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R's PlacePrep

Fixes for common PlacePrep problems: login and registration, exam access, timers, fullscreen, submissions, missing results and display issues.

Troubleshooting

This guide helps you diagnose and resolve common issues on the R's PlacePrep platform.

Authentication Issues

Cannot Login

Symptoms:

  • "Invalid credentials" error
  • Login button does nothing
  • Page refreshes but doesn't log in

Solutions:

  1. Verify Credentials

    • Ensure email is correct and lowercase
    • Check password is exactly as registered
    • Disable CAPS LOCK
    • Try copying and pasting password

  2. Clear Browser Data

    Chrome: Settings → Privacy → Clear browsing data
Firefox: Settings → Privacy → Clear Data
Edge: Settings → Privacy → Clear browsing data

  3. Try Different Browser

    • Test in Chrome, Firefox, or Edge
    • Disable browser extensions
    • Use incognito/private mode

  4. Check Network

    • Verify internet connection
    • Disable VPN if active
    • Try different network

  5. CAPTCHA

    • The login page shows a small math question below the password field
    • The Login button stays disabled until you enter the correct answer

  6. Password Reset

    • Click "Forgot password?"
    • Enter your email and check your inbox for the reset link

Cannot Register

Symptoms:

  • "Email already exists" error
  • "Registration number already registered" error
  • "College code not recognized" warning
  • Form submission fails

Solutions:

  1. Email Conflicts

    • Use a different email address
    • Check if you already have an account
    • Verify email format is correct

  2. Password Requirements

    • Minimum 8 characters
    • Password and confirm password must match

  3. Registration Number

    • BEU students: 11–12 digits
    • BEU admins: 9 digits followed by 3 letters
    • Each registration number can only be used by one account

  4. College Not Recognised

    • Your college is detected from digits 6–8 of your BEU registration number
    • If it isn't recognised, your college is recorded as "Other" — see the FAQ for how to request your college be added

  5. Form Validation

    • Fill all required fields, including university and branch
    • Check for error messages under fields

Session Expires Quickly

Symptoms:

  • Logged out frequently
  • Session timeout during exam
  • Need to login repeatedly

Solutions:

  1. Browser Settings

    • Enable cookies
    • Don't use "Delete cookies on exit"
    • Whitelist the platform domain

  2. During Exams

    • Don't close the exam tab
    • Keep the window active
    • Avoid opening exam in multiple tabs

Exam Access Issues

Cannot Start Exam

Symptoms:

  • "Invalid exam code" message
  • "This exam starts on …" or "This exam has ended" message
  • "You have already completed this exam"

Solutions:

  1. Check the Exam Code

    • The code is 9 letters in the form xxx-xxx-xxx — hyphens are added automatically
    • Ask your admin to re-share it if it doesn't work

  2. Check Timing

    • You can only start between the exam's start and end times
    • The page tells you when the exam opens if you're early

  3. Previous Attempts

    • Each student can attempt an exam only once
    • If you started earlier and didn't submit, opening the exam again resumes that attempt with the remaining time

  4. College Restriction

    • Some exams are limited to specific colleges
    • If your profile has no college details, you'll be asked to fill them in before joining

I Can't Find the Exam Anywhere

Exams are not listed publicly. You join an exam by entering its code at Join Exam on your dashboard. If you don't have the code, ask your administrator.

Once you've attempted an exam, it appears in your dashboard under Recent Exams and on the Exams page.

During Exam Issues

Timer Issues

Symptoms:

  • Timer not visible
  • Timer stuck or frozen
  • Incorrect time remaining

Solutions:

  1. Browser Issues

    • Refresh the page (timer should resume)
    • Ensure JavaScript is enabled
    • Disable browser extensions
    • Try a different browser

  2. System Time

    • Check your device time is correct
    • Sync with network time
    • Account for time zone settings

  3. If Time Lost

    • Contact administrator immediately
    • Document the issue with screenshots
    • Note the time of occurrence

Questions Not Loading

Symptoms:

  • Blank question area
  • Loading spinner indefinitely
  • "Failed to load" errors

Solutions:

  1. Internet Connection

    • Check network connectivity
    • Switch to stable connection
    • Disable download managers

  2. Browser Cache

    • Clear browser cache
    • Hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R)
    • Try incognito mode

