How to Set Up an Exam Room Clock

1. Check the computer’s time

Confirm the computer’s date, local time and timezone. Use the reference and procedure accepted by your institution. The website uses the system clock, so an incorrect computer clock produces an incorrect displayed time.

Where your device is managed by IT, ask them to resolve clock or timezone settings that you cannot change. Do this before the session; changing the system clock during an exam changes the current time the website shows.

2. Enter the examination schedule

Open the configuration form. Select the exam date and enter start and finish times. The default date is today when no previous exam is restored. A restored session keeps its original date, so read it carefully.

Add a short exam title and room label if useful. Do not put candidate names or personal information in either field. Select “Finish next day” only when the finish belongs to the following calendar day. Identical start and finish times are not accepted.

The date and times are interpreted in the device’s local timezone when you create an exam. The generated display link fixes the resulting timestamps and timezone. If daylight-saving changes make a chosen local time invalid or ambiguous, select an unambiguous time instead of guessing which occurrence is intended.

3. Choose the visible information

Open Display options. Select 12-hour or 24-hour time, choose light or dark appearance and set the clock size. Decide whether seconds, remaining time, title, start and finish should be visible under your examination instructions.

Launch the display and compare the result with the schedule. Before the start, remaining time shows the full exam duration. At the finish it becomes zero; the current-time clock continues to run.

4. Check the actual room

Move the display to the projector or classroom screen. Use fullscreen if available, then check it from seated positions at the back and sides. Make sure the image is not cropped and that room lighting does not wash out the numerals.

Review notifications, screen savers, computer sleep and the screen’s own power settings. Connect the equipment to power. “Keep screen awake” is available in supporting browsers, but a wake lock can be released by the device; check the control’s reported status.

5. Prepare and test offline use

On the configuration screen, wait for “Ready offline”. This means the browser has cached the core pages and their local dependencies. Open a configured display, disconnect the network and reload it. Confirm that the correct exam remains visible and the clock continues updating.

Reconnect after the rehearsal if that is your normal setup. Repeat preparation if you change devices, browser profiles or clear site data. Private browsing and managed storage policies can prevent a reliable offline cache.

Installation is optional. Use “Install clock” when offered, or the browser’s install menu. In Safari on an iPhone or iPad, use Share and Add to Home Screen where available. Rehearse the installed window too: do not assume a different browser context has the same stored settings.

6. Verify before candidates enter

Read back the exam date, title, start and finish. Check the view from candidate seats once more. Confirm who will handle a timing correction and which fallback display or clock the institution will use if equipment fails.

Keep the display link if you need to reopen the same exam. Editing it on one device does not remotely update another display. The projector guide covers second-screen setup, while the exam officer guidance covers handover checks.