Inspera exams can be set up as either open- or closed-book exams (also referred to as "locked" and "unlocked" exams). Teachers can choose the exam type that aligns with their assessment criteria and schedule.
Closed-book exams limit the resources students have while working on their exams. The student must rely solely on his memory, knowledge and understanding.
In short, deciding whether an exam should be open- or closed-book is deciding if:
- All resources are allowed during the examination - "Open-book"
- Only resources chosen by the teacher (.pdf documents, webpage or website) are allowed - "Closed-book (with specified resources)."
- No resources are allowed - "Closed-book."
Closed-book is NOT a default setting in Inspera.
A teacher has to enable the correct features in the delivery setup - see instructions in Ugla.
An open-book environment is always recommended for home exams.To access the exam in the Safe Exam Browser (SEB)
- Access any web pages or websites.
- Open any local or web-based software.
- Access any documents.
Thus the student's computer will temporarily be turned into an examination computer for the duration of the exam. Only the exam itself is accessible, plus the digital or paper-based resources that the teacher has decided to give access to.
- Teachers must encourage their students to take the Inspera Demo test located on the student's dashboard in Inspera. That process includes downloading/updating the Safe Exam Browser on the student's computer. - See instructions for students on how to set up SEB.
- If a student cannot use their computer, they can always apply for a Chromebook loan computer for the exam. - A link to an application form for a Chromebook loaner computer.
Please note!
- When a teacher or faculty holds an exam without the involvement of the Central Examination Office, the teacher oversees the administration and distribution of loan computers for his students. His students notify their teacher, and he, in turn, collects and returns the loan computers.
- Students can apply for a loan computer by filling out an application form for exams that are part of an examination table. The invigilator will hand the student the loan computer in their examination room. - A link to an application form for a Chromebook loaner computer.
Resources:
Examples of resources in closed-book Inspera exams include:
- Web pages and/or websites that the teacher wants to be available to students during the exam. Such as digital calculators, translator sites, codes of law, etc.
- PDF documents that include beneficial material for students during the examination. Such as T-distribution tables, formula sheets, X-ray pictures, etc.
- Software like
Word,
Excel,
Acrobat,
R,
SPSS, etc.
- Exams with access to third-party software must be held in the university's computer labs
- Web-based and local software.
- Web pages and websites.
- All kinds of documents on their device.
- An exception is during on-site open-book exams, during which we recommend using a so-called day password. At the start of an exam, an invigilator provides the day password when all students are ready to start their exam. Day passwords are only a minimum access control.
Almost all web-connected devices can run open-book Inspera exams as long as they run on macOS, Windows, iOS, Chrome OS or Linux (Ubuntu).
Why not closed-book home exams?
Putting home exams in a locked environment is futile since accessing resources by other means, such as using another device or textbooks, is very easy.
Technical issues can also arise in closed-book exams that are challenging to fix promptly outside an examination room.
Contact information and assistance
The Central Examination Office
Setberg - House of teaching
Mán-Föst 08:00-12:00 og 13:00-16:00
Inspera instructions
inspera@hi.is
Book a remote Inspera assistance