Hoe Ga Je Uit Safe Exam Browser
Ingelore Clason
This patch update provides an important bug fix for a concurrency issue which caused the client application component of SEB to crash randomly. Below a list of the most prominent new features and changes:
SEB 3.3 improves accessibility and security and allows to export SEB settings as fully contained configuration links or QR codes. Optionally it supports full SEB Server integration with Moodle. SEB 3.3.3 contains important security fixes: Please update soon!
When using the optional SEB Server, the App Signature Key functionality allows automated application integrity checks similar to the manual use of the Browser Exam Key. Additionally, the new server-driven Browser Exam Key can be used for improved SEB Server integration with LMS/assessment systems like Moodle.
Note: This version does not contain the Zoom integration for exam proctoring or exam support which was contained in SEB 3.2rc. There is a non-public SEB Alliance Edition, which continues to support Zoom integration. If you are interested to use this Zoom integration, please contact alli...@safeexambrowser.org.
Note: Due to an issue in iOS 17, SEB for iOS can crash on some devices when media (videos, HTML5 audio etc.) is played. This issue seems to be fixed in iOS 17.3. Other crashes happened when any text input field was being displayed or activated (taking input focus). This issue was fixed in iOS 17.1. Also see the discussion in this GitHub issue.
IMPORTANT for SEB Integrations: The classic WebView (the iOS framework UIWebView) has been DEPRECATED by Apple years ago, it's no longer maintained and will at some point be removed completely from iOS/iPadOS. It's crucial that assessment systems with SEB Integrations, which are using the Browser Exam Key (BEK) and Config Key (CK), transition to the SEB Javascript API to query these keys, as the modern WebView (iOS/macOS framework WKWebView) doesn't support transmitting the BEK/CK in HTTP request headers. See our documentation about how to adopt the SEB JS API.
See release notes for complete list of new features and changes. Check out the SEB for iOS manual which explains all features (currently being updated). In addition, we published a first version of a tutorial which will help exam administrators to better understand how to configure and use SEB for iOS. It also includes how SEB for iOS can be used together with the Apple Classroom app. More topics will be added to this tutorial over time.
A stand-alone tool to manually verify the integrity of a Safe Exam Browser installation on Windows. This application is intended for use cases like BYOD exams where candidates have complete control over their systems and thus could be trying to use a manipulated build of Safe Exam Browser to perform an exam.
Exam proctors/invigilators can use SEB Verificator to make sure candidates are using an original, unmanipulated SEB version in BYOD exams (on location). For example use a USB stick drive with SEB Verificator on it and either check randomly some or all student devices and start the correct SEB version, optionally also with a specific configuration file.
This plugin ensures that the right and unmodified SEB version using the correct (secure) settings is connecting to a Moodle quiz. After installing this plugin you can copy the Browser Exam Key hash code generated by SEB for the SEB settings used into the quiz settings in Moodle (see manuals for Windows/macOS versions of SEB).
This plugin ensures that the right and unmodified SEB version using the correct (secure) settings is connecting to an ILIAS instance with a specific user role. After installing this plugin you can copy the Browser Exam Key hash code generated by SEB for the SEB settings used into the ILIAS settings (see manuals for Windows/macOS versions of SEB).
Safe Exam Browser is a web browser environment to carry out e-assessments safely. The software turns any computer temporarily into a secure workstation. It controls access to resources like system functions, other websites and applications and prevents unauthorized resources being used during an exam.
SEB runs on a local computer and it is connected via the internet to a learning management system (LMS) or an e-assessment system. Generally SEB works with any web based LMS and other kinds of web based exam systems. Some learning management systems (LMS) like for example Moodle, ILIAS, OpenOlat and exam solutions as Inspera Assessment offer a quiz mode specifically compatible with SEB.
