Creating Tests
How Do I Schedule a Test and Set Time Limits?
Learn how to schedule a test in ExamLive. Set an availability window, pick a duration from fixed options, and see how deadlines work.
Availability window
Every test has a schedule window under Settings › Schedule. Click the schedule field to open a dialog with a calendar on the left and time fields on the right.
To set the window:
- Pick the dates on the calendar. Your first click sets the opening date, your second click sets the closing date, and everything in between is highlighted. Move between months with the arrows or the month and year dropdowns at the top. Past dates can't be selected.
- Set the times. Enter a Start time and an End time in the fields on the right; they start at 09:00 by default. Each time field stays disabled until you've picked its matching date.
- Check the summary. The dialog previews your exact start and end moments and shows how long the window will stay open.
- Click Apply. Nothing is saved until you do. Cancel discards your changes, and clicking outside the dialog does nothing until you choose Apply or Cancel.
The result fills two fields:
- Opens at: the start of the window when people can begin taking the test.
- Closes at: after this moment no one new can start. Anyone already taking it can finish.
Both a start and an end are required; there's no way to leave them blank.
Duration
Duration is how much time each person gets once they start. It's chosen from a fixed list rather than typed in freely:
| Option | Time |
|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 15 |
| 30 minutes | 30 |
| 45 minutes | 45 |
| 1 hour | 60 |
| 1 hour 30 minutes | 90 |
| 2 hours | 120 |
The countdown is personal: it starts the moment that person begins, so someone starting at 2:00 PM with a 30-minute duration must finish by 2:30, as long as they started inside the availability window.
Closing the browser
Answers save continuously and the deadline is fixed server-side from the moment they started. Leaving and coming back later doesn't create extra time.
When time runs out
The test submits itself automatically with whatever was answered so far, and nothing can be changed afterwards. See Taking a Test for what this looks like on their screen.
Tips
- For take-home scenarios, pair a long duration (2 hours) with a multi-day window.
- For live sessions, set the window tightly around your start time so everyone begins together.
- Both fields lock once the test is published. Unpublish to change them.