Skip to main content
Timer settings let you control when candidates can start a test, how long they have to complete it, and what happens when time runs out. They live in the Timer section of a test’s Settings.
The times you set are in your local timezone. AutoProctor handles all timezone conversions automatically. If your candidates are in a different timezone, they will see the correct local time on their end.

​
How to Configure Timer Settings

1

Open the Timer Section

Go to your Tests page, click Settings next to the test, and choose Timer from the list of sections.
2

Turn the Timer On

Turn on the switch at the top right of the Timer section. While the switch is Off, candidates can take as long as they need and no time checks apply.
3

Set the Duration

Under How long do candidates get?, enter the Duration in minutes. The countdown starts when the test loads and the candidate sees the questions.
4

Choose What Happens When Time Runs Out (Optional)

Tick Submit automatically when time runs out to submit the test when the duration ends. If you leave it unticked, candidates get unlimited time to submit after the timer runs out.
For non-Socratease quizzes, auto-submit only submits the proctoring session, not the quiz answers. If a candidate hasn’t manually submitted their answers, all responses will be lost. For Socratease quizzes, both answers and proctoring data are submitted automatically.
5

Set a Start Window (Optional)

Under When can candidates start?, pick a date and time for either or both of these:
  • Cannot start before: the earliest date and time a candidate can start
  • Cannot start after: the latest date and time a candidate can start
Leave both empty to let candidates start any time. If you set a date without a time, midnight is used as the default.
6

Save

Click Save settings.
Timer section switched on, with Duration set to 60 minutes, Submit automatically when time runs out ticked, and Cannot start before and Cannot start after each filled with a date and time

The Timer section with a 60-minute duration, automatic submission and a start window

Use the Time format switch next to When can candidates start? to pick times as 2:30 PM or 14:30. It only changes how times are shown to you on this page.

​
More Options

Click More options at the bottom of the Timer section to show two less common settings. Both need a Cannot start after date to be set first.
Cannot start before and Cannot start after set to the same date, with Hard stop set to 10:30 AM and Late-start grace period set to 10 minutes below them

Hard stop and Late-start grace period, the two fields under More options

​
Hard stop

A Hard stop shortens the time of candidates who start late. For example, if the duration is 30 minutes and the Hard stop is 12:30 PM, a candidate starting at 12:15 PM gets only 15 minutes. The Hard stop cannot be earlier than Cannot start before or Cannot start after.

​
Late-start grace period

The grace period gives candidates time to complete the demo test and set up their device. AutoProctor adds a default 5-minute grace period when start and end times are set.
The grace period does not apply to the Hard stop.

​
Timer Settings Reference

If a Socratease quiz shows questions one-by-one with no question navigation, each question is timed separately. Duration, auto-submit and Hard stop do not apply to that quiz, but the start window still does. You can change the display mode from Quiz behaviour in the test’s Settings.