LockDown Browser vs Respondus Monitor: the difference for students
A plain-language guide to browser restrictions, proctoring settings, and the instructions that apply to your exam.
LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor are related products, but their names are not interchangeable. Knowing the difference helps you understand assessment instructions, ask useful support questions, and evaluate claims about software used alongside an exam.
LockDown Browser controls the testing environment
Respondus describes LockDown Browser as a custom browser for assessments within a learning-management system. It restricts actions such as accessing other applications and websites. Its role is the controlled test environment.
Your learning-management system is another part of the picture. A test page in Canvas or another course platform does not, by itself, identify every assessment rule. Start with the instructions attached to the actual test, including any required software and equipment.
When asking for help, describe what you are doing and what you see: opening the test, completing a pre-exam check, or submitting an answer. That is more useful than reporting only that “the browser is broken.”
Source: Respondus: LockDown Browser
Respondus Monitor adds proctoring
Respondus Monitor builds on LockDown Browser with automated proctoring. It is associated with a pre-exam startup sequence and recording, with results available for instructor review. Whether a particular assessment uses it depends on that assessment’s setup.
This distinction matters when reading advice online. Someone describing a browser-only test and someone describing a recorded test may both say they used Respondus, while their experiences involve different configurations.
Ask your instructor or support team to identify the required components if the instructions leave that unclear. A product comparison cannot replace the setup information for your own institution.
Source: Respondus: Monitor
Recording settings can vary between assessments
Respondus documents an instructor-controlled screen-recording option for assessments using LockDown Browser with Monitor. That option is separate from simply knowing that LockDown Browser is required. Check the actual exam instructions and startup sequence for the configuration you will encounter.
For that reason, avoid making a purchase decision or a technical assumption based only on a friend’s recording experience. Note the software version, operating system, and settings before comparing two reports.
The same care applies to claims made by third-party tools. An interface video may help you understand controls, but it does not establish how every assessment is configured or what every recording method captures.
Prepare with the right information
Use your institution’s installation instructions and practice assessment where available. Respondus notes that institutions have their own LockDown Browser download links. Getting the correct link is a basic troubleshooting step that is easy to miss when following a generic video.
Before requesting support, collect the application name, Windows build, visible error, and the step that failed. Keep screenshots limited to the relevant issue and remove private assessment content when sharing with someone who does not need it.
If you are exploring a separate AI desktop workflow, hidden.help’s landing page shows its interface and Windows requirements. Read the product’s own documentation as well as the rules for the context where you plan to use it.
Source: Respondus: Help Center and institution-specific downloads
Published by hidden.help with AI assistance. Product details can change; use the current documentation, privacy policy, and terms when making a decision. Named assessment products are not affiliated with hidden.help.