Exam Rules
Please read this before your first exam. It takes two minutes and will save you trouble.
Not every rule applies to every exam — your teacher chooses the settings for each one.
The contest page tells you which are switched on before you start.
Before you start
- Sit somewhere you will not be interrupted for the full length of the exam.
- Close other programs, chat apps and anything that shows notifications.
- Check your internet connection.
- If the exam requires the desktop app, install and open it beforehand — not at the start time.
- Go to the toilet first. The clock does not stop.
The rules
1
Your timer is personal, and it does not stop
The exam is not a fixed window for everybody. Your clock starts the moment you
press Start and runs for the length your teacher set. If a friend starts an hour
after you, they finish an hour after you.
The clock keeps running if you close the browser, lose your internet, or walk away. There is no pause button. Do not press Start until you are ready to sit the whole exam.
The clock keeps running if you close the browser, lose your internet, or walk away. There is no pause button. Do not press Start until you are ready to sit the whole exam.
2
One device at a time
When you start, the exam locks to the device you are on. If the same account opens the
exam somewhere else, the first device is signed out of it. This is how we
stop one login being shared between two people.
If your computer breaks and you need to move to another one, tell your teacher immediately — they can release the lock for you in seconds. Do not just try logging in elsewhere and hope.
If your computer breaks and you need to move to another one, tell your teacher immediately — they can release the lock for you in seconds. Do not just try logging in elsewhere and hope.
3
Stay in the exam window
In exams where lockdown is switched on, leaving the exam window brings up a red screen
with a short countdown: "Return to the exam — 3… 2… 1…"
Come back before it reaches zero and nothing is recorded. A notification stealing focus for a second will not count against you. If you do not come back in time, the exit is recorded and your teacher sees it on their screen straight away.
Some exams end your time automatically after a set number of exits. If that is on, you will be told the limit on the warning screen.
Come back before it reaches zero and nothing is recorded. A notification stealing focus for a second will not count against you. If you do not come back in time, the exit is recorded and your teacher sees it on their screen straight away.
Some exams end your time automatically after a set number of exits. If that is on, you will be told the limit on the warning screen.
4
The work must be yours
Unless your teacher says otherwise for a particular exam:
- Write your own code. Do not copy from anyone.
- Do not send your code to anyone else, during or after the exam.
- No help from other people, other websites, or AI tools.
- No phone, tablet or second computer.
5
How submitting works
You can submit once every 5 seconds. That limit is per person, so a busy
room does not slow you down.
Every test case is run, not just the first — "passed 7 of 12" means exactly that. Some exams only allow certain languages; the language box will show you which.
If a result takes a while and says it is still judging, that is not a wrong answer. The server is busy. Wait for it rather than submitting the same code again.
Every test case is run, not just the first — "passed 7 of 12" means exactly that. Some exams only allow certain languages; the language box will show you which.
If a result takes a while and says it is still judging, that is not a wrong answer. The server is busy. Wait for it rather than submitting the same code again.
6
Chat and leaderboard may be off
For many exams the chat is closed and the leaderboard is hidden until the end. That is
normal and it is not a fault.
What is recorded
You should know exactly what the site keeps, so nothing here is a surprise:
- Every submission — the code, the time, and the result
- When you started, and how long you took on each problem
- Your IP address, and which browser and operating system you used
- In lockdown exams, each time you left the exam window and for how long
- In exams whose start screen says so: a picture of your entire screen every few seconds (on the website), and a camera photo every few seconds. You will be asked to share your screen and turn on your camera before the exam opens. If you stop sharing, the exam locks until you share again — your time keeps running.
What is not recorded: unless the exam's start screen says it records your
screen or camera, nobody can see your screen, your files, your other programs, or anything you
type outside the exam page. When an exam does record them, only the people running the exam
can see the pictures.
After the exam
Done early? Press Finish exam at the top of the contest page.
After that you cannot submit or change any answer, so only press it when you are sure.
Some exams run an automatic check afterwards. It looks for patterns like two submissions being nearly the same, or a problem being solved far faster than everyone else managed.
It does not decide anything. It cannot lower your score and it never contacts you. It only points a teacher at something to look at, and a human makes every decision. Being flagged is not an accusation — there are innocent reasons for most patterns, and that is exactly why a person reviews it.
Some exams run an automatic check afterwards. It looks for patterns like two submissions being nearly the same, or a problem being solved far faster than everyone else managed.
It does not decide anything. It cannot lower your score and it never contacts you. It only points a teacher at something to look at, and a human makes every decision. Being flagged is not an accusation — there are innocent reasons for most patterns, and that is exactly why a person reviews it.
If something goes wrong
Tell your teacher straight away — do not wait until the end.
While the exam is running they can see everyone's status live, and they can fix most things
in seconds: give you extra time, release your device lock so you can move to another
computer, or check whether your submission actually arrived. If the exam records your
camera and your computer has none, the exam page has a button to ask them to let you
continue without one.
Once your time has run out there is much less that can be done, so speak up early.
Once your time has run out there is much less that can be done, so speak up early.
Do not panic if: a notification pops up for a second (the countdown gives
you time to come back) · a result says "still judging" (it is queued, not wrong) · you get
part marks (that is normal, keep improving your answer) · the page seems slow near the start
(everyone submits at once — it settles).
Good luck. If anything on this page is unclear, ask your teacher before the exam rather than during it.