Dhruva Sagar
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How to develop a time-restricted, secure script in javascript for an online-exam
Hi,
I am developing an online-exam script in PHP-MySQL and I wish to develop a good javascript script for the online-exam to accurately time exams and allow for forcefully ending exams after the time is over. Moreover I am interested in a really secure and safe way of doing this so as to be able to ensure that it can't be hacked or overridden by someone to be able to by pass the timer.
In my opinion javascript is probably the best option for doing something like this, but I may be wrong, in case anyone thinks that this should be/could be done using some other language, please do let me know that too.
I hope I can get good help on this, if there is some javascript framework/script already available that does this, nothing like it, otherwise I would appreciate if the experts here to give me tips and pointers as to how I should probably go about doing this. I am an amateur in javascript.
I am developing an online-exam script in PHP-MySQL and I wish to develop a good javascript script for the online-exam to accurately time exams and allow for forcefully ending exams after the time is over. Moreover I am interested in a really secure and safe way of doing this so as to be able to ensure that it can't be hacked or overridden by someone to be able to by pass the timer.
In my opinion javascript is probably the best option for doing something like this, but I may be wrong, in case anyone thinks that this should be/could be done using some other language, please do let me know that too.
I hope I can get good help on this, if there is some javascript framework/script already available that does this, nothing like it, otherwise I would appreciate if the experts here to give me tips and pointers as to how I should probably go about doing this. I am an amateur in javascript.
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Pawel Witkowski
I got once a classes with teacher that made this test via internet. They got this functionality, but studest found their way to cheat otherway so I dont even know is this worth of effort.
ASKER
Well I am not so much bothered about people cheating, randomizing the questions as well as the answer options is something that I was going to do in the first place. Thanks for that anyways.
My major concern is to ensure that once a user starts a test, the time flow is accurate and that its not easily bypassed and also to be able to detect when the time is over.
Your suggestion regarding using PHP sessions is good in this respect, but I am not sure how to go about using it, if the user is one page and the time is over...is there a way in php to detect that? php doesn't have such event handling, or does it? Can you give me just a few more inputs for the same?
My major concern is to ensure that once a user starts a test, the time flow is accurate and that its not easily bypassed and also to be able to detect when the time is over.
Your suggestion regarding using PHP sessions is good in this respect, but I am not sure how to go about using it, if the user is one page and the time is over...is there a way in php to detect that? php doesn't have such event handling, or does it? Can you give me just a few more inputs for the same?
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ASKER
Thanks a lot!
It depends - do you want to finish user test at once, or do you want to make them finish test BEFORE time ends. In second case - its their problem if they hax javascript or no, but PHP will store absolute number for it. Doing it from javascript... well - it might be really difficult to achieve. Mine idea is to make sure that javascript sends AJAX requests for every 1 min to PHP. PHP stores this information to know how much time left. With this request you could store actuall test progress, so if someone just hax javascript - his test is equal to last sent solution. But this do not solves problem when someone stops AJAX calls - unless you do not send any other question untill for example first one is answered.
In fact what I would propose is:
- Use AJAX,
- show random question and random order of answers,
- show only one question at once,
- every time your user gets new question, update time counter in PHP
that should do the trick... I think
In fact what I would propose is:
- Use AJAX,
- show random question and random order of answers,
- show only one question at once,
- every time your user gets new question, update time counter in PHP
that should do the trick... I think
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