Setting up LockDown Browser for a course session
Course staff can require Respondus LockDown Browser for sessions they run themselves (such as online or in-class exams). For exams scheduled through PrairieTest Testing Centers, the location's setting applies instead — see LockDown Browser in Testing Centers.
PrairieTest supports LockDown Browser only for exams delivered through PrairieLearn.
When enabled, students start the exam from PrairieTest and take it in LockDown Browser.
LockDown Browser provides different levels of security depending on computer ownership and whether there is an in-person proctor. See Choosing an exam security level before deciding whether it provides the security your exam requires.
Enable LockDown Browser for a session
Open the session's Settings page, find LockDown Browser, click edit, and turn it on.
Students will need to install LockDown Browser on their own computers before exam day. Tell them ahead of time using an announcement like the one below.
LockDown Browser runs only on Windows and Mac computers; it is not available for any other system. Make sure students know they need a Windows or Mac computer to take the exam.
Online (Zoom-proctored) exams
You can enable LockDown Browser for online sessions that are proctored with Zoom. Because LockDown Browser hides the Zoom link on the exam device, students must join the Zoom meeting on a separate device, such as a phone or second laptop, so that a proctor can watch them while they take the exam inside LockDown Browser.
Tell students to open their reservation in PrairieTest on the separate device first, join the Zoom meeting there, and only then click Open in LockDown Browser on the exam device.
Sample announcement to students
Our upcoming exam will be taken in Respondus LockDown Browser.
LockDown Browser runs only on Windows and Mac computers. It is not available for any other system, so plan to bring a Windows or Mac computer.
Before exam day, install LockDown Browser from https://prairietest.com/pt/docs/students/respondus-lockdown-browser. Install it from that page even if you already have LockDown Browser installed for another course or service — our exams require the version distributed by PrairieLearn, and a copy installed from somewhere else may not open. It's safe to have multiple versions of LockDown Browser installed.
On exam day, open your reservation in PrairieTest and click Open in LockDown Browser once the exam is ready.
Behavior changes in LockDown Browser
LockDown Browser changes what students can access in PrairieTest and PrairieLearn during the exam.
External links are unavailable in PrairieLearn during LockDown Browser exams. Do not rely on external links being available during the exam.
PrairieLearn normally lets students attach personal notes to an assessment, including uploaded files or pasted text, from the assessment overview page or individual question pages. In LockDown Browser, this feature is not supported because it could give students access to local files that have not been reviewed for exam use.
Do not rely on PrairieLearn personal notes for scratch work, drawings, or saved thought process during a LockDown Browser exam. Tell students what other scratch-work tools or materials they may use.
Other applications and additional displays
LockDown Browser runs as the only active application on a single screen. While it is open, students cannot switch to another application or use split-screen or side-by-side windows, and any additional displays are turned off. Other programs may keep running in the background, but students cannot bring them to the foreground during the exam.
Because of this, students cannot keep exam questions on one part of the screen and work in a separate application on another. Do not design exams that require a second application or a second window open at the same time as the exam, such as viewing questions in one app while doing work in another.
Accessibility software
LockDown Browser works with many common assistive technologies, including screen readers, magnification, text-to-speech, and voice-to-text tools. Most of these applications must be started or enabled before opening LockDown Browser. Some security-sensitive functions, such as web search, copying, downloads, or advanced text-to-speech features, may be limited during the exam.
Ask students who use assistive technology to test their required tools with LockDown Browser before exam day. Compatibility and available functions vary by operating system and application.
Testing before exam day
Before relying on LockDown Browser for exam security, run a practice reservation and confirm that a student can open the reservation from PrairieTest, click Open in LockDown Browser, and reach the exam inside LockDown Browser.