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 available only 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.
Tip: In this first release, changes to assessment opening conditions in live courses can behave differently depending on when they are applied. Use sandpit courses to test any updates before applying them to live courses.
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.
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.
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?
For this first release, changing assessment opening conditions after learners have started a course is not recommended.
If changes are made and the Study plan is republished, those changes flow to class activations. In some cases, assessments may remain locked or become locked for certain learners, depending on their progress at the time.
We recommend using sandpit courses to explore and test the impact of changes before applying them in live courses.