Understanding how test duration interacts with extra time is crucial for accurately managing candidate access to assessments in Inspera Assessment. 

This article explains standard test time settings, details the rules for how extra time impacts the actual time candidates have, and clarifies the implications for re-entering tests.

Understanding standard test time settings

Before discussing extra time, it's helpful to understand the basic time settings for a test, which apply to all candidates by default:

• Test start time (TST): This is when a test window begins for a given test. Candidates cannot open the test before this time.
• Test end time (TET): This is when the test window ends. Candidates in progress are automatically redirected to the submit page, and once this time has passed, candidates no longer have access to the questions.

• Duration: This field limits the total time candidates have to complete the test once they start it. For example, if a test starts at 09:00, ends at 13:00, and the duration is 2 hours, candidates can start anytime between 09:00 and 13:00, but will only have two hours to complete the test. The test duration cannot be set to more than 48 hours.

  Note that the standard test end time will apply even if a candidate hasn't used their full duration.

Rules for extra time with test duration

Extra time is measured in minutes and extends the candidate's available time beyond the standard test duration. The rules that apply when candidates are assigned extra time are best explained with practical examples, especially when the test has a fixed end time.

Consider a test with:

• Duration: 3 hours
• Test Start Time: 8:00 AM
• Test End Time: 12:00 PM (Noon)

• Here's how extra time impacts candidates' access based on their login time:
  • Candidate A (Standard time, logs in at 8:00 AM): Gets 3 hours and must complete by 11:00 AM.
  • Candidate B (Standard time, logs in at 10:00 AM): Only has 2 hours left in the window. They will only get 2 hours to do their exam even though the standard duration is 3 hours. At 12:00 PM, after only 2 hours, they will be able to do nothing other than submit.
  • Candidate C (1 hour extra, logs in at 8:00 AM): Gets their full 4 hours (3 hours duration + 1 hour extra) and must complete by 12:00 PM.
  • Candidate D (1 hour extra, logs in at 10:00 AM): Only has 2 hours left of the window, but because they have 1 hour extra, they can work until 1:00 PM and submit. This means they will have worked for 3 hours in total (10 AM to 1 PM), not their full 4 hours of duration plus extra time.
  • Candidate E (2 hours extra, logs in at 8:00 AM): Gets their full 5 hours (3 hours duration + 2 hours extra) and must complete by 1:00 PM.
  • Candidate F (2 hours extra, logs in at 10:00 AM): Only has 2 hours left of the window, but because they get 2 hours extra, they can work until 2:00 PM and submit. This means they will have worked for 4 hours in total (10 AM to 2 PM), not their full 5 hours.

Impact of extra time on test re-entry

If a test has a duration time and a candidate does not finish the test within that duration but before the overall test end time, the student will not be able to re-enter the test (due to being timed out) once their duration has passed from the moment they start the test.

When adding extra time, particularly to ensure a candidate can complete an exam that has a duration, consideration for elapsed time is required. The extra time needed can be calculated by:

(Current time - Duration time finished) + X Extra time

• If a test started at 12:00 PM, and the current time is 2:00 PM (meaning 120 minutes have passed since start), but the test only had a 10-minute duration (so the candidate's personal time should have finished at 12:10 PM), and the test officially finishes at 3:00 PM. The extra time needed for the candidate to be able to work until the test's official finish time (3:00 PM) will be 130 minutes.