Schoolyear Safe Exam Workspace (Secure Exams)

Schoolyear Safe Exam Workspace (SEW) is a secure, controlled environment that allows students to take digital exams either on their own devices or devices managed by Imperial.  

The software ensures academic integrity by preventing access to unauthorized resources during exams whilst enabling the use of desktop applications and websites allowed by the test author, without intrusive monitoring or recording.  

Students launch the software on a web page, which logs them into the virtual SEW environment on the cloud to start their exam. On completion, students are logged out of the virtual environment and returned to their local operating system.

Key Features

• Secure exam environment - Safe Exam Workspace (SEW) provides a secure exam environment that locks down students' devices, preventing access to unauthorized websites or applications during exams. This ensures academic integrity whether students use personal devices or devices managed by Imperial.
• Permit / Restrict URL and application access  - Staff can configure exam settings to specific needs using the dashboard, including defining which URLs and applications are to be accessible in students SEW environments.  
• Easy exam launch- Students initiate exams by entering a unique six-digit exam code at https://exams.schoolyear.app . This code triggers SEW to apply the necessary security settings for that exam to the students’ device. 
• B.Y.O.D device option - SEW can be installed on students' personal laptops, both Windows and macOS, that meet minimum requirements, providing this is authorised by the department. Alternatively, SEW can be used on devices managed by the college.
• Accessibility Options - SEW includes accessibility features such as screen zooming, language customization, sound adjustments, and customised keyboard settings. 
• Integration with Submission Portals - SEW allows submission portals such as WISEflow to be used for the submission of student work, with the SEW environment ensuring that unauthorised content outside the portal cannot be accessed.
• Real-Time student monitoring - Staff can monitor student progress during exams  via the SchoolYear dashboard, including whether students have started/completed an exam and view a real time log of their activity to help identify technical issues or suspicious actions. Staff can share exam dashboards with multiple invigilators.
• Cloud-Based Secure Applications – SEW allows the use of desktop applications without requiring them to be locally installed on student devices. Applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and MATLAB are launched in a cloud-based virtual machine, ensuring they are isolated and do not compromise exam security.
• Flexible Exam Options - SEW supports various exam types and durations, including the ability to configure different timings for individual students.