SkieHow do I set an exam window on student tablets?
Create a window for the exam's day and hours that allows only the exam app, or nothing but a single app, and place it above the normal school-hours window. During the exam the tablet shows only what you allow. When the window ends, the tablet returns to its normal list on its own.
An exam window is a schedule window with a very short app list. Set the day or days, the start and end time, and allow just the testing app and perhaps a calculator. Leave Chrome and every other app off the list. Without a browser, students cannot search for answers.
Order is important. The normal school-hours window already covers the exam hours, so the exam window must be above it in the list. Skie applies the first matching window, so the exam set wins while the test runs and the tablets go back to normal after it.
For the strictest case, use a kiosk or a one-app allow list, which locks the device to a single app. A window is more flexible when the exam only runs for part of the day and the tablet must be a normal tablet the rest of the time. A policy with stricter switches, such as screenshots disabled, can be attached for the exam group.
Plan the logistics. Publish the exam app in the store ahead of time and test on a pilot tablet. Devices work from a cached schedule offline, which suits halls with weak Wi-Fi. Keep the window slightly wider than the paper, then trim it. A practical tip: fork the group's policy for exam week rather than editing the everyday one, and attach the copy only to the exam group.