Exam details screen

The exam details screen can be accessed at any point throughout the exam creation process. It's purpose is twofold:

• To enable the user to edit some of the basic exam structures set up during the initial specification.
• To enable the user to set and control how the browser interface will behave during the exam.

You can access the exam details screen from either the exam builder screen:

Or the view sessions screen:

Exam Details

The following exam structural options can be modified via the exam details screen:

• Exam Title
• Number of Days
• Exam Venue Candidate Capacity (OSCE Only)

Where the exam venue capacity or the number of days options are updated, please ensure to review the candidate allocations accordingly. You are likely to encounter warning messages until the candidate allocations have been adjusted to fit the new exam structure.

Exam settings

The exam settings screen enables users to control the browser behaviours during exam delivery. Any templated settings established within the exam blueprint will be inherited but can be changed per exam on this screen. If no settings have been established in the exam blueprint, then the global defaults will be displayed here.

Some settings are applicable only to Written Exams, only to OSCE exams or to both Written and OSCE exams, and the available options will adjust dynamically based on whichever delivery platform is selected in the exam blueprint. 

Setting	iPad OSCE	Browser OSCE	Written exam (browser)
Number of downloads		✓	✓
Exam PIN required		✓	✓
Name visibility		✓
Safe Exam Browser (SEB)			✓
Hide rest stations		✓
Resource locking		✓
Answer ordering			✓
Question randomisation			✓
Copy & paste		✓	✓
Highlighting		✓	✓
Calculator		✓	✓
Notes		✓	✓
Resource grid view		✓	✓
Resource draw/annotate		✓	✓
Share candidate's screen		✓
Image synchronisation		✓
Backwards navigation			✓
Answer elimination			✓
Exam timing		✓	✓
Marking type			✓
Allowed marking discrepancy (%)	✓	✓	✓
Passmark override		✓	✓

For a further description of what each setting controls, please see the toggles below:

• This controls the number of downloads that a candidate is given on the day of the exam.

• This controls whether an exam PIN is needed at the point the candidate logs into the exam. For a full discussion of the use of exam PINs please see the article here.

• This setting is only applicable to the remote OSCE conducted in assess for browser. There are two possible options:

  • Hide candidate names
  • Hide examiner names

  

  If the candidate's name is hidden, the examiner will only see the candidate's ID number rather than their name in the browser interface. If the examiner's name is hidden, the candidate would also only see the examiner's ID number.

  It is also possible to hide candidate names for an iPad OSCE, but this is a global app configuration rather than a per exam setting. 

• This controls whether Safe Exam Browser (SEB) is required for exam delivery. For a full discussion on the use of SEB, please see the article here.

• Where rest stations are used in the remote exam, this setting provides the option to either show the rest station and keep the candidate in an empty station for the duration of the round, or to hide the rest station so they proceed to the following one. 

  If the setting is disabled, candidates will be shown a rest station - essentially a blank station with a message to explain that "this is a rest station". 

  If the setting is enabled, the candidate will proceed past the rest station and given early access to the following station's content.

• If resource locking is enabled in the remote OSCE, the candidate will not be able to access any resources attached to the station until the examiner is also connected to the session.

• This setting controls how any answer options are presented to candidates during the exam. The options are:

  • Alphanumeric: Answer options are in alphanumeric order
  • Random per candidate: Each candidate sees the answer options in a different random order
  • Same random for all candidates: The order of the answer options is randomised, but the same for all candidates

  To use the answer option randomisation function the answer ordering must be set to Default at the item level. If the ordering is set to Custom, this setting will not affect the item.

• Controls the order in which candidates see the items in the exam. There are two possible options:

  • Each candidate sees a different order
  • Candidates see the same order 

  For a detailed discussion on question randomisation, please see the article here.

• Controls whether candidates have the ability to cut/copy and paste within the exam. For example, between resources and response boxes, between answer response boxes or between the note pad and the response boxes

• Controls whether candidates have the ability to highlight sections of the item. If Enabled candidates will have access to the highlighter tool.

• Controls whether candidates have access to the inbuilt calculator function in the browser interface.

• Controls whether candidates have access to the notes tool. The notes option is available from the toolbar in the browser interface and provides candidates with a text box in which to make notes. Notes are not submitted with a candidate's answers and are unique to each item in the exam.

• Controls whether candidates can toggle between the 1x1 and 2x2 view of the resources. If disabled only the 1x1 view is available. 

• Controls whether the candidate can annotate/draw on any resources that are available to them on screen. The annotations will not be saved as part of the candidates responses.

• If the share candidate's screen option is enabled, the candidate will be asked to allow screen sharing at the start of the exam. Their screen share is then displayed as an additional tile in the browser interface.

• Controls whether the image synchronisation feature is available in the exam. Essentially, the candidate and the examiner can collaborate with the tools available on item resources. For a full discussion on image synchronisation please see the dedicated article here.

• The backwards navigation feature is an additional security measure to help guard against malpractice in the exam. If backwards navigation is disabled the candidate is prevented from moving backwards through the question set and means they are unable to review adjust any previous answers. If the setting is enabled the candidate can move freely between items in the exam at any time. 

• The answer elimination function enables candidates to optionally strike through and eliminate answer options in their process of determining their preferred one.

  If this feature is enabled please instruct candidate to ensure they have selected a correct answer once they have eliminated any incorrect ones.  

• This option enables the timer on the exam. For a full discussion of the timing options available in risr/ assess please see the dedicated article here.

• The marking setting enables you to set a default marking method for any questions that require a human marker. There are several options available:

  • Single marking: Only one marker makes the judgement
  • Single marking with reviewer: A single marking judgement with additional reviewer access
  • Double marking: Two markers provide independent judgements
  • Double marking with reviewer: Two markers provide independent judgements with additional reviewer access
  • Double marking with senior marker: Two markers provide independent judgements with a third marker to adjudicate any discrepancies

  Marking options are discussed further in the marking section of this knowledge base.

  It is also possible to set double marking for OSCE items, but this is a site configuration option rather than a per exam setting. Once enabled, double marking for OSCEs is set at the item level.

• Where double marking is used, this setting enables you to set a tolerance threshold within which marker judgements will be averaged. If markers are discordant by more than the threshold set here, the mark will need to manually resolved.

• Controls if an exam has an absolute passmark. Setting a % value overriding any other passmark for this exam. 

To see how these setting affect the assess for browser interface, please see the dedicated article here.