Locking Your Device During an Exam

Community of Learners – School For Children

Why we do this. Locking your device to the exam stops notifications, chat bubbles, and accidental swipes from interrupting you mid-answer. It also protects you: if your device is locked, there's no question about whether you left the exam.

📱 iPhone or iPad — Guided Access

  1. Before the exam: Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access → turn On.
  2. Tap Passcode Settings → Set Guided Access Passcode. Choose something you'll remember — you need it to exit.
  3. Open the exam link and enter your details until the first question is on screen.
  4. Triple-click the side button (or Home button on older devices).
  5. Tap Start in the top-right corner.

To finish: triple-click again, enter your passcode, tap End. Do this only after you've submitted your exam.

🤖 Android — Screen Pinning

  1. Before the exam: Settings → Security (or Security & privacy) → Screen pinning or App pinning → turn On.
  2. Turn on "Ask for PIN before unpinning" if your device offers it.
  3. Open the exam link and enter your details until the first question is on screen.
  4. Open your recent apps view (swipe up and hold, or the square button).
  5. Tap the browser's icon at the top of its card → tap Pin.

To finish: hold Back and Overview together to unpin. Do this only after you've submitted your exam.

💻 Laptop or Desktop

  1. Close every other program and browser tab — especially messaging and chat apps.
  2. Turn off notifications: Windows → Focus assist · Mac → Do Not Disturb.
  3. Keep the exam window maximised and in front for the entire exam.

Switching to another window or program is recorded and shown to your teacher.

⚠️ Important

  1. Lock the device AFTER the first question is showing, not before — locking too early can stop the exam loading properly.
  2. If anything goes wrong — your internet drops, your device freezes, the exam won't load — tell your teacher immediately. Problems you don't report may mean your results can't be counted.
  3. Switching tabs or apps during an exam is recorded and treated as a violation.

Print this page, or use your browser's Print → Save as PDF to share it.