They wanted to keep the bezel, the black border around the screen, as thin as possible so it wouldn't be a distraction, but they still needed a place to put the guts of the camera among other things. I do proctored exams too, and honestly I prefer this cam for that particular function. This is because I tend to lean in toward my screen when I take a test and the proctor always gets snippy when your enormous forehead blocks out their view of everything else. Just be sure and use a mirror that you can position somewhat above you and tilt downward so that it looks down on you and your webcam. The camera, if the screen is tilted slightly up, should do well under those circumstances. Just try to remember not to lean in too close to your screen...and blow your nose before you start :-)