seb-mac

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Dear Safe Exam Browser Team,

I'd like to ask whether there is/there will be in the future a possibility to restrict uploading of images in SEB for digital exams done via iPad.

I found out recently that unfortunately, students can access the iPad Photo Gallery and upload images into the open questions' answer boxes (fyi we are using the platform Ans for digital tests). See the screenshot attached - the open question's answer box provides different functionality, including a button for image uploading, which allows users accessing iPad Photo Library, uploading and viewing screenshots of teaching materials right via the answer box when being at SEB, then delete that images and type an answer for the question. (FYI: our students use iPadOS 17.5.1 and SEB version 3.3.3.)

I contacted our digital test platform to find a solution, and they explained that it happens apparently because the SEB setting of not allowing uploading/downloading files has an impact only on Windows or MacOS but not on iOS. (See the screenshot - this is a setting for file uploading, and we always had it completely deactivated for all tests, and indeed, accessing other files in iPad storage is not possible, as I tested, but seems as a loophole with Photo Library left.)

I asked our digital test provider about a possibility to edit the answer box's functionality by removing the Image Upload button, in order to sort of if not solve but hide the existing loophole. But it is not possible for the provider to do this.

To repeat, this image issue is a case only for open questions due to such questions' answer boxes, not for other type of questions. But not using open questions at all or replacing them with other types of questions, like multiple choice or matrix, etc., is simply not possible for testing all knowledge and skills of students in an appropriate way - open questions must present in all exams.

In light of the above, I would like to ask whether there are any other settings/actions we might do to restrict images uploading for iPadOS? And if such setting does not exist, are there any plans to develop this feature in the future? Any information would be useful for me to understand better the situation. I really hope to hear from you.

Best regard! Valeriia