QUESTION
What does the expiration date mean?
ANSWER
The expiration date and time defines the moment at which students will no longer be allowed to start a test. Students who load the test before the expiration time can begin testing. Students who load the test after the expiration time are denied the opportunity to test.
Important: The expiration time only affects whether a student can begin testing or not. It does not force a student to finish testing. If the expiration time is 12:00 today, and I start testing at 11:59, I am free to continue working on the test after 12:00. There's nothing to stop me from leaving the test open and finishing it later that afternoon or even the next day, unless a time limit has been set.
Most teachers use expiration dates with time limits defined. The expiration date sets a cutoff date after which students are no longer allowed to begin testing. The time limit makes sure the student finishes the test within a given amount of time.
If you have a fifteen minute test which you need all students to complete by 12:00 try this strategy:
1. Set the expiration time for 11:45.
2. Set the time limit at 15 minutes.
3. If you have autosave on (recommended in order to save the work as students progress) also choose the option "Clock never pauses". This means that if a student leaves the test and comes back to it later, the clock continues running while the student is away. However, if the test has expired in the meantime, they won't be able to reload the abandoned test.
