SECURE EXAMINATION WORKFLOW USING BLOCKCHAIN

Abstract: The integrity of academic assessment relies on the secure distribution of examination question papers, yet traditional centralized systems remain vulnerable to unauthorized access and premature leaks. This paper proposes a decentralized framework that integrates the Ethereum blockchain implemented via Ganache and IPFS to create a tamper-proof, transparent environment for the examination lifecycle. By leveraging AES-128 encryption, question papers are secured locally before being hosted on a decentralized storage layer, eliminating central points of failure. A core contribution of this work is the implementation of a Smart Contract-driven Time-lock mechanism, which programmatically enforces access control by barring the decryption of materials until a specific, verifiable timestamp is reached. Developed using Python Flask and Web3.py, the results demonstrate a robust, auditable, and role-based protocol that effectively mitigates the risk of early disclosure and ensures the immutable governance of sensitive academic data within a private blockchain environment.

Keywords: Secure Examination Workflow, Blockchain, Ganache, IPFS, Smart Contracts, Time-Lock Mechanism, AES-128 Encryption, Decentralized Storage, Web3.py.