Why did I get kicked out of tests (access denied errors)?

There have been reports of this happening to some students due to 1) unknown problems with the quiz or Blackboard or 2) issues with the way students are navigating the quiz or other programs running while taking test.

While we do not have a solution for problems with Blackboard itself, we are working with Bb to resolve problems. There are a few things that you can do to help students:

• Avoid copying and pasting from Word since this tends to carry a lot of underlying code that can cause problems.
• At this time, we recommend that students use the latest version of Firefox Browser (free) rather than Internet Explorer, Safari, or other browsers since there seem to be fewer issues with Firefox.

Tips for preparing for Quiz and Test Taking in Blackboard

Before starting your quiz or test, it is important for you to follow a few guidelines to better ensure that you will not experience technical problems that might cause your assessment to "lock".

• Close all windows on the computer and then launch a new window to login to the learning management system.
• Close other applications before taking the quiz/test (including chat programs).
• If there is a specific start time for the test, login 10-15 minutes early to test the connection.
• After opening the test, scroll to the bottom of the page to be sure the save and submit buttons are available.
• Do NOT click "Save and Submit" until you have completed the exam.
• Do NOT use any of the browser navigation buttons (i.e. Back, Forward, Home, etc.) during the quiz/test.
• Do NOT leave the assessment page without completing the assessment and clicking the "Save and Submit" button at the end (if it is a forced completion test).
• Do NOT click the Refresh or Reload buttons in your browser while taking the quiz/test.
• Do NOT open other browser windows or applications while taking a quiz/test.
• Do NOT click on buttons in the Blackboard navigation while taking a quiz/test.
• If you are only able to answer one question at a time (questions present themselves on separate pages), make sure you only single-click the "Next" button to move forward.

You should note the difference between Save and Submit. Each question has a "Save Answer" button, which will save the individual question. You are not required to use the Save feature, though it might provide some insurance, should the quiz lock up. In this case, those saved answers should appear when your instructor opens the quiz. There is also a Save button for all questions. You must SUBMIT your quiz in order for it to be graded. Make sure to select Save and Submit when you have completed the assessment.