In this article:
Hidden Quizzes and Start / End Dates
The Hidden attribute:
When Quizzes are created, they are marked "Hidden" by default to prevent students from seeing them. You can easily tell from the main quiz list (Assessments -> Quizzes) what quizzes are hidden. Any hidden quiz will have the hidden symbol displayed:
Please note: The hidden attribute will override other settings like Start and End dates. You must make the quiz visible in order for users to take it.
Start and End Dates
In the quiz setup, you can specify a Start Date and End Date. This is separate from the Due Date of the quiz. The Start and End dates are used to create a system-enforced availability window for the quiz.
A common reason that students are unable to take a quiz is that Start/End dates have not been adjusted from a past semester that the course was copied from. Please confirm that the time (AM or PM) day, month, and year are correct. You can see the start/end date of a quiz from the quiz list.
Special Access
Special Access is a feature of the quiz setup that allow different users different quiz settings. You can see a quiz that has special access in the quiz list, showing the "key" icon.
There are TWO types of special access:
- Everyone has regular access to the quiz, and some students have special access.
- ONLY students with special access can see the quiz.
Most of the time, you'll want to use the first type of Special Access.
The second type of special access is useful for when accommodating students at finals or other times, however it does not get cleared when copying from one semester to another. You can end up in a situation where no students have access to the quiz.
In this case, you can simply switch the Special Access type back to "Allow selected users special access to this quiz". You do not need to select any students for special access, if it's not needed.
Quiz Dates Changed
In a similar way, some users special access settings might be incorrect. This is often the result of schedule changes for the quiz. Although the main start/end dates for the quiz might have been updated, these changes do not flow to Special Access. Some students might still have old dates inside special access setup.
To fix this issue, you can "Edit" (pencil icon) the student to adjust their dates, or "Remove" (X icon) them from special access. Then Save and Close.
Lockdown Browser
On the day of the quiz, students might tell you they are receiving errors in Lockdown Browser preventing them from taking the quiz. The most common would be "There is a problem with the Lockdown Browser settings for this course".
This error is typically the result of copying the course, and not syncing Lockdown Browser settings. When copying a course from one semester to another, the instructor must visit the Lockdown Browser dashboard to sync settings after the copy. This is necessary at the beginning of each semester for each course!
To visit the Lockdown Browser Dashboard, to go Assessments -> Quizzes, and choose "Lockdown Browser" from the tabs at the top.
You'll receive a message if this was needed, but not already complete:
No further action is needed.
Other Questions
If you still have any questions or need assistance with your quiz, please contact CATS (CommonwealthU Academic Technology and Support). You can put in a help desk ticket, email cats@commonwealthu.edu or call 570-389-2065 (leave a message).