Digital examinations in Moodle

A Moodle exam is taken in the Moodle learning environment on your own device at a specific time or within a specific time window. Your device must have an internet connection and be able to download the necessary programs for the exam. 

The exam in Moodle can be either a remote exam or an on-site exam. 

• A remote exam can be taken at a location of your choice where you have internet access.
• An on-site exam is taken in the university's facilities, and your device must have a wireless internet connection. 

Some on-site exams use the Safe Exam Browser (SEB)-program. When the exam uses the SEB-program, you will not have access to files stored on your device or other websites during the exam. The SEB-exam imposes requirements on your device's operating system and its version. 

You can find information on whether it is a remote or on-site exam and whether SEB is used in Sisu or the Courses section of the Study Service.

Below are the requirements for your device's operating system, program downloads, and internet connection for taking a Moodle exam. 

Moodle is compatible with the following browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, as well as MobileSafari and Google Chrome on mobile devices.

Operating system requirements 

If the Safe Exam Browser (SEB)-program is not used in the exam, the exam can be taken on either a laptop or a tablet. 

If the exam is taken using Safe Exam Browser (SEB)-program, you must have one of the devices listed below. Note that the SEB-program may not be downloadable on older operating systems.

Laptop or tablet:

• PC (operating system: Windows)
• Mac (operating system: macOS)
• iPad (operating system: iOS) 

Android, Chromebook, Linux, or iPhone devices are not suitable for SEB exams.

Downloading programs to your device 

If other programs are required for the exam, you will be informed and given instructions before the exam. Download the necessary programs for the exam to your device. Test that the programs you downloaded also work before the exam. You can test the functionality of the SEB-program with Test Exam available in Moodle. Instructions for this can be found further down on this page. 

If the exam uses Safe Exam Browser (SEB)-program, download the program to your device from Safe Exam Browser's official website. Check before downloading that your operating system meets the requirements. The SEB-program may not be downloadable on older operating systems. 

Once the download is complete, the program still needs to be installed. Double-click to install: 

• Windows: Accept the terms and install. Once the installation is complete, you will receive a notification that the installation was successful.
• macOS: An Application folder will open on the screen, where you need to drag the downloaded SEB-program.

You can download the SEB-program to an iPad from the device's App Store. 

Students at the University of Helsinki can, for example, download the Office package for free from IT Helpdesk Download Center.

Internet connection 

If the exam is arranged as a remote exam, you can take it at a location of your choice where you have internet access. 

If the exam is taken on-site, your device must have a wireless internet connection. All halls at the University of Helsinki have a wireless eduroam-network. Ensure that your device logs into the eduroam-network. Instructions for logging into eduroam can be found on the IT Helpdesk Wireless networks at the University of Helsinki 

If logging into the eduroam-network is not successful, backup networks are also available in the exam hall. The invigilators will guide you in using them.

What if my device is not suitable for Moodle examination?

You can borrow a Lenovo laptop from Laptop Lender. The devices you borrow have the Safe Exam Browser (SEB)-program installed and log in to the HelsinkiUni network.

These instructions apply only to exams that do not use Safe Exam Browser (SEB)-program. The exam can be a remote exam or an on-site exam. Exam-specific instructions can be found in the exam area. The exam instructions are visible in the hall. The invigilators will review the instructions before the exam begins.

When logging into Moodle, select LOCAL LOGIN. If you have selected SSO and ticked ‘Remember SSO method on this browser’, it is multi-factor authentication (MFA). There must not be a phone at the seat, so you must ‘forget’ your choice. Fully clear the history of your browser. Log in to LOCAL LOGIN.

• You can find your exam on the Moodle Dashboard or the course's Moodle area. You may also have received the exam's Moodle link from your teacher or the exam services. You can also find the exam's Moodle link in the Courses section of the Study Service.
• Open the exam area.
• The exam is scheduled to start and end according to the published exam time.
• The exam opens when the exam time starts. Click Begin assignment or Attempt quiz. If the exam does not use a password, click Start attempt. On-site exams usually use a password, which the invigilators will announce when the exam time begins. Enter the password and click Start attempt.
• Your exam time starts when you begin the exam.
• Answer the exam questions. For essay questions, you can either write your answer in the answer area below the exam question or write your answer in a Word document, for example, which you then submit in the submission box in the exam area.
• Make sure to submit your exam before your exam time ends. Your exam time ends when the given exam time is up or when the published end time of the exam arrives.
• If you have answered on a document, attach it to the exam area. Select Save changes or Submit all and finish (this is done twice).
• If answer review is used in the exam, select End review.
• If more detailed instructions for submitting the exam are given during the exam event, follow those instructions.

The downloaded and installed SEB-program is activated through the Moodle exam area. Do not open the SEB-program you downloaded separately. Below you will find instructions on how to take an SEB-exam, i.e., an exam that uses Safe Exam Browser-program. 

Any permitted electronic materials in the exam can be found in the exam's Moodle area. 