  3. Content Issues

    • Wait a moment for slow loading
    • Navigate to next question and back
    • Refresh the page

Cannot Submit Answer

Symptoms:

  • Answer selection doesn't register
  • "Next" button disabled
  • Changes not saving

Solutions:

  1. Interaction Issues

    • Click directly on radio button or option
    • Ensure option is fully clicked
    • Wait for visual confirmation

  2. Technical

    • Check browser console for errors
    • Disable browser extensions
    • Try different input method (keyboard vs mouse)

  3. Network

    • Verify internet connection
    • Check if page is fully loaded
    • Avoid clicking too quickly

Fullscreen Problems

Symptoms:

  • Cannot enter fullscreen
  • Exits fullscreen automatically
  • A tab-switch warning appears unexpectedly

Solutions:

  1. Browser Permissions

    • Allow fullscreen when prompted
    • Check browser settings for fullscreen permissions

  2. Re-entering

    • Use the button on the warning overlay — F11 and Esc are blocked during the exam
    • Remember the second exit auto-submits

  3. Avoid Triggering Tab-Switch Warnings

    • Don't Alt+Tab to another window or switch tabs
    • Close messaging apps that steal focus
    • Turn off notification popups before starting

  4. Multiple Monitors

    • Keep the exam on your primary monitor
    • Use a single display if possible

Exam Auto-Submitted

Symptoms:

  • Exam ended before completing
  • Unexpected submission
  • "Time's up" before timer ended

Possible Causes & Solutions:

  1. Time Expired

    • Normal behavior when time runs out
    • No action needed
    • Check results page

  2. Fullscreen or Tab-Switch Violations

    • You exited fullscreen twice, or switched away from the tab twice
    • Check the warning messages you saw earlier in the attempt

  3. Exam End Time Reached

    • When the exam's scheduled end time passes, any attempt still in progress is submitted automatically, even if your personal timer had time left

  4. Forced by an Administrator

    • Admins can force-submit an attempt from their dashboard
    • Contact your admin if you believe this was a mistake

Submission Issues

Cannot Submit Exam

Symptoms:

  • "Submit" button disabled or missing
  • Submission fails with error
  • Gets stuck on submission

Solutions:

  1. Early Submission Disabled

    • If the admin disabled early submission, you must wait for the timer to expire

  2. Unanswered Questions

    • Review the submission summary before confirming
    • Unanswered questions score zero

  3. Network Issues

    • Don't close browser during submission
    • Wait for confirmation message
    • Keep tab open until success

  4. Server Issues

    • Wait a moment and retry
    • Check internet connection
    • Contact admin if persists

Answers Not Saved

Symptoms:

  • Previous answers disappeared
  • Changes not reflected
  • Started over from beginning

Solutions:

  1. Prevention

    • Don't open exam in multiple tabs
    • Don't refresh page unnecessarily
    • Use navigation buttons, not browser back

  2. Recovery

    • Contact administrator immediately
    • Provide exam ID and details
    • May need manual evaluation

  3. For Future

    • Use stable internet connection
    • Keep exam tab active
    • Don't switch devices mid-exam

Results and Analytics Issues

Results Not Showing

Symptoms:

  • "Results not available" message
  • Empty results page
  • Cannot view score

Solutions:

  1. Processing Time

    • Wait a few minutes after submission
    • Results may need processing
    • Refresh page periodically

  2. Manual Evaluation Pending

    • If you attempted any coding question, your attempt is "partially evaluated" until an admin grades it
    • Your final score is withheld until then

  3. Still Waiting

    • Check the status badge on your dashboard
    • Contact your admin if it stays pending for an unusually long time

Incorrect Score Displayed

Symptoms:

  • Score doesn't match expectations
  • Points calculation seems wrong
  • Negative marking not applied correctly

Solutions:

  1. Verify Calculation

    • Check question-wise breakdown
    • Review negative marking percentage
    • Count correct/incorrect answers manually

  2. Understanding Scoring

    • Unanswered = 0 points
    • Correct = full points
    • Incorrect = negative points (if enabled)

  3. Report Discrepancy

    • Document the issue
    • Take screenshots
    • Contact admin with details

Rank Not Showing

Symptoms:

  • No rank displayed on results
  • Rank shows as "N/A"
  • Ranking section missing

Solutions:

