How do I give a student extra time on a quiz or exam?

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With the changes of this semester, you may have moved some in-class quizzes or exams into Canvas. And with that change, there’s a feature you’ll need to use – moderating quizzes to give a student extra time for an accommodation. 

Even though the steps are a little different depending on whether you built your assessment as a Classic Quiz or New Quiz, the basic idea is still the same. You need to update the availability and due dates as well as give the student the extra time. Let’s look at how to do this in each quiz type. Remember: the Classic Quiz icon is just outlined, and the New Quiz icon is solid. 

Classic Quiz

Adjust the time the assessment is open

1. Click on the assessment and click “edit.” 
2. Scroll down to the “Assign” section. 
3. Click “add.” Type the student name into the first box, then update the availability/due dates. 
4. If necessary, repeat for any other students. Click “Save.” 

Extend the time limit

1. Click on the assessment. If you are already on the page that shows the exam description and details, skip ahead to #2. 
2. Click the “Moderate This Quiz” button on the right side of the page. Note: The quiz must be published to see this option.
3. Find the student in the list and click the pencil icon in line with their name. 
4. Type the number of extra minutes in the “Extra time on every attempt” box. 
5. Click “save.” 
6. If necessary, repeat steps 3-5 for any other students. 

When you’re working with a Classic Quiz, you need to extend the time limit for each assessment in the course. 

New Quiz

Adjust the time the assessment is open

1. Find the assessment on either the “Assignments” or “Quizzes” pages. 
2. Click the “three dots” button, then click “edit.” 
3. On the pop-up, click “More Options.” 
4. Scroll down to the “Assign” section.
5. Click “add.” Type the student name into the first box, then update the availability/due dates. 
6. If necessary, repeat for any other students. Click “Save.” 

Extend the time limit

1. For the assessment, either…
   1. Click the three dots to open the assessment options and select “Build”, OR
   2. Click on the assessment, scroll to the bottom of the settings screen, and click “build”
2. Click the “Moderate” tab at the top of your screen. 
3. Find the student in the table. You can use the search bar to help do this quickly. 
4. Select the time adjustment that meets your needs. In most cases, that will be the “Time limit multiplier.” Enter the multiplier in the second box. 
5. Click “save.” 
6. If necessary, repeat for any other students. 

When working in New Quizzes, you only need to set the accommodation once in a particular course. Canvas will then apply that accommodation to all the assessments for that student. 

Editor’s note: This post was updated 07/11/24 to clarify the two ways to get to the “Moderate” tab in a New Quiz.

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