Tips for Taking Quizzes, Tests, and Exams (Assessments) in Blackboard

Tips for Taking Quizzes, Tests and Exams in Blackboard

• Preparing Your Computer
• Taking the exam
• Submitting the exam
• VIDEO: Taking a Quiz, Test, or Exam in Blackboard
• Common errors/issues

Still Having Issues? Use an On-Campus Computer Lab

Preparing Your Computer

Have One or More Recommended Internet Browsers Installed: Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.

Please do not use Internet Explorer for Blackboard exams.

On occasion, a problem that occurs with Blackboard in one browser does not occur in another, and this changes over time as new versions of browsers are released. Due to numerous reported issues with Blackboard when using Internet Explorer, we recommend using Mozilla Firefox browser. Other browsers that we suggest include Google Chrome.

Check your Internet connection.
When deciding on a time to take your exam, take into account times when your connection seems to slow down or lose connectivity. These issues can cause your quiz or exam to disconnect, possibly making you lose your work. Both dial-up and cable/broadband Internet connections can have connectivity problems.

Use a computer with a wired connection as opposed to a wireless

Wireless connections can change their IP address with little to no warning. Therefore, it is advised to have student take assessments while on a wired connection.

Disable pop-up blockers.
Pop-up blockers can cause problems with saving and submitting Blackboard exams. If you have multiple pop-up blockers, disable them all. These blockers come installed in the latest versions of Internet Explorer and Firefox, in third-party toolbars such as Google and Yahoo, and they can come with utility software such the Norton products from Symantec.

To disable pop-up blockers in Firefox:

Time considerations
Blackboard assessments time out after three hours of inactivity. Your Internet Service Provider (Comcast, AT&T, etc.) might time out sooner with no activity. Save your answers or the exam frequently. Saving resets the inactivity clock, but not the exam clock.

Dial-up users
If you use dial-up to connect to the Internet, disable call waiting. If you answer a call during the exam, Blackboard might assume you abandoned the exam and will erase your answers.

Taking the exam

Read your instructor’s test-taking policy.
If your instructor has a policy on how she will deal with students who claim that technical problems prohibit them from submitting exams properly, read that policy carefully. It might be located in the course syllabus.

DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE! If your instructor gives you a time block of one, two, or several days to complete an exam, do not wait until the last minute to do it. If any technical problems arise, you may not receive a response from tech support before the exam deadline. Your instructor may also be less sympathetic if you have to ask for an exam or quiz to be reset at the last minute or after the deadline has passed.

Click Take Quiz/Exam.
Once you begin the exam, you will need to complete it in the time allowed. DO NOT open up the exam unless you are ready to complete it in the time allotted. Click on the link for the exam once, not twice. You will get a prompt asking you if you are sure you want to take the exam. Once you click OK, you may begin your exam.

Allow the page to load completely before answering questions.
The page may take a moment or two to load completely. If you begin scrolling or answering questions before it loads completely, it might not load all of the questions and they might go unanswered.

Read the exam instructions carefully.
The exam instructions tell you exactly how to take the exam, and will include any special instructions that your instructor might have included. Any instructions about back tracking, forced completion, and multiple attempts will be listed here.

Do Not Click on the Browser Action Buttons (such as the back button).

Do not use the browser action buttons, such as Refresh/Back/Forward when in an assessment. This changes the user session, and is expected to 'break' their attempt, as the system could interpret the actions as multiple attempts with different browsers.

Some instructors may set an assessment with Force Completion or Backtracking Prohibited. If the instructions reference "Forced Completion," this means that once you begin the exam, you are required to complete it in one session - you cannot exit the exam and return later. DO NOT CLICK ON THE BACK BUTTON ON YOUR BROWSER. As soon as you leave the exam by clicking elsewhere, you will not be able to access it again.

For exams that deliver all of the questions on one page, if you did not save any answers or save the exam, none of your answers will be recorded.

It is a good idea to click Save after each question answered, in case of technical difficulties. Saved answers will be recorded, even if you were to get kicked out of the exam due to a lost internet connection.

Write essay answers in a word processor first.
You are allowed to copy and paste from a word processing program (such as Microsoft Word) into Blackboard. By writing your essay answers in a word processor, you are essentially creating a backup of your answer. This comes in handy if any technical difficulties arise. You can also check your spelling and grammar in the word processor.

Prepare your browser for short-answer or essay questions.
If you get confronted with a dialog box saying "The application's digital signature has been verified. Do you want to run the application?" Click Run. This will allow you to, among other things, use Blackboard's Visual Text Box Editor, a text area into which you can type.

You can always disable the Visual Text Box Editor prior to an exam by going to Tools – Personal Information – Set Visual Text Box Editor Options – Unavailable – Submit. This will give you access to the default editor, which should work.

Submitting the exam

Submit the exam.
Once you have finished answering the questions, click the Submit button at the bottom of the exam. If you do not submit the exam, you will receive no credit for your answers. You should see a confirmation page if the submission was successful. Clicking the Save button does not submit an exam.

Confirm your submission.
If you received confirmation or feedback, your score was recorded successfully. If you did not receive confirmation, go back to the content area and locate the exam. Click the link to the exam. Blackboard should tell you that the exam has been completed or will give you feedback about the exam.

Check the My Grades area to confirm exam submission.
If you see a grade/score or an exclamation point (!), then the submission was successful, and you are done. If you see a lock icon, then you should contact your instructor and ask for verification. If anything happened to your browser or Internet connection during the exam, or you received any error messages, include this information with your email to the instructor.

Video: Taking an Exam in Blackboard

Common errors/issues

Accidentally quitting the exam
If you lose power or close your browser--or something else causes you to stop taking the exam before you submit it--contact your instructor immediately to explain what occurred and to ask for a reset. (NOTE: Blackboard technical support staff are not able to reset assessments for students.)

Firewall
If you have a firewall installed on your system, it might prevent you from accessing your exam. You can either temporarily disable your firewall, or take the exam at a non-firewalled computer.

Still Having Issues? Use an On-Campus Computer Lab

If you are still having issues when using Blackboard on your personal computer, you can use an on-campus computer lab. One option is the Chabot College Library Student Computing Lab, located in the Mezzanine (the second floor of the library). Check the Library website for more details, including operating hours and lab rules. Note, however, that support for Blackboard is offered online only. If you are in the Library and need assistance with Blackboard, submit a help request.

Logging into Blackboard/Login Problems

Getting Your Computer Blackboard-Ready

Technical Problems with Blackboard