Instructor FAQ

The following steps need to be take at the start of each semester.

Adding Course Staff

Courses in PrairieTest are setup with the people who requested the course as "Owners".  If you need to add additional staff, you can do that through PrairieTest by going into you course and then to the "Staff" tab.  Once there click "Add Staff". 

Enroll Students in PrairieTest

Students will not be able to register for exams until they are enrolled in PrairieTest.  It is best to enroll students as early as possible to allow them more opportunities to find an exam time that works for their schedule.  Students are able to begin registering for exams approximately two weeks before the testing window.  Waiting to enroll students will result in students having fewer scheduling options because students enrolled in other courses will have already taken up available options.

For information about how to enroll students see "Adding Students" in the section below.

Naming Exams

When you start the semester, exams will have already been added to our course in PrairieTest.  However, you are able to choose how you name your exams.  It is recommended that you choose the same name for that exams that you use in PrairieLearn.

Example: [Course Name] Quiz # / Midterm # / Diagnostic Exam

Linking Exams

Before each exam you will need to link the scheduler examUuid into the PrairieLearn assessment access rules so that students checking into a CBTF lab can access their exam.If an exam is not linked when a student arrives to the lab, the student will not have access and will need to reschedule at a later time.

You can check to see if your exam is linked to PrairieLearn from the Exams tab in PrairieLearn.

To link your exam:

1. Open the infoAssessment.json corresponding to the exam
2. From the Exam Settings tab in PrairieTest, copy the PrairieLearn access rule, which has the following format.

   {
     "examUuid": "41330c3e-8ffa-4ce2-bd8e-73b3029a717b",
     "credit": 100
   }

3. Paste this block of code into allowAccess inside of the infoAssessment.json.
4. Click "Save and sync"

Q: What is an override on PrairieTest?

Overrides let you selectively give a student permission to schedule themselves for a given exam outside of that exam's regular window. For example, if the student had one of the last slots in the window and missed it for unforeseen reasons, there might be no remaining available slots that fit their schedule, in which case they will ask you for an override. Students who know well ahead of time that they will be away during an exam window (e.g., athletes who travel) can also receive an override for a time earlier than the exam's default window.

Students and course staff must understand that overrides should be rare, and are not guaranteed. They should be used for unforeseen/unforeseeable extenuating circumstances,not given just because a student forgot to show up for a reservation or decided to reschedule at the eleventh hour. Additional overrides are subject to staffing availability and so at the CBTF manager's discretion, so we recommend using them sparingly. 

Q: What are the steps to grant a student an override?

1. Log into PrairieTest and navigate to the course you want to create an override for 

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2. Click into the exam you want to create an override for:

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3. Once there, navigate to the Overrides tab and click “Add Overrides”

4. You’ll need to then add in the student’s email address, what testing center they need to take the exam in, and the date range for when their exam should be taken. 

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Q: What does integrating bCourses to PrairieLearn do? Who can I ask?

Canvas and PrairieLearn can be integrated through an LTI.  The LTI supports grade passback between PrairieLearn and Canvas. 

Please reach out to cbt-help@berkeley.edu if you'd like to set this up for your bCourses page.

Q: What happens if a student misses their reservation?

Students cannot make new reservations for an exam until their missed reservation is cleared. The CBTF Policy is that students can email cbt-help@berkeley.edu to have their missed reservation deleted or go to a CBTF lab in person and ask a proctor to delete it. 

Q: Can I delete the student's reservation myself?

Yes, if course staff would like to delete an existing reservation for a student, follow the procedure below:

1. From your course homepage on PrairieTest, choose the exam with the reservation that needs to be deleted.
2. Click the "Reservations" tab on the exam page.
3. Find the UID for the student who needs their exam reservation deleted.
4. Under the "Session" column, click the pencil icon and select "Delete reservation".

CBTF Staff and proctors will delete a reservation without question, but there is no guarantee that there will be an additional open seat for the student to take their exam during their designated testing window. If this is the case, course staff will need to grant the student an override or treat this as a missed exam.

Q: What can students do when there are “issues” with a question during their exam? 

Students can click “Report issue with this question” on any quiz question to flag problems or confusion.

Q: Where do we see reported issues?

Go to the Assessments page in PL to view the number of issues reported for each assessment.

Q: Are all reported issues bugs?

Not necessarily. Many are student misunderstandings, but some may signal a question bug or a need for improvement.

Q: Who handles these issues?

A TA or staff member should monitor and address issues as soon as a quiz opens. Staff can email the student, override autograder scores, or close the issue as needed. All issues should be resolved by the end of the course.

Jupyter Notebook Questions in PrairieLearn

Q: Can I use Jupyter Notebooks as exam or homework questions? 

Yes. PrairieLearn supports Jupyter Notebooks in a secure, CBTF-approved environment.

• Advantages of PL-integrated notebooks:

• Secure, Internet-isolated containers (safe for exams)

• Identical environment for homework and exams

• No extra setup—fully integrated into PrairieLearn/ PrairieTest

• Limitations:

• Less compute power and RAM than Berkeley DataHub

• No persistent student file storage

Q: When should I use DataHub instead? Use DataHub for high-compute tasks, persistent storage, or collaborative projects.

• Up to 20x more compute power and more RAM

• Private, persistent disk space

• Easier sharing via GitHub or nbgitpullerBut no direct PrairieLearn integration for grading or secure exam delivery.