permission, then a photo of your face and a photo of your ID, before the questions load. During the test the camera keeps running: Mettl documents snapshots every 60 seconds and the option to "capture candidate's entire webcam input for the entire test." A non-proctored Mettl test never asks for the camera.

The two captures before the test

Mettl's proctored assessment guide describes a "Capture Your Face" button, with a recapture option, followed by "Click 'Capture Your ID' button" to photograph an identity document through the same webcam. The anti-cheating measures page states the purpose: the "candidate has to submit the snapshot of their ID card and their face."

Who checks those images depends on the employer. Mettl's Start Assessing Better guide says an administrator can "manually authorize the candidates based on their submitted details and not automatically let them proceed to the test." The Proctoring Guide says the authorizer reviews the "Live clicked photo and ID card photo" and can ask you to resubmit. Expect a wait if manual authorization is on.

What the camera captures during the test

Two documented modes, and the employer chooses.

The Start Assessing Better guide says reports include "periodic webcam snapshots of the test-taker while attempting the test" with "timestamps on the recording timeline whenever a suspicious activity is detected." For record-and-review, the remote proctoring overview says administrators "have the access to entire video recording."

The microphone is part of the same permission. Mettl's AI is described as using "advanced video and audio analytics," and the privacy notice lists "Photo, audio or video of your specific localized area" as proctoring data. No Mettl page states "we record audio" verbatim, but the permission, the analytics wording, and the privacy notice together suggest sound is captured alongside the picture; plan for it.

What the AI looks for in the frame

Mettl's remote proctoring overview names eight flags: FACE_NOT_VISIBLE, ANOTHER_PERSON, AWAY_FROM_WINDOW, CANDIDATE_LOOKING_AWAY, CANDIDATE_FACE_PARTIALLY_VISIBLE, CANDIDATE_NOT_PRESENT, CANDIDATE_IMPERSONATION_SUSPECTED, and MOBILE_PHONE_DETECTED. The product guide puts it in plain terms: the model watches for "The student not present; looking away from the screen; covering their face. Additional person in the frame. The student using a mobile phone."

Looking away is a flag. What gaze analysis can and cannot infer from a webcam is examined in whether coding assessments track eye movement. A housemate crossing behind you is ANOTHER_PERSON; stepping out to answer the door is CANDIDATE_NOT_PRESENT. The flags land in the report, not on your screen, unless a live proctor is present to message you.

A second camera on your phone

Some tests add dual camera proctoring. Mettl's mobile pairing guide says you scan a QR code with your phone, grant it camera and microphone permission, and "place mobile device 3 meter (10 feet) away," choosing the front or back camera. The phone then films the room from the side. If the employer allows the Mettl mobile app instead of a computer, the phone's front camera is the proctoring camera, and the Android guide lists the permission as "Taking pictures and recording video."

Consent, control, and deletion

Mettl's privacy notice, effective December 26, 2025, lists "Facial scans and facial monitoring via photo or video as part of proctoring options" and says "Mettl generally acts as a Processor of your Personal Data and follows the instructions of our client, who acts as the third party Controller." The controller is "your employer, educational institute, or other entity who has requested your participation." Retention follows that controller's instructions. A request to delete your face and ID images therefore goes to the employer. How identity checks work across hiring platforms, and how long they keep the data, is in the candidate guide to interview identity verification.

What this means for candidates

Sit alone, face the camera, keep your ID within reach, and keep phones out of frame unless the test paired one deliberately. Mettl's system requirements recommend a 0.5-megapixel camera minimum and tell you to "uninstall any external webcam software" first. The screen-share half of the setup is in whether Mettl records your screen, and the full inventory by tier is in what Mettl proctoring records and flags.