--- title: Introduction to Oral Assessments description: This is an introduction to the Oral Assessment feature / Video Response feature in Cadmus. --- [Skip to content](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers/introduction-to-oral-assessments#main-content) English Show submenu for translations [Contact Support](https://support.cadmus.io/kb-tickets/new?hsLang=en) [![Cadmus Wordmark & Logo\_Master File\_Cadmus Icon\_Ink.png\]](https://support.cadmus.io/hs-fs/hubfs/Cadmus%20Wordmark%20%26%20Logo_Master%20File_Cadmus%20Icon_Ink.png?height=40&name=Cadmus%20Wordmark%20%26%20Logo_Master%20File_Cadmus%20Icon_Ink.png)](https://support.cadmus.io/?hsLang=en) - [Cadmus](https://cadmus.io/) - [Contact Support](https://support.cadmus.io/kb-tickets/new) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Cadmus](https://cadmus.io/) - [Contact Support](https://support.cadmus.io/kb-tickets/new) - English Show submenu for translations - [Contact Support](https://support.cadmus.io/kb-tickets/new) What would you like to learn? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Cadmus Help Docs](https://support.cadmus.io/?hsLang=en) 2. [Teachers](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers?hsLang=en) 3. [Oral Assessments](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers?hsLang=en#oral-assessments) # Introduction to Oral Assessments ## An introductory guide to learn how to set up an Oral Assessment in Cadmus. Cadmus now supports Video Response questions with oral assessments. This may be used to support a follow-up oral component — asking students to speak about their own work, giving institutions a stronger layer of learning assurance. Each video response question includes: - A question prompt (hidden from the students) - A preparation window - A recording window - A set number of attempts Students answer video response questions in sequence, recording a video for each. Video Responses may be graded per question using a Marker Rubric. This article will guide how to 1. [Creating an Oral Assessment](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers/introduction-to-oral-assessments#anchor) 2. [Adding instructions to an Oral Assessment](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers/introduction-to-oral-assessments#add-instructions) 3. [Select requirements and settings for an Oral Assessment](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers/introduction-to-oral-assessments#requirements) 4. [Granting Special Considerations](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers/introduction-to-oral-assessments#spec-cons) #### How do I create an Oral Assessment? 1. Create a Cadmus link in the LMS and click on the Go to Cadmus button to go to the Cadmus Teacher Environment. 2. Select **Oral Assessment** as the format and click Confirm. ![](https://support.cadmus.io/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Jul-16-2026-05-34-44-4298-AM.png?width=501&height=631&name=undefined-Jul-16-2026-05-34-44-4298-AM.png) **TIP**: Click the switch format button on top to quickly switch to Oral assessments from any other assessment format. #### How do I add instructions to my Oral Assessment? 1. In the assessment builder, select **Video Response** as the question type from the dropdown. ![](https://support.cadmus.io/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Jul-16-2026-05-34-46-7397-AM.png?width=670&height=631&name=undefined-Jul-16-2026-05-34-46-7397-AM.png) 2. Add your question prompt in the question space and assign the appropriate points. 3. Below the question prompt, set the **Response time** (maximum time limit allowed for the video response), **Preparation time** (maximum time limit to prepare before recording the video response), and the number of **attempts** a student has to record their video response. Preparation time and Response time are in the format \[MM:SS\] 4. Click the three dots inside the question block to duplicate, delete, or add a marking rubric to the question. 5. Similar to the multi-format builder, you will find the *Settings* tab from where you can edit requirements and settings, and the *Questions* tab from where you can reorder the question list, to the left. ![](https://support.cadmus.io/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Jul-16-2026-05-34-47-2063-AM.png?width=670&height=212&name=undefined-Jul-16-2026-05-34-47-2063-AM.png) **TIP**: You may add all the other Multi-format question types, along with video response type questions, to your Cadmus Oral Assessment. However, keep in mind that those questions will not be hidden from students. #### Setting requirements and settings for Oral Assessments - Under *General Settings*, first select whether the assessment will be administered live (all students **together at the same time**) or in a time window (students write in **their preferred time within the window**). - Next, select the **Duration** of the assessment. Students must start recording a response before the duration runs out. If they are in the middle of recording a response, the remaining response time will be accommodated so they can submit it. After the duration runs out, students will not be able to start recording a response. **NOTE:** When setting attempts and durations, It's crucial to build in enough total time to cover every possible attempt. This is because before starting any attempt (including re-attempts), Cadmus checks that there is time remaining in the assessment to cover a full Preparation + Response window. For example, if a student already used part of their time on attempt #1 and doesn't have enough left for a complete attempt #2, they won't be able to start it — even if they still have attempts remaining.  