Respondus Lockdown Browser for Online Exams

​​Complete the instructor training

Respondus has daily webinar trainings for instructors, including a detailed rundown of the LockDown browser settings and student experience. View the full training schedule.

Communicate with students

Distribute information to your students by embedding instructions in Canvas, sending reminder emails, and directing students to the Respondus Resource Center. 

Inform students you will be using a proctoring service for their exam(s). Provide instructions on how to install Respondus LockDown Browser on their device. Remind students of the requirements needed for proctoring and what they need to do if they cannot meet the requirements. See "Students" below.

Sample Syllabus Statement:  

Give instructions to students

Direct students to download the UCSD version of Lockdown Browser from this link, as well as the Student Setup Instructions. You an also refer to the “For Students” section of this page (found below).

Be sure to add this to your course materials so students can access and reference the instructions. 

Respondus LockDown Browser has minimum system requirements in order to run properly. Students who aren't able to meet these requirements will be unable to use Respondus, and will need alternate accommodations to take their exams. 

Add Respondus LockDown Browser to the Course Navigation

1. Go to the Course menu and click Settings at the bottom
2. Click the Navigation tab
3. In the listing of items, drag and drop LockDown Browser to the top list to unhide it from students
4. Drag LockDown Browser to where you want it to appear in the Course Navigation
5. Select Save at the bottom of the screen

Configure the Canvas Quiz

You can access the LockDown Browser dashboard in the left-hand navigation menu of your Canvas course. If you do not see this in your menu, you can enable it within the Navigation menu of your Canvas course settings. 

In the LockDown Browser Dashboard, you will be able to see a list of your course’s quizzes.

1. Find the Quiz you want in the listing and click the icon to the left of the quiz name
2. Select Modify Settings
3. Select Require Respondus LockDown Browser for this exam
4. Select Save and close.

View the full instructions for enabling LockDown Browser for your Canvas quizzes.

In order to take a Quiz that requires the use of Respondus, you must download the LockDown Browser before you can begin the exam. The Canvas quiz will prompt you to download the LockDown Browser if you attempt to take it from any other browser. 

Check the System Requirements

You must use either Windows or Mac in order to install Respondus LockDown Browser. Chromebooks may be able to make use of LockDown Browser. However, the Chromebook offering is available through a Beta trial and may not be fully supported.  Windows tablets are not supported. View the full Systems Requirement list for more details.

If you are unable to meet the system requirements, reach out to your instructor or IA as soon as possible to arrange for alternate accommodation.

Download and Install LockDown Browser

1. Go to the Canvas quiz for your course
2. Click Take the Quiz
3. Click Download Respondus LockDown Browser (NOTE: you must have administrator access to download and install software)
4. On the Respondus webpage, select Install Now. Open the downloaded folder and complete the installation. 

You can also directly install the UC San Diego Respondus version here.

If you are prompted to select a version, choose Student Version

Important: You must download the browser from the link above. Even if you have used the LockDown Browser at another school, it will not work unless you use the UCSD version.

Before the Quiz

• Ensure you're in a location where you won't be interrupted
• Turn off all other devices (e.g. tablets, phones, second computers) and place them outside of your reach
• Clear your desk of all external materials not permitted — books, papers, other devices
• Before starting the exam, know how much time is available for it, and that you’ve allotted sufficient time to complete it
• Remain at your computer for the duration of the test
• If the computer or networking environment is different than what was used previously with the System & Network Check in LockDown Browser, run the check again prior to starting the test
• Remember that LockDown Browser will prevent you from accessing other websites or applications; you may be unable to exit the test until all questions are completed and/or submitted

Take the Quiz

Depending on how your instructor configured the exam, you may not be able to leave the webpage until the Quiz has been submitted. Be sure to take the Quiz at a time when you will be uninterrupted.

1. Launch LockDown Browser from your computer
2. You may be prompted to close other applications. Select Close Applications to continue, or quit LockDown Browser and relaunch it once you have closed other applications. 
3. Log onto Canvas and enter the quiz
4. Select Take the Quiz
5. Once you have taken the exam, select Submit the Quiz
6. Close the LockDown Browser

Respondus LockDown Browser is an internet browser that has certain minimum requirements in order to run properly. For up-to-date system requirements please see this page.

Operating System

Windows: 11 and 10*
* Includes x86 32 and 64bit processors and ARM 64bit processors using x86 emulation.
* Windows 10/11 "S mode" is not a compatible operating system, nor can LockDown Browser be obtained via the Windows App Store. At present, support for Windows 10/11 "S Mode" isn’t on the roadmap for LockDown Browser.
* Windows 10/11 "SE" is currently not a compatible operating system for LockDown Browser.

Mac: macOS 10.15 to 14.0+.

LockDown Browser may continue to run in older operating systems that have reached “end-of-life” but students may encounter unexpected results. 

Memory

• Windows: 2 GB RAM
• Mac: 2 GB RAM

Hard Drive Space

• Windows: 200 MB of free hard disk space
• Mac: 200 MB of free hard disk space

Internet Connection

You must be connected to a stable internet connection. Connecting to the internet via Ethernet is highly recommended. 

Browser Requirements

LockDown Browser is a client application that is installed on a local computer. Both the Windows edition and the Mac edition of the browser are based on Chromium, Google's open-source framework. Students do NOT need Google's Chrome browser installed; nor will this version affect a Chrome browser that's already installed.

Learning Management System

All exams using LockDown Browser must be hosted through UC San Diego’s main instance of Canvas at canvas.ucsd.edu, and rady.instructure.com for Rady graduate courses. 

LockDown Browser prevents access to other applications and files during an exam, but it does’t access any of your files or documents, nor does it transmit those files to a Respondus server. Once an exam has started, LockDown Browser is designed to block access to other applications and functions to prevent the use of unauthorized materials for the duration of the exam. When the assessment is complete, the locking and blocking features are turned off. 

Protecting student privacy remains a top priority. If you have concerns about the usage of Respondus in your course, please reach out to your instructor to discuss what alternative accommodations may be available.

Additional Privacy Resources

• Visit the Respondus Privacy Center for additional information about their privacy policies.
• Visit the Campus Privacy Office for additional information and resources for protecting your privacy. 

If you need help troubleshooting a technical issue with Lockdown Browser, view Respondus’s Knowledge Base articles, or submit a support ticket with Respondus.

If you are an instructor or a TA are experiencing a non-Respondus issue with Canvas, contact the EdTech Support Team.

If you require more information related to live proctoring solutions, please contact the Digital Learning Hub at online@ucsd.edu.