Guide · Updated

How to give an online exam on mobile phones

Short answer

To give an online exam on mobile phones, use a browser-based exam platform so students only tap a link, with no app to install and no account to create. In MegaExams the exam opens in any phone browser with a timer, a question palette and a way to mark questions for review, answers are kept on the phone if the signal drops and sync when it returns, and students can photograph handwritten work for written questions.

For many classes the phone is the only device every student has, and most MegaExams exam sessions happen on phones. This guide covers setting up an exam that works well on a small screen, sharing it, and what to expect from proctoring when students are not on a computer.

Step by step: an exam built for phones

  1. Step 1: Create the exam

    Sign up free at megaexams.com/register with your email and a 6-digit code, then create a new exam. You can build it on a phone too, but a laptop is easier for typing questions.

  2. Step 2: Write questions that read well on a small screen

    Keep question text and options short, put long reading material into a reading passage (it is shown with each of its questions), and use images that are readable at phone width. Multiple choice, true or false, numeric and fill-in-the-blank questions are the quickest to answer on a touch screen. Equations written in LaTeX display properly on phones.

  3. Step 3: Let students in without accounts

    In Settings, turn on Allow guest attempts so students only type a name and email. If some students would rather not share an email, tick Students only type their name. For a controlled exam, make it Invite only with an access code instead.

  4. Step 4: Choose timing that suits phones

    A total duration works for most tests. Time each question individually is a good fit on phones: one question, one countdown, then the next, with no going back. For written answers, allow extra time for students to photograph their work.

  5. Step 5: Turn on proctoring if you need it

    Under Proctoring, Track tab-switching and copy-paste records each time a student leaves the exam for another app or tab, on phones as well as computers. Shuffled questions and random draws give each student a different paper. See the notes on phones below before you turn on lockdown mode.

  6. Step 6: Preview it on your own phone

    After publishing, open the exam link on your phone and take it once. Check that images are clear, that long options are not cut off, and that the timer and palette feel right.

  7. Step 7: Share the link where students will tap it

    From the Share screen, use the WhatsApp button to send the link to your class group, post it to Google Classroom, or copy it. For an invite-only exam, copy the link and code as one message.

  8. Step 8: Let students see their results on the phone

    When results are released, students see their scorecard on the same screen and can share it on WhatsApp, copy the link or download it as a PDF. See sharing results with students and parents.

What students see on a phone

  • One question at a time with large tap targets, a running timer and Next and Previous buttons.
  • A question palette that opens from a button, showing answered, unanswered and bookmarked questions, with Submit at the end.
  • Mark for review on every question, so students can come back before submitting.
  • Answer photos on written questions: up to 5 photos per question (JPG or PNG, up to 5 MB each), so students can solve on paper and upload the pages.
  • Optional tools you can switch on: a scientific calculator and a scratchpad for rough notes, which stays on the device and is never graded.
  • A dark mode toggle, which helps in poor light and saves battery on many phones.

When the signal drops

Mobile data is the most common problem in phone exams, so the exam player is built for it. Every answer is written to the phone before it is sent, and if the connection drops a banner says the answers are saved on the device and will sync when it reconnects. If the time runs out while the student is offline, the exam submits itself the moment the phone reconnects, as long as the tab stays open. If the page is refreshed or reopened, the attempt continues where it left off with the same questions; the timer keeps running in the meantime, so tell students to reopen the link quickly.

Proctoring on phones: what works and what does not

No phone browser lets a website force fullscreen or block screenshots, and that is true of every browser-based exam tool. Lockdown mode therefore applies to laptops and desktops. On phones, what does work is recording every switch to another app or tab, blocking copy and paste when lockdown mode is on, and, on proctored exams, a faint watermark with the student's name and attempt number on the paper so a shared screenshot can be traced. Webcam snapshots can be turned on too; the phone asks the student to allow the camera.

Because of these limits, the best defence on phones is a different paper per student: shuffle questions and options and use a random draw from a larger pool. The full list is in how to prevent cheating in online exams and on the anti-cheating tools page.

Try it on your next exam

Free for teachers, schools and institutes. Sign up with your email and a 6-digit code: no credit card, no trial period, no limit on students.

Create a free account

Frequently asked questions

Can students take an online exam on a mobile phone without an app?

Yes. MegaExams exams run in the phone browser from a link. There is nothing to install, and with guest attempts on, students do not need an account.

Which phones work?

Any Android phone or iPhone with an up-to-date browser such as Chrome or Safari. If a data-saving browser mode or a very old browser stops the questions from loading, the exam page tells the student and suggests opening the same link in Google Chrome.

What happens if a student's internet goes off during the exam?

Answers are kept on the phone and sync automatically when the connection returns. If time runs out while offline, the exam is submitted as soon as the phone reconnects, provided the tab is still open.

Can students write answers on paper and upload them from the phone?

Yes. Written-answer questions accept up to 5 photos each (JPG or PNG, up to 5 MB per photo), taken with the phone camera.

Can I lock a phone to the exam screen?

No browser can do that on a phone. MegaExams records every switch to another app or tab instead, and shuffled papers and random draws make copying less useful.

More guides for teachers