Introduction to assessment opening conditions
Assessment opening conditions let authors control when learners can access assessed tasks and quizzes. These conditions are configured in the course Study plan and are available for courses that use relative dates.
Note: When using relative dates, updating the Study plan and republishing the course will apply changes to opening conditions across all class activations.
By setting opening conditions, assessments can remain locked until learners either reach a specific course date or achieve a minimum score in another task.
Note: Changes to opening conditions in live courses can affect learners differently, depending on how access was gained and when the change is made. For a detailed explanation, see What happens when opening conditions or related tasks change.
Why use assessment opening conditions?
Assessment opening conditions help you sequence learning and assessment in a clear, intentional way. They allow you to:
Support scaffolded course progression by linking assessments to prior activities or learning milestones.
Set clear expectations for learners, so they can see what opens an assessment and plan their study accordingly.
Reduce confusion and uncertainty by making it clear why something is not yet available.
Apply assessment requirements consistently, so all learners meet the same criteria before accessing assessed tasks.
Design intentionally within the platform, rather than relying on workarounds or instructional warnings.
Which opening conditions are available?
Assessments can be locked behind the following types of conditions:
Day: Opens when the learner reaches a specified course date.
Score: Opens once the learner achieves at least the minimum score in another task or quiz within the course.
Both: You can set both day and score conditions. If both are set, the assessment will open when either condition is met.
How assessments unlock for learners
Day conditions
Assessments open automatically once the learner reaches the specified course day.
Score conditions
Assessments become available once the learner achieves the minimum required score in the specified task or quiz.
Both conditions
If both day and score conditions are set, the assessment will open when either condition is first met.
Note: Access to assessments may update when learners interact with their tasks or course content, especially after conditions have been updated.
Variations and marking
If the task or quiz includes variations, learners can unlock the assessment by achieving the required score in any one variation.
If the task or quiz is auto-marked and the learner meets the requirements, the assessment will open immediately. If it requires facilitator or coach marking, the assessment will not open until the learner receives their grade.
Learn: See the learner‑facing article for more detail on the learner experience.
Opening conditions in the Class console
Facilitators can see whether an assessment is locked or unlocked for each learner in the Class console.
The Status column shows if an assessment is locked, overdue, or both, making it easier to distinguish between learners who cannot access an assessment and those who have not completed it yet.
If an assessment is locked by a score condition, facilitators can override it for an individual learner using the Unlock option. This allows the learner to access the assessment immediately, even if they have not met the original condition.
Assessments locked by a date (open day) cannot be overridden and will remain locked until the scheduled date is reached.
Learn: See the facilitator's guide for more detail.
Learner Notifications
Once a learner meets the opening conditions for an assessment, it will become available immediately.
If the assessment is unlocked by achieving the required score in a task or quiz, the learner will receive an in-app notification informing them that the assessment is now open. This notification includes a direct link to the assessment, allowing the learner to access it straight away.
How to set assessment opening conditions
Authors set assessment opening conditions from the course Study plan.
Using the edit (pencil) icon next to an assessment, you can set open days, score conditions, as well as weighting and a due date.
If an opening condition needs to be corrected or removed, it can be updated at any time. Removing a score condition, or turning off relative dates, and then republishing the course will remove that restriction and apply the remaining settings.
Learn: You can find the full steps for configuring opening conditions in the author’s guide.
What happens if changes are made to the opening conditions while learners are studying?
Changing opening conditions after learners have started a course can affect access to assessments.
When you republish the Study plan, your changes apply to all class activations. Access then behaves differently depending on how a learner first accessed the assessment.
If a learner unlocks an assessment by meeting a score condition, they keep access, even if you change the score, republish the course, or later add an open day.
If a learner gains access through an open day, they can lose access if the date changes or the condition is replaced.
Learn: For a detailed explanation, see What happens when opening conditions or related tasks change.