Exam Settings

Smartwork allows you to assign exams with the Exam Mode setting.

Exam Mode

In the assignment editor, you can toggle Exam Mode ON and OFF.  By setting Exam Mode ON, the exam settings will be applied to the assignment.

Edit Assignment page with adaptive setting and question list including publish and save buttons.

Exam Settings

Screenshot of an online testing platform's "Settings" configuration page showing options like assignment name, grades accepted until date, and various exam mode controls.
When Exam Mode toggled ON, the following assignment settings will be automatically defaulted and cannot be changed:
  • Show Solution will be defaulted to “never show solution” during the assignment.  Solutions will be shown after the Grades Accepted Until date or after the Late Work Penalty date have passed.
  • Ungraded Practice will be defaulted to “never allow ungraded practice”
  • Show Feedback will be defaulted to “never show feedback and correct/incorrect alerts”
  • Attempts will be defaulted to 1 attempt
  • Grade Penalties will be defaulted to 0% grade penalty
  • Adaptive will be set to OFF

If you would like to change the settings that are defaulted for the exam settings, please toggle Exam Mode to OFF to apply those settings to a regular assignment.

Grades Accepted Until Date

The Grades Accepted Until date can only be updated and saved prior to the expiration date applied to the Exam assignment.  If the Grades Accepted Until date expires, you will see the following pop-up and will not be able to update the date.

A notification banner displays the message Unable to edit G A U.


Adaptive (Chemistry)

Adaptive settings cannot be used when Exam Mode is ON.  If you would like to change the settings to use Adaptive, please toggle Exam Mode to OFF to create an Adaptive assignment.


Student Exceptions

If Exam Mode is on, some student exceptions can be applied.

Student Detail page showing Violet Beaugrand results with scores and time spent.


In the Student Detail, the following settings cannot be updated when Exam Mode is ON:

  • Publish
  • Grades Accepted Until date
  • Ungraded Practice
  • Attempts

However, you will be able to update or use the following settings:

  • Time Limit
  • Score
  • Question Reset
  • Reset All Results

Exam Assignment

When a student begins their Exam, they will see that they are limited to one attempt per question. 

SmartWorks Midterm Exam page showing due date and Begin Exam button.


Midterm Exam Question 1 page with molecule drawing prompt and Submit Answer button.


When a student submits their attempt, they will not see a Feedback pop-up or an indicating mark to confirm if the answer was correct or incorrect.  Once a student submits their attempt, the question will be marked as QUESTION COMPLETED.  


Midterm Exam Question 1 page with molecule models and Lewis structure prompt.


If a student returns to the assignment page, they will see their question attempt and question status.  However, a student will not see the points they earned on each question or their Exam grade until the Grades Accepted Until date expires.  If there is a Late Work Penalty, the grade will be shown after penalty period expires. 

SmartWorks Midterm Exam page showing all questions completed and Review Exam button.


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