Respondus

Respondus LockDown Browser is a locked browser for taking assessments or quizzes in Canvas. 

Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor

​The Respondus proctoring solution has three possibilities:

  • LockDown Browser: A locked browser used to prevent students from printing, copying, going to another URL, or accessing other applications during an assessment in Canvas.

  • Monitor: Used in conjunction with LockDown Browser, Monitor is the usage of a webcam to record a user during the exam session. 
  • Live Proctoring: Used in conjunction with both LockDown Browser and a video conferencing solution, the instructor live proctors students during the assessment.

Respondus works with both “Classic” and “New” quizzing engines in Canvas, but the process to enter the exam is different based on the quizzing engine. If information is not posted about which quiz will be used, contact your instructor.

If virtual machine software is detected on your device, you won't be able to run LockDown Browser, and you'll receive a warning, "The browser can't be used in virtual machine software such as Virtual PC, VMWare, and Parallels." You can find examples of VM software and troubleshooting steps on Respondus's FAQ page for this topic. 

If you want to take your exam on your iPad, you must ask your instructor to enable this feature from within the course settings and download the LockDown Browser app.

For information about Repondus’s privacy policies, please visit their Privacy Center.

The link for downloading the LockDown browser will be provided by the instructor. If the instructor does not provide a link, please reach out to them. Instructors should either reach out to help.njit.edu to receive the link if they do not currently have it, or can share this Syllabus Language with students in their courses. 

In using LockDown Browser, students need:

  • High-speed internet connection
  • Windows or Apple Operating System

In using Monitor or Live Proctoring, students need:

  • Webcam (internal or external)
  • Microphone and Audio (internal or external)
  • NJIT ID or Photo-Issued ID
  • To perform an environment check 

Using LockDown Browser Features

Using LockDown Browser with "Classic" Quizzes in Canvas

To access a Classic Quiz in Canvas using LockDown Browser, students must:

  1. Download and install the LockDown Browser link (provided by the instructor).
  2. Locate the “LockDown Browser” shortcut on your desktop and double-click it. (For Mac users, launch “LockDown Browser” from the Applications folder.)
  3. Log in with your NJIT UCID and password.
  4. Click on the course within your “Courses” list in which you have to take the exam that requires LockDown Browser.
  5. After you enter the course, find the exam and click on it.
  6. Click the “Take the Quiz” button. Once a quiz has been started with LockDown Browser, you cannot exit until the “Submit Quiz” button is clicked.
  7. If you are required to use a webcam (Respondus Monitor), you will be prompted to complete a Webcam Check and other Startup Sequence steps.

Using LockDown Browser with "New" Quizzes in Canvas

When accessing a New Quiz in Canvas using LockDown Browser, students must:

  1. Download and install the LockDown Browser link (provided by the instructor). 
  2. Log into Canvas using your standard browser.
  3. Click on the course within your “Courses” list in which you have to take the exam that requires LockDown Browser.
  4. After you enter the course, find the exam and click on it.
  5. A new tab will open with a message stating “Assessment Loading”. You will also see a pop-up window asking you to open Lockdown Browser. Click “Open Lockdown Browser”.
  6. Lockdown Browser will automatically launch and your quiz will be loaded into Lockdown Browser. Click “Begin” to take the quiz. Once a quiz has been started with LockDown Browser, you cannot exit until the “Submit Quiz” button is clicked.
  7. If you are required to use a webcam (Respondus Monitor), you will be prompted to complete a Webcam Check and other Startup Sequence steps.
  8. Once the exam has been submitted, Respondus will close to allow you to continue using your regular browser window. 

Using the Show Your Work Feature in Respondus

For some Respondus Lockdown Browser exams, you may need to solve questions with pencil and paper and submit this work via Webcam images after you have submitted your exam. When you are going through the steps to submit your written work, you must:

  1. Show all written work you have done during the exam time.
  2. Show your work on camera as clearly as you are able to.
  3. If you have written any notes, images, etc. in small text that cannot be seen well in a regular image, take an up-close image of that work.

Your written work will be reviewed upon the conclusion of the exam.

Using Respondus with a Video Conferencing Solution

You may be required to take an exam with Lockdown Browser with Live Proctoring. You will be required to join a video conference in order to take the exam. To access the exam, you must: 

  1. Enter the video conference from the information that has been provided by the instructor. If you have not received information, contact the instructor. 
  2. Within the video conference, the instructor will provide a code to unlock the exam. 
  3. When the instructor has stated it is time to begin, enter the code within Canvas to access.

Note: The instructor moderates you through the video conferencing tool for the entirety of the exam. Your classmates will not be able to see your video during this time, only your instructor will. However, your classmates will be able to hear you during the exam.

Tips for Ensuring a Smooth Experience while using Lockdown Browser

  • A Live Chat feature is available to help students while Lockdown Browser is going through the ID verification, webcam/system check process. This Live Chat is only available before the exam begins during the initial startup process.
  • If you experience technical issues during the exam, speak into the webcam and say out loud what the issue is so it is documented.
  • Make sure Lockdown Browser is fully up to date prior to the exam (start up Lockdown Browser and click the small "i" icon at the top left corner and then click "Check for Updates").
  • Access the Help Center while in LockDown Browser so that you can run a Webcam Check and System Check. If you aren't able to pass the system check, you may need to use a different computer or network. You also may want to temporarily disable your antivirus software. Remember to re-enable it after taking the exam.
  • Whenever possible, use an ethernet (wired) connection with Lockdown Browser and Monitor. Intermittent lag, timeouts, and dropped/interrupted connections may occur via wireless connection and can cause issues such as Lockdown Browser freezing-up on users with weak/slow connections, quiz answers not being saved or submitted, and embedded images in the quiz loading very slowly or not at all.
  • For more information and support, please visit the Respondus Knowledge Center.

Helpful Resources: