Digital assessments

Rehearse the technical setup for an online exam

An online exam uses familiar equipment under unfamiliar constraints. The browser, account, file format and permitted tools may be specified more tightly than in ordinary coursework. Read those instructions early and practise the technical actions through the university's authorised environment, leaving the exam itself for answering the questions.

UCL's assessment guidance describes online assessment requirements and the information students should receive about assessment tasks. The exact rules at your university can differ. This preparation process deliberately leaves the permitted devices, software and timing to your own current exam instructions rather than proposing a universal online-exam setup.

Tailored Deals · Researched guidance · 5 September 2026

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Extract the technical requirements

Record the exam platform, supported device and browser, required software and any restrictions on additional screens or applications. Check the start time and time zone, authentication method and submission format. Keep the official instructions accessible in the way the university permits. Do not rely on a screenshot shared by another student from a different assessment.

Identify any mismatch between the rules and your normal study setup. If you use assistive technology or agreed adjustments, confirm their compatibility and arrangements with the relevant team well before the exam. Do not disable a necessary support tool or introduce a replacement without resolving how it fits the authorised assessment conditions.

Use the authorised practice route

If a practice assessment is provided, complete its technical sequence on the device you intend to use. Test sign-in, opening questions, entering answers and any required file upload. Keep practice separate from the live exam. Do not access restricted material or attempt to test a live assessment outside its permitted window.

Note the specific action that caused trouble. A browser warning, a missing input tool and an upload-format error require different help. Contact the exam or IT team with the exact message and device details. Resolve problems using the official support route rather than experimenting with unauthorised tools that could conflict with the rules.

Check your input and file workflow

Practise any permitted technical task the exam requires, such as typing equations, producing a PDF or scanning handwritten pages. Use harmless practice material and the approved method. Confirm that you can name and locate the output without searching through a crowded downloads folder. Include the time needed to inspect the file within the actual exam instructions.

If a particular application is compulsory, open it and complete the practice task before exam day. Check that the licence or account access works. A software icon on the computer does not prove the required feature is available. Ask about an authorised campus or loan option if your device cannot meet the stated requirements.

Prepare the permitted environment

Choose a location and connection that fit the university's rules. Check power, ordinary seating and any required equipment before the exam. Follow the institution's instructions about updates and setup; avoid a major untested system change immediately beforehand. Keep only the materials and devices the assessment allows within the working arrangement.

Save the official help route and understand when and how it may be used. If the rules require a particular incident form or evidence, know where to find it. Do not invent an alternative submission process in advance and assume it will be accepted. Technical preparation includes knowing the authorised response to a problem.

Finish with a short readiness record

Write down which practice steps you completed, what remains unresolved and who is handling any issue. Recheck the official instructions when notified of an update. On the day, use the established setup and allow the preparation time the university permits, without starting restricted exam activity early.

Buy equipment only for a verified requirement that existing or university-provided options cannot meet. A new laptop is not a substitute for the practice run. The useful outcome is a supported, permitted workflow that you have already used successfully with the exam's technical actions.

Your next steps

Record the current device and software rules.
Use only the authorised practice environment.
Test required input and file preparation.
Resolve adjustments and support arrangements early.

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Sources and further help

Sources were consulted on 5 September 2026. Provider terms and services can change; check your exact booking, product or university service.

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