Give Extra Time or Attempts for Quizzes in ELMS-Canvas for Instructors


Table of Contents

This article describes how to give extra time or attempts for students, using Quiz Moderation. Instructors may also use the Quiz Extension tool to apply extended time to students before a quiz has begun. For more information see Using the Quiz Extensions Tool in ELMS-Canvas.

ELMS-Canvas allows instructors to give individual students extra time or attempts on quizzes, however, extending time on quizzes for specific students will only work if the instructor has not put an availability restriction on the quiz that does not allow for the extended time. For example, if the quiz is only available from 10-11 am, it will close at 11 am for everyone. Quiz availability supersedes any time extensions made for specific students.

Quizzes must be published in order for this feature to be available to modify its settings.

Add Time Before a Quiz Begins

  1. Access your course space, then click on the Quizzes link in the Navigation menu. Click on the name of the quiz of interest.
    Quiz 1 selected as the quiz of interest.
  2. Click the Moderate This Quiz link on the right-hand side of the page.
    Red border around Moderate this Quiz link.
  3. Click the edit icon that is like a pencil for the student of interest.
  4. The Student Extensions window appears. Enter the additional minutes this student should receive.
    Student Extensions window with 15 in Extra time on every attempt field.
  5. You can also enter additional attempts this student should receive, or leave this field blank. Click Save.
    Student Extensions window ith 1 in extra attempts field.

NOTE: The Student Extensions box may look different if your quiz has no time limit. The Extra Time on Every Attempt option is not present for quizzes without time limits.

Add Time During a Current Attempt

If a student is currently taking the quiz while you are viewing the Moderate Quiz page, you can extend the quiz time as part of their current attempt. For current attempts, the remaining time will display next to a clock icon. 

To extend the time on the quiz, click the clock icon.

Select the clock icon to add time

Note: You can only extend the time for one current quiz attempt at a time.

Canvas will show you what time the quiz began, and what time it is scheduled to end:

Enter the time to extend in the dialog box

In the minutes field [1], enter the number of extra minutes you want to give the student as part of their current attempt. The maximum time you can extend a current attempt is 1440 minutes (24 hours).

In the time drop-down menu [2], choose whether you want to add those minutes to the current time or the current (scheduled) end time:

Click the Extend Time button.

Select the Extend Time button

Verify the Time Extension

When you have extended time for students, either before or during a quiz, it is important that you verify the time extension on the Moderate Quiz page:

Time extensions appear underneath a student's name on the moderate quiz page