Disabling Copy-Paste in Exams
In our exam environment, you can choose to disable copy and paste. This option is sometimes requested by organisations that want to:
reduce the risk of exam questions being copied and shared,
prevent learners from pasting in content from external sources (including AI tools).
This setting can be enabled at the exam level if required. See What is Exam on OpenLearning, and where can you create them?
Limitations of disabling copy-paste
Disabling copy-paste can act as a deterrent, but it is not a foolproof security measure. Learners may still bypass it in a variety of ways, and some workarounds are straightforward.
Potential issue |
How it can happen / why it matters |
Screenshots |
Learners can take screenshots of questions and share them, or use AI tools to extract text from images. |
Accessibility impacts |
Some learners rely on copy-paste to interact with assistive technologies (screen readers, text-to-speech, alternative input devices). Blocking copy-paste may create barriers for these users. |
Browser developer tools |
Copy-paste restrictions can be bypassed using the browser’s developer tools or console. |
Browser extensions |
Extensions exist that override JavaScript restrictions, including copy-paste blocks. |
Mobile devices |
On some phones and tablets, system-level gestures or apps can bypass copy restrictions. |
Clipboard managers / third-party software |
Software outside the browser can capture text or screenshots automatically. |
When to use this option
Disabling copy-paste can be useful if:
your organisation has a compliance requirement to block it, or
you want a light deterrent against casual copying and pasting.
However, it should not be relied upon as your only security measure.
Stronger alternatives
For exams where security and integrity are critical, a lockdown browser provides a more robust solution. Tools such as Safe Exam Browser (SEB) can:
restrict switching between applications,
prevent new tabs or windows from opening,
block screenshots, screen sharing, and screen recording,
enforce copy-paste restrictions at the browser level, so they cannot be bypassed using developer tools or browser extensions.
We don’t yet provide a direct SEB integration. If your organisation requires this level of security, please contact us to discuss integration options.
How to disable copy-paste in your exam
To turn off copy and paste for a specific exam:
Go to Exam Setup.
Open the Overview section.
Tick Disable copy and paste during the exam.
Publish (or republish) your exam for the change to take effect.
