Adding a Time Limit to an Exam/Quiz in Brightspace

Audience: Faculty, Staff and Teaching Assistants

This KB Article References: Brightspace
This Information is Intended for: Faculty, Staff, Teaching Assistants
Last Updated: February 09, 2023
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Creating a Time Limit

  1. When creating or editing a Quiz or Exam, go to the "Restrictions" tab
  2. Scroll down until you see the area titled "Timing"
  3. Choose one of the two options to add a time limit

Image of Restrictions tab in the Exam/Quiz area

Image of time limit options labeled "Recommended Time Limit" and "Enforced Time Limit"

Options for Time Limits

Recommended Time Limit: This allows the instructor to set an amount of time (in minutes) that it should take for a student to finish a Quiz or Exam.  If a student exceeds this time limit, they will still be allowed to finish their attempt without a penalty. When instructors view the student's submission, Brightspace will notify them on the amount of time exceeded on the student's attempt.  When instructors choose this option, they can decide whether or not students can see a clock to display the time limit while they are completing their attempt. 

Image of the Recommended Time Limit selected with the amount of minutes set to 20. Also visible is an option enabled to show the clock to students.

Image from an instructors view, reviewing a students attempt at a quiz. The attempt view shows that the student exceeded the recommended time limit.

Enforced Time Limit: This allows the instructor to set an amount of time (in minutes) that a student will have to complete an exam.  Instructors will also have the ability to add in a grace period to provide students with extra time after the time limit expires. The Enforced Time Limit option by default will have a clock displaying the time limit to students while they are completing their attempt.  If the student exceeds the time limit,  the instructor will be notified when viewing their attempt.

Image of the enforced time limit option selected for a quiz. The time limit is set to 60 minutes and the grace period is set to 5 minutes.

Image from an instructor view of a quiz attempt that exceeded the enforced time limit

When you choose the Enforced Time Limit, you have three options to choose from to choose what the Exceeded Time Limit Behavior should be.  Please note! If your student exceeds the time limit while taking their exam, they will still be able to see questions on each page of the exam. If you would like to prevent them from doing that, separate your questions by page, and use the Prevent the student from making further changes option for Exceeded Time Limit Behaviour. 

  • Allow the student to continue working will allow the student to finish the quiz despite the time limit being exceeded.  
  • Prevent the student from making further changes will save the responses to any question the student answered before the time limit was exceeded (including the grace period).  The student can still submit responses to unanswered questions after the time limit, however they will not receive credit for them.
  • Allow the student to continue working, but automatically score the attempt as zero after an extended deadline.  This allows the instructor to set an extended deadline AFTER the time limit and grace period expires.  If the student does not finish their attempt after this extended deadline, then they will receive a zero for their attempt regardless of how many questions they answered correctly. 

Image of exceeded time limit behavior options

Please note! As instructors, you are able to override scores on any student attempt in the Evaluation Summary area.

Image of a student attempt grade which can be overridden by students

 

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