Blackboard Test-taking Tips & Tricks for Students
Before the First Test
Make sure you use a Blackboard-certified or Blackboard-compatible browser. Browsers
with these ratings have been extensively tested to ensure that they will perform well with all of
Blackboard’s critical features, including testing tools. (List of Supported Browsers for
Blackboard 9.1)
Make sure you are using the latest version of Java. Go to http://www.java.com and click on
the "Do I have Java?" link, and then on "Verify Java Installation." If you do not have the latest
version of Java, click on the "Download" link at the top, and follow the directions to install Java.
If you have trouble installing Java, please check the help resources on the Java website:
http://www.java.com/en/download/help/. Although we will try to help you install Java, we do
not support Java.
Add www.umkc.edu as a trusted site. Make sure you add the www.umkc.edu domain as a
trusted site in your browser’s security settings to ensure that content won’t be blocked. If you
need assistance with this, please contact the UMKC Call Center at 816-235-6700.
Disable your popup blocker for www.umkc.edu domain. If you don’t disable your popup
blocker, the test may not be able to fully display. If you need assistance with this, please contact
the UMKC Call Center at 816-235-2000.
Run through the Blackboard browser tester. The Browser Test module is located near the
bottom of the left-hand side of the Blackboard login page (Click on the "Technical Help" tab
under the "UMKC Blackboard" logo at the top left of the login page). Click the <Run Browser
Check> button to make sure your browser is optimally configured for Blackboard.
Take the practice test. If your instructor has provided a practice test, make sure that you access
it at least 24 hours prior to the start date of your first online assessment in order to provide
sufficient time to fix any problems that you may discover.
During the Test
Wait until the test loads completely. Depending on your PC and internet connection speed, it
may take a little while to load a quiz, especially if the quiz is long. Make sure that, when
accessing a quiz, you only click the link once. If you click a second time, you may find yourself
locked out and unable to access the test.
Carefully read all instructions. Depending on your instructor’s quiz settings, students who
leave the test for any reason – for instance, to review material on another website or in another
area of the Blackboard course site – may find themselves unable to return to complete the quiz. If
the instructions for taking the quiz are not clear, please check with your instructor.
Blackboard Student Test Tips, Page 1
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Blackboard Test-taking Tips & Tricks for Students
Write answers to essay questions in Word or Notepad. Losing your work on an essay
question you’ve put a lot of thought and work into answering is a frustrating and heartbreaking
experience! Give yourself a safety net by writing your answers in Word or Notepad and then
pasting them into the Blackboard test window. If problems should occur with test submission,
you will have a backup of your work.
Don’t double-click the <Save> or <Submit> buttons: Double-clicking may cause an error
message and delay submission of your answers. If you click <Save> or <Submit> and nothing
seems to be happening, wait 60 seconds and try again. If you get a blank page, an error message,
or no confirmation that your test has been saved or submitted, please follow the steps in the
“What if Problems Occur” section below.
Be cautious with the <Backspace> key. When using the <Backspace> key to correct errors,
make certain that your cursor is within the text-entry field. Hitting <Backspace> when the cursor
is elsewhere on the page may cause your browser to return to the previously-displayed page and
prevent you from re-accessing a test that allows a signle attempt. Navigating through the test Do
not use your browser's "Back" button, the <Backspace> key, or <ALT> + Left Arrow to navigate
to a previous page; use Blackboard's navigation tools instead.
Be cautious about resizing the test window. Some browsers will refresh the screen when you
resize the window. This should not be an issue for students who are using a Blackboardcompatible browser (List of Supported Browsers for Blackboard 9.1).
When Problems Occur
Technology is not problem-free, and it’s possible that at some point in your university career you
will run into a problem during a test, despite following all of the instructions listed above. If this
happens:
Don’t touch anything. Waiting a few minutes to see if the issue resolves by itself is generally a
safe first step. For example, if there is a temporary problem with the Blackboard server, the
restart process takes about two minutes. If you wait, the test will resume at the point where it left
off; however, if you press buttons or attempt to reload the test page, you will get a “Page Not
Found” error and (depending on the test settings) may lose all of your test answers as well as
being blocked from re-accessing the test.
Call ITS (Instructional Technologies) at 816-235-6700. ITS staff can let you know if there are
system-wide issues affecting Blackboard, attempt to fix your problem, and offer advice on how
to proceed. You can also use the live online chat support by clicking the link on the Blackboard
login page.
Take a screenshot. (Here’s a guide: http://www.take-a-screenshot.org/) If the problem occurs
after office hours, take a screenshot of your test window and any error messages displayed. If
your test answers are still visible, make certain that you get all of your answers in a screenshot.
As well as helping to identify the problem, these screenshots will also document your work on
the test to the point when the problem occurred.
Blackboard Student Test Tips, Page 2
Revised 9/23/2013
Blackboard Test-taking Tips & Tricks for Students
Contact your instructor. It’s best to open a line of communication with your instructor as soon
as testing problems occur. In a case where test responses have been lost or you are unable to reaccess a test, the decision about how to proceed is ultimately up to the instructor. Most faculty
will include general information about their course policies related to online testing in the class
syllabus.
Helpful Information
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Access Blackboard: https://blackboard.www.umkc.edu
Blackboard Student Support Site: http://www.www.umkc.edu/ia/it/blackboard/gettingstarted-students.aspx
List of Helpful Resources at UMKC (including a technical support table):
http://www.www.umkc.edu/ia/its/support/studenthelp.asp
ITS Technical Support:
Email: its@umkc.edu
Phone: 816.235.6700
Live Chat: Available through the Blackboard login page.
Blackboard Student Test Tips, Page 3
Revised 9/23/2013