Canvas Exams and Academic Testing Services: What Faculty Need to Know
Academic Testing Services (ATS) is committed to supporting equitable, accessible testing for all students. This page explains how Canvas-delivered exams interact with ATS, what faculty need to know about DRC accommodations in Canvas, and where to get help.
Why Students Taking Canvas Exams Should Not Test with ATS
When exams are delivered through Canvas, they are managed directly by the faculty member — not by ATS. Because ATS staff do not have access to or control over Canvas exam settings, tools, or restrictions, we are not able to adequately support students taking these exams in our testing environment. This limitation can create disruptions for students and our proctor team alike.
For this reason, students taking exams delivered through Canvas should complete those exams on their own device, not at ATS.
Canvas Meets Most DRC Accommodation Needs
The good news is that Canvas is well-equipped to handle a wide range of Disability Resource Center (DRC) accommodations — often without the need for students to test at ATS at all.
Using Canvas's built-in settings, faculty can:
- Grant extended time on quizzes and exams for individual students, without changing settings for the rest of the class. This works in both Classic Quizzes and New Quizzes.
- Adjust availability and due dates for individual students to account for flexible timing accommodations.
- Allow additional attempts for students who need them.
- Reduce answer choices (in New Quizzes) as an accommodation.
- Create a distraction-reduced environment by having students test in a quiet location of their choosing, on their own device.
- Make content more accessible by building materials in Canvas's Rich Content Editor, using proper heading structures, adding alt text to images, and ensuring captions on videos.
For step-by-step instructions on implementing these settings, see OAI's guide to Accommodations in Canvas →
Designing More Accessible Exams for Everyone
Beyond individual accommodations, Canvas makes it possible to design exams that are inherently more accessible and inclusive — reducing the need for accommodations in the first place. In general, assessments become more accessible as they give students more flexibility and control over when and how they complete them.
From most to least accessible:
- Extended-window take-home style — Students can complete the exam over an extended period (e.g., 3 days). This is the most accessible and inclusive approach.
- Fixed time, flexible start — The exam has a set time limit (e.g., 90 minutes), but students can begin and pause within a longer window (e.g., 24 hours).
- Fixed window, fixed time upon start — Students have a larger access window (e.g., 24 hours), but the clock starts upon first access and cannot be paused.
- Synchronous in-class exam — Students complete the exam at a set time, in person or remotely. This is the least flexible and least accessible option.
Even with the more accessible approaches, some DRC-registered students may still require individual accommodations. Contact the Disability Resource Center to determine the right support for your students.
What to Do If You Already Have Canvas Exams Scheduled with ATS
If you have already submitted Canvas exams to RegisterBlast and they are scheduled with ATS, those exams can remain as scheduled. We ask that you and your students communicate closely to ensure:
- The exam is correctly configured in Canvas (pass codes, time limits, availability dates, etc.)
- Students know they must bring their own personal laptop or tablet — ATS computers are offline and not connected to the internet. This is intentional, as most exams we administer do not permit access to external networks or online tools.
- Any required accommodations are set up in Canvas before the exam date.
A Note on Proctorio and Similar Surveillance Tools
ATS discourages the use of invasive online surveillance platforms such as Proctorio, in alignment with the University's broader values around student privacy and equity. If a Canvas exam is already scheduled with ATS, additional remote proctoring through Proctorio is not necessary — students testing at ATS are proctored in person for the full duration of their exam.
Using both Proctorio and in-person ATS proctoring simultaneously creates "double proctoring," which can result in an inconsistent or inequitable testing experience for students in the course compared to those not using ATS.
If you believe you have no other option than to use Proctorio, please connect with the Office of Academic Innovation (OAI) well in advance of the scheduled exam to ensure the tool is properly configured.
Resources and Support
For help setting up accommodations in Canvas: OAI's Accommodations in Canvas guide → OAI Faculty Support portal →
For questions about specific student accommodations: Disability Resource Center — 503-725-4150 | drc@pdx.edu
For questions about testing procedures or currently scheduled exams: Academic Testing Services — 503-725-4459 | TestingServices@pdx.edu (Email is the fastest way to reach us. Hours: Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm. In-person visits are by appointment only.)