---
title: Schedule exams
type: how-to
section: education
summary: How the exams office plans a window, from the window and its rooms to requirements, a planning run, Readiness and publishing to learners.
applies_to:
  clients: [web]
sources:
  - evolve-education-service/docs/future-capabilities/09-exams/SPECIFICATION.md
  - evolve-front-end/components/education/schedule-management/exams/schedule-exam-workbench.tsx
  - evolve-front-end/components/education/schedule-management/exams/schedule-exam-preparation.tsx
  - evolve-front-end/components/education/schedule-management/exams/schedule-exam-requirement-defaults-sheet.tsx
  - evolve-front-end/components/education/schedule-management/exams/schedule-exam-visibility-sheet.tsx
  - evolve-front-end/app/i18n/locales/en/education.json
verified:
  at: 2026-11-08
  env: code
  by: cer-exams
ttl_days: 45
related: [education/find-your-way]
---

Exams lives in **Scheduling**, under **Exams**. You work one exam window at a time: pick it in the header. Its steps run left to right: **Preparation**, **Rooms**, **Plan**, **Duties** and **Readiness**. Each step says under its name what it still holds.

## 1. Set up the window

- **Set up window** gives it a name, the period whose classes it examines, its dates and its time zone. Every time on the page is in that zone.
- **Planning settings** say how exams are spread: the preset (Learner load is the default), the daily maximum, the minimum rest, days without exams and the clash-sitting periods.
- **Rooms** is the window's room pool: the rooms exams may use, with their exam seats. Where exams are also sat elsewhere, the window names its exam centres.

## 2. Say which courses need an exam

**Preparation** lists every Section of the period. A Section is **Ready** when it is known whether it has a timed exam, and how long and in what format. Until then it reads **Needs clarification** (or **No learners yet** when nobody is registered).

- **Default requirements** are rules by course code that every course without its own requirement takes. Write `*` for any characters: `COMP*` is a subject, `COMP-3*` its 300 level, `*-5*` every 500-level course, `*` every course. The most specific pattern wins.
- Save the rules, check **In this window** (how many courses take a default, which keep their own, which no rule matches), then **Apply**. Applying again later picks up new courses and changed rules.
- A course or Section that someone declared keeps its own requirement. To set one by hand, select Sections and choose **Declare**, or use **Declare for all** for everything the list shows.

## 3. Plan the sittings

- **Plan with the engine** starts a run that builds, improves or repairs the window's plan within its time limit. Nothing changes until you **Adopt this plan**; **What adopting changes** shows the sittings moved and the learners affected first.
- You can still place or move a sitting yourself with **Schedule** and **Try a move**.
- Learners with two exams at the same time, or too many in a day, get a clash sitting in one of the clash-sitting periods.

## 4. Check Readiness

**Readiness** lists every saved sitting with what it still needs: seats for every learner, rooms held, papers, invigilation cover and support arrangements. Work down it until each sitting is **Ready**.

## 5. Individual timings

When Support approves extra time or breaks for a learner, the office records it as an **individual timing entry** and confirms it. It then applies to all the learner's exams it covers.

## 6. Publish to learners

The header says whether learners can see the window, and how many sittings are saved. Until you publish, a learner's **My exams** says their exam timetable is being prepared.

- **Change** sets when learners see it: now, or from a date and time. You can tell learners the date the timetable comes out.
- From then each learner sees the date, time and length of their own exams, and their room once rooms are shown.
- Once learners see a window its date can't move later.

## If it did not work

- **Default requirements** or **Change** is missing: you need the exam planning access for this scope (setting when learners see a window is a separate access). Ask your Education administrator.
- **Apply** says something changed since you looked: someone saved rules, a requirement or the period's classes changed meanwhile. Check the new numbers and apply again.
- A course still reads **Needs clarification** after applying: no rule matches its code (the sheet lists examples under **Without a rule**). Add a rule, or declare it in Preparation.
- A learner says My exams shows no dates: check the header. While it says **Not visible to learners yet**, learners only read that their timetable is being prepared. See also [Find your way in Education](/help/education/find-your-way).