Practical exams

The lab exam, marked before the bell.

Code runs against your tests the moment it's handed in. Word, Excel and PowerPoint files are read and marked task by task. Design and video work comes in up to 250 MB.

How it works

Three steps, start to finish.

  1. 1

    Pick the practical

    Code exams, Office practicals, app practicals or a marks sheet for anything else, each its own tab in the course, with viva marks alongside.

  2. 2

    Students work for real

    Functions in JavaScript, Python, Java, C++, Go or PHP; SQL on MariaDB; whole PHP websites served and checked step by step. Or work in Word, Excel, Photoshop, Figma or Premiere and upload.

  3. 3

    Marked by the task

    Code by its tests, in one sandboxed run. Office files by what's in them: Word formatting, Excel formulas and charts, slides. Videos up to 15 minutes are watched by AI.

What you get with practical exams.

  • Six languages

    JavaScript, Python, Java, C++, Go and PHP functions, wrapped per test.

  • SQL like XAMPP

    MySQL dialect on MariaDB 11.4; expected tables come from your reference answer.

  • PHP websites

    A multi-file site served by PHP, each test a series of HTTP steps.

  • Office, task by task

    Word, Excel and PowerPoint files read for formatting, formulas, charts and slides.

  • Design and video

    Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere, After Effects, Figma, Canva and more, up to 250 MB.

  • Proctored, fairly

    Allowed apps never hand in; the screen is recorded at 2 fps and AI flags the rest (proctoring).

How it compares.

Fair, sourced comparisons with the tools schools weigh this against, checked on their own sites.

Questions about practical exams

Which programming languages are supported?

JavaScript, Python, Java, C++, Go and PHP for function problems, plus SQL (MySQL dialect on MariaDB 11.4) and multi-file PHP websites.

Where does student code run?

In an isolated executor service, never in the app or the student's browser.

Can students use Excel and Word during the exam?

Yes. Office practicals allow those apps; leaving the browser for them never hands in, and the screen is recorded so AI can flag anything else.

How big can uploads be?

App practicals take files up to 250 MB. Videos up to 15 minutes are watched by AI; originals are kept and named.

Is there a viva?

Yes. Viva marks sit beside the practical, and a marks sheet covers any practical with no files.

Goes well with.

Across SparkMentis

See it with your school.

Tell us about your school and we'll walk you through a term with your own classes and papers.