Total Duration should comfortably exceed: **Reading time + (Number of attempts × (Preparation time + Response time))** Alternatively, turning off Reading Time can also be an option. ![](https://support.cadmus.io/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Jul-16-2026-05-34-47-5997-AM.png?width=521&height=565&name=undefined-Jul-16-2026-05-34-47-5997-AM.png) - Switch on the **Reading Time** toggle to allocate time for students to read through the general assessment instructions. Note that it does not reveal individual question prompts, which stay hidden until a student clicks Start on that question. Students will not be able to start recording their response during this time. Meanwhile, Preparation time is time a student will receive to prepare for individual video response questions.  **Tip**: If your assessment is tight on time, consider turning Reading Time off, since it isn't functioning as extra preparation time for any specific question - Switch on the **Video mandatory** toggle to enforce students to keep their camera on while recording their responses. ![](https://support.cadmus.io/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Jul-16-2026-05-34-46-4656-AM.png?width=533&height=449&name=undefined-Jul-16-2026-05-34-46-4656-AM.png) - Next, set the assessment integrity options: enable the **Access Codes Requirement** feature to enable student assessment entry using a valid, unique code. - Enable **Respondus LockDown Browser** for students to take the oral assessment in a locked browser environment. ![](https://support.cadmus.io/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Jul-16-2026-05-34-47-9775-AM.png?width=538&height=706&name=undefined-Jul-16-2026-05-34-47-9775-AM.png) - Under *Submissions* settings, switch on the **Referencing** toggle to allow references and footnotes for extended answer-type questions. Choose the referencing style from the dropdown. Under more options, select if references or footnotes may be included in the word limit. - Next, decide if the assessment will have **Auto Submission** enabled. If enabled, students’ work will be automatically submitted after the assessment duration or window is over. - Allow *Backtracking* if you wish to enable students to go back and re-attempt questions. If disabled, students will not be able to go back to a question they’ve attempted or skipped. - Switching on the **Re-attempts will expire** feature allows you to set a time window within which the student will have to start another attempt at recording their response. *For example, if the setting is on and the time is set to 2 minutes, the student will have to record their next attempt within 2 minutes of finishing the previous recording.* If the feature is off, students will be able to record their re-attempts at any time during the assessment. - Enable **Students will receive their submission PDF** setting to allow students to download a copy of their submission. ![](https://support.cadmus.io/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Jul-16-2026-05-34-48-7996-AM.png?width=553&height=999&name=undefined-Jul-16-2026-05-34-48-7996-AM.png) - Under *Marking* settings, you will see the **Total points** for the assessment. This will be auto-calculated according to the individual points per question and hence, non-editable. - Use the **Weighting** setting to add how much the exam is worth (in %) to the unit. Note that this won’t affect how grades are returned to your respective LMS. - Toggle on the **Show rubrics to students** option to allow students to view the grading rubric of every question. - Use the **Anonymous Marking** setting to show or hide student names in the class list. ![](https://support.cadmus.io/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Jul-16-2026-05-34-49-1676-AM.png?width=555&height=811&name=undefined-Jul-16-2026-05-34-49-1676-AM.png) All the requirements can be reviewed from the panel on the right. Click **Confirm** to save them. In the next step, review and finalise the instructions. Click **Release Instructions** to publish the Oral assessment. **NOTE:** Oral Assessments can only be graded using Cadmus Marker. Learn more about [Marking Oral Assessments](https://support.cadmus.io/marking-video-response-assessments?hsLang=en) here. Learn how a student navigates video responses [here](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers/understanding-the-student-view-of-video-response-questions?hsLang=en).     #### How to Grant Special Considerations to a Student? To change a student's assessment dates, adjust their total assessment duration, grant extra attempts, or add extra preparation and response time, follow these steps: 1. Navigate to the Progress tab. Find the student who needs special considerations in the class list. 2. Click on the three dots to the right. Select between options: **Give extra time**, **Give extra time or attempts** (per question), and **Change assessment window**. ![Vivas Special Con](https://support.cadmus.io/hs-fs/hubfs/Vivas%20Special%20Con.png?width=631&height=247&name=Vivas%20Special%20Con.png) 3. This opens the special considerations panel, where the below can be adjusted: ![Vivas Special Con 2](https://support.cadmus.io/hs-fs/hubfs/Vivas%20Special%20Con%202.png?width=670&height=400&name=Vivas%20Special%20Con%202.png) 1. **Assessment open and close dates and times:** Change when the student's assessment opens and closes. 