How to Share Digital BookWidgets Exams with students in a Secure Environment
Lucie Renard —
Taking digital exams comes with many perks, but also many challenges. In this blog post, I will show you how you can share your digital exams - created with BookWidgets - with students in a secure digital environment. How you can set up such an exam in BookWidgets is a different story. If you don't know how to do that yet, make sure to check out this blog post about creating BookWidgets exams first.
Why You Should Work with Exam Links in BookWidgets
Up until now, you could already easily share your BookWidgets exams within Safe Exam Browser. But this limits the use of exams on Chromebooks, as Safe Exam Browser is a free application and Chromebooks are not meant to install applications on.
To make sure any teacher can share their BookWidgets exams in a secure environment, we launched "Exam Links". This enables teachers to share exams in multiple setups:
- In a single classroom set-up where you are the teacher sharing an exam.
- In an exam classroom set-up where there's a supervisor to watch over students completing different exams from different teachers.
⚠️ Working with Exam Links takes away the hassle, but we are not an exam monitoring tool or a lockdown browser. As a teacher or supervisor, the Exam Links will need to be shared within those tools.
Working with exam links makes it possible for any school to use any kind of lockdown browser. Here's a list of some lockdown systems that prevent students from opening other applications or browser tabs while completing the BookWidgets exam:
- SEB or Safe Exam Browser - Integrated setup within BookWidgets
- ClassTools - for Chromebooks & available within the Chrome Education Update - Using BookWidgets exam links
- "Kiosk mode" on Chromebooks - Using BookWidgets exam links
- Take a Test on Windows devices - Using BookWidgets exam links
- ClassroomCloud - Using BookWidgets exam links
- Blocksi - Using BookWidgets exam links
How to Work With Exam Links in BookWidgets - Set Up
Let's take a look at these 5 easy steps to share a BookWidgets exam with your students in a secure digital environment. This step-by-step tutorial of using Exam Links in BookWidgets will also guide you through the process and is ideal to share with colleagues.
1. Click the share button in BookWidgets
After prepping your BookWidgets exam using a (Video) Quiz or (Split) Worksheet widget, you need to get the digital exam to your students. Click the "Share" button in your widget so a new dialogue opens.
⚠️ When you've already shared - or published - this widget before, you get a notification. When a widget has already been shared in a different way (using a regular link or shortcode), there's a slight possibility of students getting into your exam in a less safe environment. For security reasons, and to make sure there's only 1 safe way students can access the widget, BookWidgets will ask you to disable this way of sharing before you create the Exam Link.
2. Set up exam links and exam codes in BookWidgets
In the newly opened dialogue, you can opt to create exam links - or codes - to ready the exam for your students.
Here are a few fields to configure and options to pick.
- Choose a linked Single Sign On account. You might work in different schools and have multiple SSOs linked to BookWidgets. We only use this to link the correct courses (for submission administration) and students (so only the correct students can enter the exam).
- Information about the student accounts connected to this exam widget. Only students with these accounts will be able to log into the exam.
- Pick a course so the exams can be linked to it for administration reasons when collecting, reviewing, archiving, and searching student exam submissions within BookWidgets. There is no link to the learning management system (Classroom, Teams, ...), so no assignments will be created, or gradebook link will be set up
- Pick an expiration date. After that date, students won't be able to enter the exam widget using the exam codes or links anymore.
- Choose whether you want to set up resume codes. When you do, you get a list of codes students have to enter (and ask the teacher or supervisor first) when they leave the exam, and still want to resume after. This security measure gives teachers a heads-up of students leaving the exam (for any reason possible). The use of these codes by your students is logged and visible in the reporting dashboard when grading the exam for that student. If you don't work with these codes, students fall back on the initial startup code, password, or link they can click. It will be possible for students to leave the exam and enter again without the teacher being alerted.
- Choose whether the exam needs to open in Safe Exam Browser. When your students are working with Windows, Mac, or iPad devices, this is a solid free alternative to paid lockdown tools. When this option is enabled, the exam widget can only be opened within Safe Exam Browser. Students will be prompted to the tool. This means that SEB must already be installed on their devices. (⚠️ This option doesn't work when your students are taking their exams on Chromebooks). When ticking this box, you have to provide a start password that your students need to enter to start the exam. Students can only leave the exam after submitting or after entering a "Quit" password if you've set that up in the configuration.
After configuring your exam links, click "Create exam link".
3. Managing the created BookWidgets exam links
You now get a dialogue with the exam codes & links listed in a handy overview. Note that you can create multiple exam links for the same widget, for example, when you're taking the same exam with different classes at different times.
A few words about what you see in the overview:
- Your different exams will be listed and separated with a unique exam code. Whether you will be sharing an exam link or code with your students, you need to click this code to continue your exam setup.
- When you choose this exam only to open within Safe Exam Browser, the SEB icon will appear. It's just a visual reminder that this exam has this specific setup.
- When you enabled "Resume codes" in the configuration, the exam link/ code will have a door icon as a visual reminder for the teacher.
