Exam Preview
Before publishing an exam, preview it to see exactly what students will experience. The preview mode renders the exam in the student view — complete with question navigation, timer display, and answer inputs — without recording any responses. The preview endpoint is /exams/:id/preview.
How to Preview an Exam
1
Open the Exam Detail Page
Navigate to Exams and click the exam you want to preview.
2
Click "Preview" from the Action Menu
Open the action menu (three dots) and select "Preview". This opens the exam in student view mode using the /exams/:id/preview endpoint.
3
Navigate Through Questions
Use the question palette to jump between questions, or use the Next / Previous buttons. The navigation mirrors exactly what students will see.
4
Test Answer Inputs
Try answering questions — select MCQ options, type essay responses, fill in blanks. Answers are not saved in preview mode.
5
Review the Exam Layout
Check the timer display, section headers, question numbering, and overall layout. Verify that all questions render correctly.
Student View Elements
The preview displays all the components a student sees during an actual exam:
- Exam Timer — Countdown display showing remaining time, positioned at the top of the screen
- Question Palette — A grid of numbered buttons showing all questions. Colors indicate: not visited, answered, skipped, and flagged for review
- Question Display — The question text, options (for MCQ), or input area (for essay / fill-in-blank) rendered with full formatting
- Navigation Controls — Previous / Next buttons and a "Flag for Review" toggle
- Section Headers — If the exam uses sections, section titles and instructions appear at the beginning of each section
Testing Navigation
Use preview mode to verify:
- Questions appear in the correct order (or randomized if shuffle is on)
- All question types render properly — especially hotspot images and matching pairs
- Navigation between questions and sections works smoothly
- The question palette reflects the correct total question count
- The timer displays the configured duration correctly
Verifying Question Display
Pay special attention to these common issues during preview:
- Image questions — Verify that hotspot images load and clickable regions are positioned correctly
- Matching questions — Ensure both columns display all items and distractor options appear if configured
- Fill-in-blank — Check that blank positions are clear and input fields are correctly placed within the question text
- Essay questions — Confirm word count limits are displayed and the text area is appropriately sized
- Long question text — Verify that questions with lengthy text or code snippets wrap correctly without layout issues