Before taking SEB-exams, save any unfinished work on your device and close unnecessary programs/websites. 

You must remember your University of Helsinki username and password by heart when taking the SEB-exam. 

At on-site exams, you can find your SEB-exam on the Moodle Dashboard or the course's Moodle area. You may also have received the exam's Moodle link from your teacher or the exam services. You can also find the exam's Moodle link in the Courses section of the Study Service. Open the exam.

A Test Exam has been created in Moodle, which you must take before the exam to ensure that the SEB-program works on your device. 

• Log in to Moodle by selecting LOCAL LOGIN. You may have selected Single Sing On (SSO) login. It is multi-factor authentication (MFA), which may require you to confirm your login via phone. There must not be a phone at the seat. Fully clear the history of your browser. And then log in to Moodle via LOCAL LOGIN.
• Open Test Exam: Sähköiset salitentit – Safe Exam Browser (SEB).
• If Test Exam does not open from the link, you can search for the test exam by its name (sähköiset salitentit  – Safe Exam Browser) in the search field at the bottom of the Moodle Homepage.
• Register for the exam.
• Select your Test Exam from the three language versions and open it.

Activating the SEB-program in the Moodle exam area 

• Click Start Safe Exam Browser. The button is found at the bottom of the exam area.
• Your device will switch to using the SEB-program. If prompted to confirm the use of the SEB-program, accept it.
• The invigilators will give permission/remind you to start the SEB-program before the exam time begins.

Logging back into the Moodle exam area (select LOCAL LOGIN again)

• You must remember your username and password by heart. If your password is complex, you can write it down on scratch paper available in the hall.
• If a warning about open programs appears, go back to close the programs and/or accept the SEB-program start.

Starting SEB-exam 

• Click Start quiz.
• On-site SEB-exams use a password. When the exam time starts, the invigilators will announce the password. Enter the password and click Start attempt.
• There is no password for Test Exam, so click Start attempt directly.

Answering in the SEB-exam 

• Permitted materials can be found as links on the exam instruction page (the first page of the exam) or with the question.
• Once you have opened the material links, you can navigate between them and the exam using the SEB-circle in the lower left corner. On a laptop, you can have the exam and one material open on the screen simultaneously. On an iPad, only the exam or the material can be visible on the screen at the same time.
• If the exam has multiple pages, navigate through the exam with the Next page and Previous page buttons.
• The exam may have different types of questions. For essay questions, answer directly in the answer area below the question.

Ending the exam 

• Click Finish attempt. Then you need to select Submit all and finish. This is done twice.
• Select End review if it is used in the exam. Answer review is not used in all exams.
• If the exam time ends before you click Finish exam, your device will go directly to the submission page mentioned in the next step. Your answers will have been saved automatically.

Closing the SEB program 

• Your screen will now show the submission page where the SEB-program is closed.
• In an on-site exam, you need to take your device and go to the invigilators. Show the submission page to the invigilator. Click Exit Safe Exam Browser in the presence of the invigilator. If the system asks for confirmation, confirm it. The SEB- program will close, and your device will return to Moodle.
• If the SEB-program does not close on your device, the invigilator will take your device and enter a password that forces the SEB-program to close. The password is known only to the invigilators.
• In the Test-exam, click Exit Safe Exam Browser. If the system asks for confirmation, confirm it. The SEB-program will close, and your device will return to Moodle.
• Once the SEB-program has closed, the materials and other websites stored on your device will be available again.

The exam instructions are visible in the hall. The invigilators will also review the instructions before the SEB-exam begins.

• Ensure that your device's operating system is updated to the latest version, that you have downloaded the latest version of the Safe Exam Browser (SEB) and that your device has the latest security and system updates installed.
• There are power outlets at the exam hall's seating areas, but make sure to fully charge your device's battery and bring your charger with you. If you wish to use a mouse during the exam, bring your mouse with you.
• When logging into eduroam network, remember that your username should be in the format username@helsinki.fi (e.g., rkeskiva@helsinki.fi).
• Log in to Moodle by selecting LOCAL LOGIN.
• Ensure that you remember your university username and password, as the browser's auto-fill feature will not work when the Safe Exam Browser (SEB) is in use.
• If you encounter any technical issues during the exam, immediately ask the exam invigilator for assistance. If your device freezes (shows a red screen) or you cannot close SEB-program, the invigilator have a password that will force the SEB-program to close.
• If you receive an error message about a disconnected network, wait a moment for the connection to re-establish. If the connection does not restore and the error message persists, ask the invigilator for further assistance.

In the instructions for taking a General Examination, you will find information on, among other things, registering for the exam and the arrangements for the exam session.

If you are entitled to individual arrangements, see the instructions under Individual Arrangements in Exams.

Exam Services contact information:

• City Centre Exam Services citycentre-exams@helsinki.fi
• Kumpula Exam Services kumpula-exams@helsinki.fi
• Meilahti Exam Services meilahti-exams@helsinki.fi
• Viikki Exam Services viikki-exams@helsinki.fi