- The expiration date you've enabled. When hitting that date, the exam will no longer be available for your students.
- When you delete an exam link from this overview dialogue, the exam will no longer be available for your students.
To proceed to actually sharing the exam with your students, click the exam code for the exam you want to share.
4. Sharing the BookWidgets exam with your students through exam codes or exam links
After clicking the exam code of the exam you want to share with your students, you get the links or codes, connected to this exam, ready for you to share with your students.
Here's what you'll see:
Now let's take a look at what you can see in this dialogue and the next actions to take:
- Exam code: Instead of sharing a specific exam link, you can also opt to share an exam code with your students. In that case, you should set up https://www.bookwidgets.com/exam as the default page in your kiosk mode (for Chromebooks) or any other secure proctoring tool or browser. When students open the secure proctoring tool, the teacher - or supervisor - can easily share this code for students to enter in the BookWidgets Exam page. You simply write it on the blackboard!
- Exam Link: Share this link in your exam monitoring system so students can click it to start the exam in a secure digital environment. In this case, you do not need the exam code.
- Resume codes: You'll need to keep a close eye on these, write them down, or pass them on to a supervisor or exam proctor. When a student "escapes" the exam, they will need a resume code to continue the exam. The student will see on their screen which code they will need, starting with the first code, and the teacher can give it to them to proceed. When a student submits the exam, the teacher will also see how much a resume code was used by a student. A few interesting takeaways from working with exam codes: 1. It gives the teacher an incentive to take a closer look at the exam of that student. 2. The teacher or a supervisor can prevent the student from continuing the exam because they suspect fraud. 3. When there is a technical issue - for example, an internet disconnection - students can continue working when they get a resume code.
- Feedback link (optional): If you also want your students to review their feedback within the secure monitoring tool you used before, you can share this link within that system too. Students will be able to click the link, log in through their SSO, and see their feedback. Of course, you need to return the feedback to the students first within the BookWidgets reporting dashboard for students to be able to open their feedback through that link.
- URLs to allow (optional): Some secure monitoring tools require you to enter URLs students can visit. If you don't enter the given "URLs to allow" listed in this dialogue, your students might not be able to enter the exam. This depends on the monitoring tool you're using, as not all tools require listing "URLs to allow".
The difference between sharing BookWidgets exams using SEB, Exam Links, or Exam Codes
This new information might be a bit confusing if you’re already used to setting up exams in your learning management system with Safe Exam Browser. With this new setup, there won’t be a link to your LMS, so your grades won’t sync with the gradebook. You’ll need to decide whether you want to track grades there or not, because if you do, Exam Links might not be the right option for you. Apart from that, the setup is mostly the same as before, and you can now also use resume codes.
If you want to change this exam setup flow, or create an exam flow from scratch with BookWidgets, the next table with classroom situations when taking exams might make things clearer.
| School Setup | SEB configuration in the widget | Exam Links | Exam Codes | Why this works best |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| School working on Chromebooks with an LMS | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | SEB cannot be installed on Chromebooks. Students use their Google Single Sign On account to enter the exam shared through an exam link in ClassTools or an exam code in bookwidgets.com/exam in Kios Mode |
| School working on other devices (Windows, Mac, iPad) with an LMS | ✅ | ⚠️ | ❌ | SEB integration with the LMS offers a smooth, locked-down exam environment. Share the exam widget in your LMS. With SEB options enabled, students will be prompted to open the exam immediately in Safe Exam Browser. Using exam links will also work, but students will need to log in to another monitoring tool using an SSO like Google or Microsoft (or Smartschool). The exam will not be shared through the LMS, like you do when you are using SEB |
| School working on Chromebooks without an LMS | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | Chromebooks can run Exam Links or Exam Codes in kiosk mode or with a lockdown browser. An SSO is required, but an LMS is not necessarily required. |
| School working on other devices (Windows, Mac, iPad) without an LMS | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | Without an LMS, SEB is less useful. Exam Links are easiest to share directly in any monitoring tool, while Exam Codes offer more control for a supervisor or exam proctor. |
| Taking multiple different exams with multiple supervisors | ❌ | ⚠️ | ✅ | Exam Links and Exam Codes allow supervisors to distribute the correct exam per student. Codes are particularly handy to write on the board or hand out per exam. Kiosk and monitoring tools restrict this webpage: bookwidgets.com/exam so there is no additional setup needed to share the correct Exam Code for students to fill out |
| Taking a single exam with the teacher as the supervisor | ⚠️ | ✅ | ✅ | Exam Links are very easy for students as they just open the monitoring tool and click the link to start the correct exam. Exam Codes give teachers an easier setup. Kiosk and monitoring tools restrict this webpage: bookwidgets.com/exam, so there is no additional setup needed to share the correct Exam Code for students to fill out |
While you can share an exam safely with students in multiple ways, I hope this table clears things out for you to make the right choice for your school.
Monitoring student exams through Live Widgets
While your students are completing the exam, you can monitor student progress live. Logging in to your BookWidgets account, click the tab "Follow". Because your students always have to log in using an SSO or through their LMS to make sure exam submissions are authentic, you can use the Live Widgets feature as a monitoring tool to keep an eye out.
