This article outlines a number of helpful features that are available to assist and guide students when doing quizzes in eClass.

In-progress quizzes

Please note: If you are *currently writing a quiz* and are experiencing a problem, follow these steps first:

1. Contact your instructor immediately to advise them you are encountering problems. They may be able to suggest workarounds and will be able to add more time to your quiz.
2. Clear your browser cache. This action may immediately resolve the known 'flickering' issue affecting some Windows/Chrome users.
3. Switch browsers and restart. This only applies to base eClass quizzes, not exams proctored with Smart Exam Monitor (SEM) or ExamLock. If the problem is specific to your browser (e.g., a 3rd-party extension issue, a caching issue, etc.) then this may get you up and running again right away. eClass quizzes automatically save answers every time you switch between pages, and you should be able to sign in with a new browser, enter any required password, and click Continue last attempt to resume right away.
4. Contact the IST helpdesk (or your internet provider) for computer problems. 780-492-8000. IST may be able to assist with general computer trouble. If your internet service is out, you may be able to use a personal hotspot from your mobile phone to access the quiz. 
5. Contact eClass support directly for in-quiz problems. 780-492-9372. They can review quiz settings and can suggest potential sources of problems and any solutions.

Also, be aware that the tips and guidelines below apply only to base eClass quiz attempts. For fully remote exams, students may need to consult the following:

• Taking ExamLock quiz attempts and, if encountering problems, Troubleshooting ExamLock Issues
• Using Smart Exam Monitor (for students) and, if encountering problems, Troubleshooting SEM Issues

Avoiding Common Problems (Review In Advance)

• Perform any practice quizzes your instructor has enabled for you to troubleshoot issues in advance.

• Use a wired internet connection whenever possible. If internet connectivity drops during a quiz, eClass will store the last saved answers for any questions attempted.

• When completing in-class or on-campus exams on their own devices, students should always ensure they are using the regular campus UWS wifi network and not the Guest@UofA free wireless connection. The guest network is known to drop connectivity and cause interruptions during internet sessions.

• Students should troubleshoot their connectivity issues and resume their attempts once they have restored their connection. If connection problems occur, be sure to contact your instructor and advise them you have encountered difficulties.

• Students who encounter internet access or wifi issues during practice exams and/or do not have reliable internet access may wish to book a lab computer in Cameron Library to complete exams there. If your exam requires SEM monitoring you should select a Mac workstation as they are the only available machines with built-in webcams and external webcams may not function on Windows computers.

• Do not use 3rd party browser tools (e.g., Grammarly) as these can interfere with quiz application performance.

• Switch browsers and restart if you encounter any issues: a fresh browser will reveal if the problem is widespread or if it is something in a particular web-browsing session. 

• Important note: Do not launch multiple browser sessions accessing the same quiz at the same time. If you are completing an open-book exam and have a second browser window open to review course notes or static quiz information, ensure you close that additional browser windows and tabs before submitting the quiz and ensure that you do not allow the quiz to auto-submit at the deadline with additional windows or tabs open as it may not submit your work correctly.
• The eClass mobile app should not be used to submit high-stakes summative exams. 

Attempting a quiz

We will use 'quizzes' and 'exams' interchangeably as they use the same eClass resource.

Major topic headings may be collapsed when you try to access a quiz. While quizzes and exams may not be under a specifically-labelled topic heading, if they are under a collapsed topic, you will have to expand the topic to see the quiz:

Once you have expanded the topic you will see a link to open the quiz (if the instructor had made it available), and you may see quiz due dates and attempt information below the quiz: 

Quiz timer

Quizzes may be configured with a time limit as well as open and close times. This information will be displayed on the quiz launch page.

Quizzes cannot be attempted before the start time. Before the start time, they display the message 'This quiz is not available'.

If a value is set in 'Grade to Pass' it will also be displayed here in the summary along with more detailed information about quiz timing.

Click 'Attempt quiz' to open the quiz:

After reviewing any additional information about the quiz, click "Start Attempt" to start your attempt and start the quiz timer:

Navigating a quiz

- Quiz navigation panel

• New in 2023: As you start a quiz, the right 'Quiz navigation' panel may disappear:

If the 'Quiz navigation' panel does disappear, you can restore it by clicking to open the 'Block drawer' at the top right of your quiz page:

- Crossing out alternatives (multiple choice questions only)

Students can use the cross-out feature to visually mark unlikely answers in multiple-choice questions. These strike-throughs are only visible to students while responding to a question: they have no effect on which answer is selected, are not saved when a student navigates between questions (if questions are on separate pages), nor are they saved when a quiz is submitted.

- Question flagging

Students can flag a question in a quiz to mark it as something to return to later.

- Clear Multiple choice answers

In multiple choice questions, students can now click the Clear my choice(s) link to remove any answers they have already selected for that question:

- Manually saving quiz progress

By default, every time a student switches pages in a quiz, the results are saved to eClass. In addition, clicking the Save progress button at any time will do the same thing. If a quiz is structured with a single question per page (the default option), progress is saved without clicking on the 'Save Progress' button; this feature is more useful for quizzes with a large number of questions per page or for long-form written questions when students might be authoring or selecting answers for a long period of time without switching pages.

- Quiz navigation index

The right-hand 'Quiz Navigation' box provides a quick method to access different pages or questions. It is also possible to navigate page-by-page with the buttons at the bottom of each page. You may also go straight to the submission confirmation for completing a quiz attempt through the link on the index.

If the quiz has a time limit or closes at a particular time, students will see a countdown to when the quiz closes. Please note: quizzes will close to students whenever the FIRST of these occurs - i.e., if a quiz has a time limit of 60 minutes but a student begins their attempt 45 minutes before the attempt close time, their attempt will end at the close time, not after 60 minutes. 

 The quiz timer is located at the top of the quiz page. Once the timer runs out, the quiz will submit automatically.

- Notification about unanswered questions

Before finalizing your submission, the quiz will show you a summary of complete and incomplete questions (as well as anything flagged).

Submitting your quiz attempt

After clicking 'Submit all and finish,' you cannot re-open your quiz attempt without the permission of your instructor.

Note: Instructors will sometimes have configured multiple attempts. Multiple attempts will be indicated in the quiz timer as above.

Reviewing your quiz attempt

At the discretion of the instructors, students may be given access to review quiz attempts. Options may include allowing review when the attempt closes or when the quiz close; you may or may not also see correct answers and comments. time expires. 

To review a quiz attempt, return to the quiz activity where it may now show the attempt(s), and click on Review. If review is not permitted, you will only see your score here but only once the instructor has released it.

Please note that instructors may require students to take eClass quizzes using ExamLock proctoring where the quiz-taking interface has slight differences.