2. **Total exam time:** Adjust the overall time the student has to complete the assessment. **This *replaces* the default total time rather than adding to it.** - **For example:** If a student has already used 7 minutes of a 17-minute assessment and needs 10 more minutes to finish their remaining attempts, set their Total exam time to 17 minutes (their elapsed time + the time they still need) — not 10 minutes, which would leave them only 10 minutes in total and cut their session short. 3. Under **Video Response Questions** sections, the followings can also be adjusted: 1. **Extra attempts per question:** Grant additional attempts on each question. 2. **Extra preparation time per question:** Add time on top of the default preparation time for each question. 3. **Extra response time per question:** Add time on top of the default response time for each question. 4. Once the adjustments are made, click **Confirm** to save. **NOTE**: It is important to allocate appropriate *total exam time* when granting extra attempts to a student. If a student is granted extra attempts, but has exhausted the assessment duration, the student will not be able to access oral assessment for re-takes. **NOTE:** *Extra preparation and response time* are added on top of the default. For example, if a student is granted **15 seconds** of extra preparation on a question with a **30-second** default, they will have **45 seconds** to prepare for that question. --- #### A student can't start their next attempt, even though they have time and attempts left This typically happens when the time remaining in a student's assessment isn't enough to guarantee they can complete a full Preparation + Response window for another attempt (see the calculation [above](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers/introduction-to-oral-assessments#timecalculation)). If this happens: - **Reset the student's assessment** for a fresh start. This wipes any existing recording, so only use this if the student is comfortable losing earlier attempts. - **Grant extra time** instead, calculated from the student's original start time (elapsed time + time still needed) - [Teachers](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Introduction](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers?hsLang=en#introduction) - [Setting up assessments](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers?hsLang=en#setting-up-assessments) - [Managing your class](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers?hsLang=en#managing-your-class) - [Turnitin + Cadmus](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers?hsLang=en#turnitin-cadmus) - [Marking + feedback](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers?hsLang=en#marking-feedback) - [Exams](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers?hsLang=en#exams) - [Drafts](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers?hsLang=en#drafts) - [Insights](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers?hsLang=en#insights) - [Students working](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers?hsLang=en#students-working) - [FAQs + Troubleshooting](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers?hsLang=en#faqs-troubleshooting) - [Multi-format Assessments](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers?hsLang=en#multi-format-assessments) - [Group Assessments](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers?hsLang=en#group-assessments) - [Oral Assessments](https://support.cadmus.io/teachers?hsLang=en#oral-assessments) - [Students](https://support.cadmus.io/students?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Introduction](https://support.cadmus.io/students?hsLang=en#introduction) - [Working in Cadmus](https://support.cadmus.io/students?hsLang=en#working-in-cadmus) - [Submitting](https://support.cadmus.io/students?hsLang=en#submitting) - [Grades + Feedback](https://support.cadmus.io/students?hsLang=en#grades-feedback) - [Drafts](https://support.cadmus.io/students?hsLang=en#drafts) - [FAQs + Troubleshooting](https://support.cadmus.io/students?hsLang=en#faqs-troubleshooting) - [Multi-format Assessment](https://support.cadmus.io/students?hsLang=en#multi-format-assessment) - [Group Assessments](https://support.cadmus.io/students?hsLang=en#group-assessments) - [Oral Assessments](https://support.cadmus.io/students?hsLang=en#oral-assessments) - [Admins](https://support.cadmus.io/admins?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Integrations](https://support.cadmus.io/admins?hsLang=en#integrations) - [Release Notes](https://support.cadmus.io/release-notes?hsLang=en) - [Privacy Policy](https://support.cadmus.io/privacy-policy?hsLang=en) - [Cadmus](https://cadmus.io/) - [Video Tutorials](https://cadmus.io/video-tutorials/) - [Contact Support](https://support.cadmus.io/kb-tickets/new) - [System Status](https://cadmus.statuspage.io/) [![](https://support.cadmus.io/hs-fs/hubfs/Cadmus%20Wordmark%20%26%20Logo_Master%20File_Cadmus%20Wordmark_Berry.png?width=100&height=100&name=Cadmus%20Wordmark%20%26%20Logo_Master%20File_Cadmus%20Wordmark_Berry.png)](http://cadmus.io) Copyright © 2026, Cadmus