SEB does not connect to any central server or cloud service! SEB Server, which can optionally be used, is an independent open source software component which can be installed on a self-operated server. SEB clients can then be connected to such an SEB server instance using individual configuration files. This is strictly optional and must be configured individually in any case. This also applies to the support and proctoring capabilities in new SEB versions via video conferencing services such as Jitsi Meet (open source, can be installed on a self-operated server) or Zoom (commercial, cloud-based). This video conferencing connection must also be configured individually and is always disabled by default. If an SEB client has been configured to connect to a video conferencing service or an SEB server instance, this will be indicated to candidates when starting an exam session and video/audio proctoring/support must be explicitly agreed to by each exam candidate in a dialog box. For more information see our privacy statement.
SEB consists of a kiosk application and a browser part, which are running on an examination computer or tablet device. The kiosk application locks down the examination computer, the browser part communicates over the internet (or a LAN) with the quiz module of an LMS running on a server.
The illustration above shows the two internal components which SEB consists of, the kiosk application and the browser part. The third part of an SEB exam environment is build into the supported LMS. Optionally one or several third party application(s) can be allowed to run during an exam and are started by the SEB kiosk application.
Safe Exam Browser for Windows consists of the SEB kiosk application, which opens an own Windows desktop and blocks system commands like keyboard shortcuts (for example ALT+F4) and right mouse button clicks. The second part is Firefox, running in a so-called XUL runtime mode. The SEB XUL browser application running on Firefox connects to the LMS, using a pre-configured start URL. The SEB browser doesn't contain a URL or search field and navigation controls (back/forward, reload) can be disabled.
In contrast to the Windows version, Safe Exam Browser for macOS and iOS is a monolithic application using a web browser framework instead of a browser runtime. It's using the WebKit engine, on which Safari and some open source browsers are based. Otherwise, SEB for macOS/iOS connect to the Learning Management Systems in the same way as the Windows version.
Safe Exam Browser enables secure exams on unmanaged computers like students' own laptops and tablets as well as in managed environments on all three platforms Windows, macOS and iOS. Starting version 2.0, SEB offers an individual configuration per exam, which is protected by a strong encryption against manipulation. Thanks to an elaborate authentication feature, the exam system can verify that a particular, unaltered SEB version and the correct exam settings are used for an examination. This facilitates secure exams especially on unmanaged computers like students' own laptops/tablets.
Safe Exam Browser 2.0 and later is a unified version which brings almost the same features, exam system interface, compatible configuration files and a very similar user interface onto all three platforms, while still taking in account operating system differences and unique platform specific features.
Safe Exam Browser 2010-2024 ETH Zurich, IT Services, based on the original idea of Safe Exam Browser by Stefan Schneider, University of Giessen
Project concept: Dr. Thomas Piendl, Daniel R. Schneider, Damian Bchel, Dr. Dirk Bauer, Kai Reuter, Tobias Halbherr, Karsten Burger, Marco Lehre, Brigitte Schmucki, Oliver Rahs.
Safe Exam Browser is released as freeware. The source code is subject to the Mozilla Public License Version 1.1 (the "License"); you may only use these files in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at .
All Safe Exam Browser (SEB) versions were prepared to be as accessible as our concept of a secure environment allows. Conformance level AA of the Web Accessibility Guidelines WCAG version 2.1 was aimed for SEB on iOS, macOS and Windows.
Information and useful tips on the peculiarities of the individual SEB versions with regard to accessibility as well as some restrictions regarding individual violations of WCAG success criteria are listed below:
SafeExamBrowser (SEB) doesn't send any personal information to any centralized server and is not connected to any web analytics, user tracking or clickstream analytics service. Some data which can be considered to be personal (device type and name, operating system version, computer account user name, local network host name, some URLs of opened web pages etc.) can be contained in the log files SEB saves on the system it is running on (when used with default settings). Log files are not transmitted to any centralized server by SEB, you can manually collect those log files for debugging purposes. Logging can be switched off in SEB's settings (Win/Mac).
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