Configuring Safe Exam Browser for Practique and BYOD

If you want to run written exams online and restrict the candidate's access to other applications using Practique you will need to configure Safe Exam Browser.

Safe Exam Browser is a third party browser designed specifically for online assessment. It allows exam systems like Practique to have control over the environment that the candidate has when taking the exam. This could be something like not allowing the candidate to access the internet whilst taking the exam for example.

Step-by-step guide for configuring Safe Exam Browser on one device

Downloading the software

Download Safe Exam Browser from here. You will have the option to download either Windows, MacOS or iOS depending on your hardware.
Follow the standard steps to install on your hardware.
Once Safe Exam Browser has installed launch the application

Configuring the software

Once you have started click 'Safe exam Browser" then click on Preferences
In the "general" tab
In the "start URL'" field you need to enter your own exam URL. This will be https://example.practique.net/html5/ Simply change the example to your own organisation
Set the Administrator password - this will be for configuring Safe Exam Browser so must be secure
Set the "Quit/restart" password for the Invigilator or exam administrator. This must be secure, but also useable by the invigilator. Once the device has started with Safe Exam Browser you will need this password to exit the application.
Once you have completed the steps above click "restart Safe Exam Browser" It will ask you to confirm the changes you have made. Click "apply"

Starting the Exam in Safe exam Browser

Now that the Safe Exam Browser is configured every time that you launch Safe Exam Browser from that device it will navigate to the available exams that you have published to Practique for Browser (P4B)
Candidates will login as normal, but will not be able to exit Practique, perform any other actions than permitted by Safe exam Browser or exit Safe Exam Browser.
You can further configure Safe Exam Browser in the preferences section to allow the use of particular applications for example. The default position of Safe Exam Browser is the most secure however and the most restricted.

Step by step guide to setting up Practique and Safe Exam Browser for BYOD

Practique can run on any modern browser so it is possible to run your written assessments on any device either owned and managed by your organisation or the candidates own device. As we use Safe Exam Browser this will need to be set up on the Candidate's device.

NOTE: You will need to have gone through the steps above "Downloading the Software" first.

Setting up the software

Launch Safe Exam Browser
Once you have started click 'Safe exam Browser" then click on Preferences
In the "general" tab
In the "start URL'" field you need to enter your own exam URL. This will be https://example.practique.net/html5/ Simply change the example to your own organisation
Set the Administrator password - this will be for configuring Safe Exam Browser so must be secure
Set the "Quit/restart" password for the Invigilator or exam administrator (This will be used by the candidate to quit if they are using BYOD). This must be secure, but also useable by the invigilator. Once the device has started with Safe Exam Browser you will need this password to exit the application
Once you have completed the steps above click "restart Safe Exam Browser" It will ask you to confirm the changes you have made. Click "apply"

Configuring the Exam settings

You will need to set what the candidate can and cannot do during the exam and we recommend that you explore the different options within Safe Exam Browser. The setting we propose here should be suitable for a summative and formative exam.

Select the "Config file" tab
Under the the "use SEB settings file for...." Select
1. "Starting an Exam"
2. Unselect "Allow to open settings window on client"
Select "Save Settings As" and save to a location on your local or shared drive.
You will now have the configuration file that you can send to your candidates that once clicked on will take them directly to the exam starting page and their device will be locked.

Candidate instructions

In order to take the exam in a secure environment the each candidate will need to install Safe Exam browser and run an Exam configuration file (supplied by the exam provider). Practique can run on any device that has a modern browser, but does not support the lock down functionality for Android Tablets.

Candidates will need a device that:

Supports a modern browser (Firefox, Chrome)
Has sufficient battery life for the duration of the exam
At a minimum has an internet connection to download and start the exam
At a minimum has an internet connection to upload the exam responses at the end of the exam.

As a Candidate follow the steps below to set up your device and start the exam:

At least one week before the scheduled exam:

Download Safe Exam Browser from by clicking on the link depending on which device you own. Windows PC or Laptop, Mac or iPad. Your download should start automatically. If it does not, follow the instructions to download Safe Exam Browser.
When the download is complete follow the instructions to install on your device. You will only have to do this for your exams and you can delete the file once the exam is over.

On the day of the exam:

Separately you will have received an exam configuration file from your assessment provider.
When instructed open this file and it will take you to your exam (You will need to be connected to the internet for this to work)
Candidates will login to the exam as instructed by the invigilator or exam administrator.
Candidates will not be able to exit Practique, perform any other actions than permitted by Safe exam Browser or exit Safe Exam Browser.
In order to exit the exam and Safe exam Browser you can click "Quit SEB" in the top righthand corner. Candidates will need the Quit passcode to exit and this will be provided by the invigilator or exam administrator at the end of the exam.