We highly recommend testing the assignment before administering it to students. 

If you encounter a "Link is Blocked?" error while accessing an external domain, it indicates additional domains may need to be added to the external web domains list (Step 8). Click the "?" to identify the blocked link. 

The LockDown Browser will allow access to links available in the assignment by default. This allows you the flexibly to add external online resources to the exam that you would like to make available, and will open them in a new, locked tab. To maintain a secure environment, any links, search bars, or other forms of navigation in the new, locked tab will be disabled.

To allow students to use resources inside the links provided, you will need to add the website’s domain to your assignment’s LockDown Browser advanced settings. You can specify only domains, not URLs. 

  • Example using one link: www.website.com 
  • Example using multiple links: www.website.com,another.website.gov

Students in courses integrated with your school's LMS will enter the locked down assignment through the embedded link in your LMS.  Beyond that, 

!!! Be aware that instructors should not try to specify the domain of the LMS or a domain for another learning management system. Specifying the domain of the LMS itself or permitting a student to log in to one LMS, then a second LMS to take an exam, will result in errors and is unsupported. 

Supported External sources that do not require additional setup.

  • Financial Calculator
  • Web Article
  • Excel File (URL going directly to the file)
  • Audio
  • Video
  • PDF Documents: To avoid students saving and printing PDF documents, you’ll need to modify the document’s permissions.

External sources that require additional setup.

  • Zoom

Adding External Resources to the LockDown Browser

From the Course page, use the following steps to add external links to your assignment.

  1. Select Course Settings from the Navigation Menu on the left. 
  2. Select LockDown Browser.
  3. You will see a list of the assignments in your course. The right-hand column indicates if the LockDown Browser has been set up as required for each assignment.
    List of Assignments

  4. Click the down arrow icon next to the assignment. Select Settings. LockDown Browser course options.
  5. Select Require Respondus LockDown Browser for this exam to LockDown the assignment.
    Click Advanced Settings to expand the menu.
    Allow access to specific external web domains 
  6. Select the Allow access to specific external web domains option. Allow access to specific external web domains

  7. Using the link, copy the domain. This portion will be up until the first slash (/), not including http:// or https://.
    Example 1
    Link: https://www.google.com/extended_link?q=query
    Domain: www.google.com.
    Example 2
    Link: yahoo.com/extended_link?q=query
    Domain: yahoo.com.

  8. Paste the copied domain into the Allow access to specific external web domains field.
    Enter the domain for all the needed locations, including any specific paths.
    Domains inside the LockDown Browser settings.
    Here we have put in 3 different domains so students can access available resources from those sites.
    This is simply done as a demonstration of adding multiple domains. Most instructors will not need to add more than 1 domain, if any.

Now, any external resources and navigation methods in the link(s) provided to students inside* the assignment, will  be available within assignment.

*Links will need to be included within the assignment. To do this, create Custom Quesitons and use the toolbar to embed the needed link(s).