Setting up practice digital exams

If you have digital exams in your subjects, you will have selected an assessment tool that will be used to deliver the exam. Following this, it is important to schedule a practice exam for students using the chosen assessment tool. You may also choose to use the assessment tool for a formative or summative assessment throughout the semester to allow students to become more familiar with it. Practice exams do not need match the actual exam, but should include all the question types and steps that students will be expected to complete in the live exam.

Why practice exams?

It is important to provide students at least one practice opportunity with the assessment tool that will be used for a high-stakes end of semester exam so that they can approach it with increased confidence, and without the extra cognitive load of having to navigate an unfamiliar process.

Practice exams can also:

• Help alleviate students’ concerns about the exam format and technology
• Decrease the number of special consideration requests, as students will be better prepared for the real exam conditions
• Provide a practice exam for the academic department in the set up and marking of digital exams as well as allow for sufficient time to make appropriate adjustments to the actual exam, where necessary.

On-campus digital exams

Students sitting on-campus digital exams are also required to install and use a LockDown Browser when sitting the exam. A practice exam ensures that in addition to the assessment tool, they will also understand how LockDown Browser is used and arrive at the exam venue with it already installed.

Different versions of LockDown Browser are required for a Classic Quiz exam and a Cadmus exam.

If students are completing a Classic Quiz exam, they will need to download LockDown Browser for Classic Quiz.

Download and install LockDown Browser for Classic Quiz

If students are completing a Cadmus exam, they will need to download the LockDown Browser for Cadmus.

Download and install LockDown Browser forCadmus

There are also existing LMS Communities where students can take practice exams for Classic Quizzes and Cadmus. These communities are ideal for providing students with the opportunity to practice quiz-taking through LockDown Browser and to ensure the latest version of the software has been downloaded.

Taking a practice Classic Quiz with LockDown Browser

1. Have the students to self-enrol in the LockDown (Canvas Classic Quiz) test LMS Community.
2. Once enrolled, they can then take a practice LMS quiz by:
   1. Launching LockDown Browser.
   2. Navigating to the subject LockDown Browser (Canvas Classic Quiz) test.
   3. Completing the practice quiz.

Taking a practice Cadmus Exam with LockDown Browser

1. Have the students to self-enrol in the LockDown (Cadmus) test LMS Community.
2. Once enrolled, they can then take a practice Cadmus exam by:
   1. Opening the Cadmus assignment in the LMS Community.
   2. Locating the Cadmus exam and launch LockDown Browser from within Cadmus.
   3. Completing the practice Cadmus exam.

Open book exams

If this is this the first time students are doing an open book exam in the subject, familiarise students with the type of questions they may see on the exam by offering a practice exam with similar questions and formatting.

How to use practice exams in your subject

• Run a practice exam before SWOTVAC and ensure that it closes before the date and time of the actual exam.
• Provide question-types that simulate those found in the live exam.
• Ensure the technical set up of your practice exam matches that of the live exam.

Read more about digital exam options.

Read more about exams information for staff.

For advice on writing questions for open book exams, read these assessment considerations in moving from closed book to open book exams.