If you are giving an in-class Blackboard exam using Respondus Lockdown Browser, it is important to be sure all of your settings are correct. The instructions below are the recommended settings for these types of exams.
- Create your exam in Blackboard.
- To edit the settings, click the grey arrow next to the exam name.
- Select “edit the test options.”
- The test options are now available for review. By default, you will want to be sure that the test is set to open in a new window.
- Select “Make available to students.” Later you will set an availability date, so they will not be able to see the exam as long as you have the dates selected for availability.
- It is not recommended to select force completion. If you select force completion, if the internet is disrupted, it will force the submission and will not allow the student to continue. Internet fluctuations are common and not to be worried over but this will cause added work for you as the instructor and panic in the student if the exam is autosubmitted before they complete the exam.
- Set the timer for the class time. We also recommend keeping auto-submit off.
- It is important to set availability for the exam so that students cannot see it before the exam opens or after the exam period is over.
- It is important that you DO NOT CHANGE THE PASSWORD that appears in the box in the exam settings. This password is passed over from Respondus and allows the students to take the exam. If this password changes, you can go into the Respondus settings and fix the error. Generally, if students cannot access the exam, you should check the Repondus settings to be sure there are no errors listed.
- If you have CEA students who need to take the exam, do not create test exceptions here. We recommend creating a separate exam. See the instructions below.
- It is optional to set a due date.
- Be sure to include the test in the grade center calculations.
- For academic integrity reasons, you want to make sure that students cannot see the answers and questions after they submit the exam, especially if you have CEA students or absent students who have yet to take the exam. Make sure that “After Submission” has NOTHING checked (as in the image below). The students by default will see their score. If you want students to be able to see the exam, questions, answers, and feedback, choose “On Specific Date” from the drop-down menu and choose the date. You can then select what you would like them to see from the options.
- In order for students to have a testing experience with minimal issues, be sure to choose “all at once” as the viewing option. If you select “one at a time” the network gets bogged down and the exam does not load properly or takes an extended period of time to load. We want to avoid this.
- For academic integrity reasons, you want to be sure to check “Randomize Questions” which orders the questions differently for the students which makes it unhelpful for them to look at each other’s exams.
CEA Accommodations
- Copy the Regular Exam
- Give the exam the same settings
- Set a different password
- Test Exceptions. (Best to use GROUPS (i.e. Group A, Group B,…). Remove all settings in the group so students cannot see each other.
- Set Adaptive release so only the CEA groups can view the CEA exam. (Prevents regular exams takers from clicking on the wrong test)