Online Exams - technical guidance for students

Overview

For the Spring term of 2025-26, there will be online exams for students.

This guide is designed to help students access their online exams and upload their completed answer booklets to Moodle.

Watch this short video about how to complete an online exam. 

For online exams the use of Generative AI is not permitted.

Online exam formats

The University has committed to the delivery of online exams utilising the following format in Moodle:  

Timed Online Exams

Exams are to be completed in one sitting and within a restricted time window.  Timed Online Exams are designed such that all students complete the exam in one sitting (i.e. immediately following the release of the exam paper). 

How exams will work in Moodle

Exam papers will automatically become available in the relevant Moodle module on the date and time listed on the exams timetable.

On each Moodle module underneath the Assessment and Feedback section, there will be a section called Online Exam.  This section will contain: 

  • The exam paper (named by module code).
  • An answer booklet in DOCX (Microsoft Word) format.
  • A submission inbox. This will open when the exam begins and close after 48 hours.
  • Optionally; supplementary materials you’ll need to complete the exam such as case lists, graphs or diagrams.

If you don’t submit a paper, or submit late, you must follow the instructions provided in the Examination section on the Moodle module or email your School Student Support Team to provide further details.

The length of the exam will also be stated. You must submit your completed answer booklet within the restricted time window as specified.

A screenshot with an example examination section in Moodle, showing exam paper, answer booklet and submission inbox.

An example of what the Examination section in Moodle will look like.

Opening your exam paper

To open your exam paper:

  1. Access the relevant Moodle module.
    • Remember, the exam paper will be hidden until the time stated on your examination timetable. You may need to refresh the page.
  2. Your exam paper will appear as a file in the Exam section. It will be named by module code. Click on the file to open it in your browser. 

We recommend you download the file to your computer by right-clicking the file and choosing 'Save Link As...' (May vary by browser).

Once the exam paper is visible in Moodle, you can go back to it and can download it as often as you like.

Downloading the answer booklet

To download the answer booklet:

  1. In the Exam section (or Resit Exam section in the case of resits), click on the Microsoft Word document entitled "[add your exam number and module code] AnswerBooklet" to download it to your computer. 

The document may open within the browser window. If this happens; right-click on the file and choose 'Save Link As...' (May vary by browser).

Using the answer booklet

Do include your exam number in the answer booklet and file name. 

Don't write your name or Kent Login.

You can access and edit your answer booklet using Microsoft Word, which is free for all students to use in Microsoft Office 365.

  1. Re-save the answer booklet to include your exam number in the file name, using the following format: [exam number] [module codeAnswerBooklet (for example, 123456 ABCD1234 Answer Booklet).
  2. Follow the instructions in the answer booklet carefully;
    • Enter your exam number and module code into the document header.
    • Write the answer to each question on a new page of the document and remember to include the question number at the top of each page.
  3. Remember to save the document regularly whilst you are working on it.
  4. When you have finished writing your answers into the answer booklet, check your work and then save.

Our Using your answer booklet page explains how to add images, equations, code and annotations to your answer booklet, as well as information on editing and saving the answer booklet on different devices and platforms. 

If you need to add a few lines of handwritten text, it is fine to do this via photos.  If you need large paragraphs to explain your working, we would recommended that you type this unless you have been explicitly told by your School that you can hand-write and photograph your full answers.

Submitting your completed answer booklet

Submit your answer booklet to the Moodle answer submission inbox in the Exam section.

Submit your completed answer booklet within the restricted time window as specified.

If you don’t submit a paper, or submit late, you must follow the instructions provided in the Examination section on the Moodle module or email the Student Support Team to provide further details. 

To submit the answer booklet:

  1. Click on the link to the submission inbox entitled 'Online exam answer Submission'.
  2. Click 'Add submission'
  3. On the page that follows, beneath the inbox summary information Click and drag your completed answer booklet from your computer's file browser into the 'file upload' section. You can also click on the file icon to navigate your computer's file browser to choose a file to upload.  
  4. Tick the box to confirm the work you are uploading is your own.
  5. Click 'Save changes' at the bottom of the page.
A screenshot showing the Turnitin upload process

Your answer booklet submission will now be processed, and you'll see a summary page detailing your submission status.

Please note, it can take up to two minutes for your answer booklet submission to be processed.

Clicking on the submission title opens your submission. You must check your file has been submitted correctly. Blank or corrupt file submissions will not be marked.

Re-submitting your answer booklet (where applicable)

If, after making a submission, you notice you've made an error (for example, you've incorrectly titled the document) don't worry; all exam inboxes allow students to make resubmissions within the time permitted.

Simply make the required changes to your answer booklet and then re-submit the document following the same steps described above.

Try it out!

We have created a demonstration Moodle module where you can familiarise yourself with the above process. 

You will need to click 'Enrol me' in order to enrol yourself onto the above module.

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