Helping students with their exam questions during high-stakes exam periods
Only the teacher's BookWidgets account that shared the exam link with their students is linked to the Live Widgets monitoring dashboard, and thus they will be able to see student progress. Exam supervisors or proctors won't be able to do this.
We know that during high-stakes exams, many students take different exams in various classrooms. And their teachers wander the different classrooms with their students to answer possible questions students might have when their teacher visits. Live Widgets can be a huge help for teachers when visiting different classrooms, where students are taking various tests. Here's how:
- Ask your students to star questions they have questions about, or don't understand: Each question in BookWidgets has a star behind it for students to indicate. This way, they can click on the question overview and directly navigate back to that question when needed. They also don't lose time over a question they don't understand and can come back when these are the last questions remaining - or when a teacher visits
- Visit the separate classroom where students are taking your exam(s). Open the Live Widgets view on your device - The Follow tab (a tablet would come in handy here). ➡️ Open the exam for the students in that classroom on your Live Widgets dashboard. ➡️ Check whether and where students have starred questions.
- Visit the students with starred questions and see if you can help them.
Live Widgets Dashboard Actions for Exams in BookWidgets
The Live Widgets dashboard provides an immediate and handy overview of how your students are performing during the exam. It also comes with a handy toolbox to ensure everything goes according to plan. With this Live Widgets toolbox, you can take actions for particular students in particular exam situations. Here's a table with the actions you can take in Live Widgets, the options you've enabled in the exam that might trigger the need for the action, and an explanation of a situation students are in for you to take the action.
| Action in Live Widgets Dashboard | Exam option that triggers the need | Example situation(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Reset | No specific option needed - You can always reset a widget | The wrong student account (or SSO login) was used to open the exam. - The student was caught cheating (looking up answers, using another device). Resetting forces them to redo under proper supervision. - The student wants to redo the exam (on a later time) for learning purposes (in a formative, not summative, context). |
| Move students back to first question | "Strict answering order" enabled | A student skipped a question by mistake, but strict order requires them to follow the sequence. The teacher sends them back to the first question to restart properly without wiping out all the earlier answers to the questions. |
| Reset widget timer | "Exam Mode" timer enabled in the "Reporting tab" | A student’s device crashed mid-exam, or the internet connection was lost for a sufficient amount of time. After logging back in, the teacher resets the timer so the student gets their full allocated time. - The student has a documented accommodation (extra time due to dyslexia, ADHD, or another learning need), and you didn't share two separate exams with different timings. |
| Allow students to edit their answers | Exam where "Allow students to correct/update answers" is not enabled after submission (disabled by default) | After submission, the teacher immediately realizes students misunderstood a question and wants to reopen editing so they can correct their responses and submit the exam a second time. - A student accidentally clicked "Submit" too early, without completing all questions. |
| Submit current student answers | No specific option needed - You can always submit your students' exams | Time runs out, but some students haven’t clicked submit. The teacher forces submission so no answers are lost, and the exam closes fairly for all. - The student finishes the exam but forgets to click the submit button. - Technical issues prevent manual submission on the students' sides. - Teacher wants to close the exam early for a specific student due to a rule violation (e.g., suspected cheating). |
Efficiently reviewing an exam through BookWidgets
Check out this video below to learn how to grade BookWidgets exams efficiently.
When your students have used resume codes, you will be alerted with an icon next to the student's name.
After grading, you return the feedback to your students. The way your students are receiving that feedback depends on the exam situation:
- If you were already working within an LMS, your students will get their feedback through their learning management system. Because you are working within an LMS, you can also choose the date and time to send back the feedback and provide a date and time to reclaim it. Students won't be able to view the exam feedback after that date.
- If you were working within an LMS and are using Safe Exam Browser, you can choose to send back the feedback through the LMS within the secure SEB environment. The same returning and reclaiming options mentioned above are possible.
- If you were working with Exam Links within a monitoring tool of your choice, you can share the feedback link within that system. Students will be able to log in using their SSO to view the feedback. ⚠️ Make sure to first return the feedback to your students in the BookWidgets reporting dashboard. The same returning and reclaiming options mentioned are possible.
Wrap up
Sharing BookWidgets Exams through exam links or codes within a monitoring system of choice is a great way to create a secure, distraction-free digital exam environment—and now you know exactly how to set it up in just a few steps. Remember to check out this step-by-step tutorial of using Exam Links in BookWidgets as it will guide you through the process 1 product screenshot at a time.
If you’re curious about more technical details or want to explore advanced configuration options, be sure to check out this in-depth help article about Safe Exam Browser and about using Exam Links in BookWidgets.
Before rolling it out in a real exam setting, we highly recommend testing the setup on student devices to make sure everything runs smoothly. And if you run into any questions or technical issues along the way, our support team is always happy to help—just reach out to us at support@bookwidgets.com.
Happy (and secure) testing! 🎓💻
