We just rolled out something that a lot of you have been asking for: you can now send quick, targeted messages straight to a student while they’re in the middle of taking a test.
Picture this:
You’re monitoring your class in the proctor view. One student seems stuck on a question, another keeps leaving full-screen, and someone else clearly didn’t read the instructions. Instead of calling them out across the room (or emailing after the fact), you can click their name, type a quick note, and it pops up right on their test page.
How it works
- Click & type: From the monitor app, click the little “message” icon next to a student’s name.
- Choose or write: Pick from a quick template like “Stay on the test page, please.” or type your own custom note (up to 500 characters).
- Send: The message is instantly queued for that student.
When they get it
- If they’re online (on that test): The message usually appears within seconds, in a blue notification box with an “OK” button.
- If they’re not online yet: No worries—messages wait in a queue until they open that same test. As long as it’s within 24 hours, it’ll show up when they start.
- If they’ve left the test: If they come back within 24 hours, the queued messages will be there. After that, the system automatically deletes them.
Either way, every message you send is permanently logged in the student’s proctoring record for that test—so even if they never see it in real time, you still have a record of what you sent.
A few tips
- Keep it short and specific. The best in-test messages are direct (“Answer #3 needs a complete sentence.”) rather than vague.
- If a student doesn’t respond or fix the issue, follow up in person or through your regular channels after the test.
- Remember that messages are tied to a specific test—you can’t send a “global” message that will pop up no matter what page they’re on.