---
title: How to lock student screens for exams with Teacher Assist
description: "## Lock student screens for exams with Teacher Assist During online assessments, exams, or focused study sessions, maintaining student attention and preventing academic dishonesty is a top priority. The **Lock Tab** feature in Teacher Assist empowers educators to restrict student…"
url: "https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/tech-tips/how-to-lock-student-screens-for-exams-with-teacher-assist/"
updated: "2026-07-30"
category: "Users Audit & Management"
tags:
  - Teacher Assist
---

# How to lock student screens for exams with Teacher Assist

## Lock student screens for exams with Teacher Assist

During online assessments, exams, or focused study sessions, maintaining student attention and preventing academic dishonesty is a top priority. The **Lock Tab** feature in Teacher Assist empowers educators to restrict student Chrome browser navigation in real time.

By locking a single active tab, a domain, or automatically pushing an exam URL while closing all unapproved tabs, teachers can instantly convert standard web browsers into secure, distraction-free testing environments. If a student attempts to open a new tab, navigate away, or close the assigned exam page, Teacher Assist automatically redirects them back to the required page within one second.

### How to lock student screens for exams

Log in to your Teacher account and navigate to the **Google Apps button** and **launch GAT+**

![](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2024-05-27-18_14_34-New-Tab-1.png)

In T**eacher Assist** > click on **Classrooms** and **start a classroom session.**

![In Teacher Assist > click on Classrooms and start a classroom session.](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2026-07-30-13_16_17-Greenshot.png)

### Lock tab for all students

Once the classroom is live, a teacher can set a **lock tab for all the students** in the class.

Click on the **Lock tabs** (lock button) at the top of the active students

The **current tabs** of all students will be locked.

- New tabs can be opened, but are automatically redirected to the locked tab.
- They can switch to other opened tabs but are automatically redirected to the locked tab.

![](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2026-07-30-13_38_03-.png)

### **Push the exam and lock it**

Click on the **3 dots** and view global settings for the whole classroom.

Select and click on the **Open new tab** button.

![Click on the 3 dots and view global settings for the whole classroom.

Select and click on the Open new tab button.](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2026-07-30-13_41_42-Downloads-File-Explorer.png)

A pop-up window will be displayed.

- **Enter the website** - enter the website you want to open or choose from recently opened websites.
- Additionally, select any additional lock option
  - **Lock this page**
  - **Lock this domain**
  - **Close all other tabs**
- Take those actions on the selected website.

![](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2026-07-30-13_42_41-.png)

The **exam URL** will be **pushed to all students,** and it will **be locked**.

The Students will be locked

- If they close the tab, it will be reopened automatically for them.
- If they click to open a new tab, they will then be automatically redirected to the locked tab.
- If they browse through other tabs, every 1 second they will be redirected back to the locked tab.

![](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Animation-when-site-is-locked-for-students.gif)

If the exam is already opened by students, you can use the "**Distribute Current Page"** feature to push the tab (exam) to all students.

### Individual student Lock tab

The **Teacher can lock the tab of an individual student only.**

Select a student and click on the "lock icon" button to lock the current tab for the student.

![](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2026-07-30-13_54_09-ScreenToGif-Editor.png)

At the top of the classroom session view a lock icon and the number of currently locked students.

Each student will also have a small lock icon, noting that the tab is locked

![](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2026-07-30-13_56_16-Settings.png)

### Summary & Key Takeaways

The Teacher Assist tab locking mechanism gives teachers full operational control over classroom browsing without requiring complex kiosk software setup. Key features to remember:

- **Automated Redirection:** Ensures non-compliant browser maneuvers (new tab creations, tab switching, tab closure) are corrected automatically within **1 second**.
- **Flexible Scope:** Choose between broad global classroom enforcement or discrete individual student tab locking.
- **Streamlined Exam Pushing:** Using *Open New Tab* or *Distribute Current Page* ensures all students land on the identical test paper simultaneously.