  1. Feature Disabled

    • Ranking is off by default and must be enabled per exam by the admin
    • If it's off, no rank is shown to anyone

  2. Ranking Rules

    • Rank is ordered by score, with the faster completion time breaking ties
    • It only counts students who have submitted

Display and UI Issues

Layout Problems

Symptoms:

  • Overlapping elements
  • Text cut off
  • Buttons not visible

Solutions:

  1. Browser Zoom

    • Reset zoom to 100% (Ctrl+0 or Cmd+0)
    • Adjust zoom to comfortable level
    • Use browser zoom controls

  2. Screen Size

    • Maximize browser window
    • Use landscape mode on mobile
    • Increase screen resolution

  3. Browser Compatibility

    • Use Chrome, Firefox, or Edge
    • Update to latest version
    • Clear cache and reload

Dark Mode Issues

Symptoms:

  • Text hard to read
  • Colors appear wrong
  • Theme doesn't apply

Solutions:

  1. Toggle Theme

    • Click theme toggle button
    • Try switching between modes
    • Check if system theme interferes

  2. Browser Settings

    • Disable browser dark mode extensions
    • Check browser theme settings
    • Clear site data and reload

Images or Equations Not Rendering

Symptoms:

  • Math symbols show as code
  • Images don't load
  • Formatting is broken

Solutions:

  1. Wait for Loading

    • Large images may take time
    • Math rendering needs a moment
    • Don't rush through questions

  2. Browser Support

    • Ensure JavaScript is enabled
    • Update browser to latest version
    • Try different browser

  3. Content Issues

    • Report broken content to admin
    • Provide question ID
    • Include screenshot

Performance Issues

Slow Loading

Symptoms:

  • Pages take long to load
  • Laggy navigation
  • Delayed responses

Solutions:

  1. Internet Speed

    • Test connection speed
    • Close bandwidth-heavy applications
    • Use wired connection if possible

  2. Browser Optimization

    • Close unnecessary tabs
    • Clear cache and cookies
    • Disable heavy extensions

  3. Device Performance

    • Close background applications
    • Restart device
    • Free up RAM/memory

Platform Unresponsive

Symptoms:

  • Buttons don't work
  • Cannot navigate
  • Page frozen

Solutions:

  1. Wait and Retry

    • Give it a moment
    • Check if request is processing
    • Look for loading indicators

  2. Force Refresh

    • Hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R)
    • Clear cache and reload
    • Close and reopen browser

  3. Device Resources

    • Close other applications
    • Restart browser
    • Restart device if needed

Mobile-Specific Issues

Touch Problems

Symptoms:

  • Cannot select options
  • Buttons not responding
  • Scrolling doesn't work

Solutions:

  1. Touch Calibration

    • Clean screen
    • Remove screen protector if interfering
    • Test touch in other apps

  2. Browser Issues

    • Try different mobile browser
    • Update browser app
    • Clear app cache

Layout on Small Screens

Symptoms:

  • Content too small
  • Buttons overlap
  • Cannot see full content

Solutions:

  1. Orientation

    • Use landscape mode
    • Rotate device
    • Adjust zoom level

  2. Mobile View

    • Platform should auto-adjust
    • Refresh if layout is broken
    • Use mobile-optimized browser

Admin-Specific Issues

Cannot Create Exam

Symptoms:

  • Create button disabled
  • Form won't submit
  • Validation errors

Solutions:

  1. Permissions

    • Verify your email is in the reserved admin list
    • Sign out and back in after being added
    • Contact a super admin if the admin panel isn't visible

  2. Form Validation

    • Fill all required fields
    • Start time cannot be in the past
    • End time must be after the start time, and in the future

  3. Question Pool

    • Verify questions are available
    • Check markdown files exist
    • Ensure proper formatting

Questions Not Parsing

Symptoms:

  • Questions don't appear in the pool
  • A question's answer or solution is missing

Solutions:

  1. Syntax Check

    • Question headers must use the Qn: form, for example **Q1: Title** or ### Q1: Title
    • The problem body must start with **Problem**:
    • The answer must be on a single line starting with **Answer**:

  2. Code Blocks

    • Fenced code blocks must declare a language, e.g. ```python

  3. File Location

    • The file must be at content/companies/<company>/<folder>/questions.md

See the Contributing Guide for the full format.

Getting Additional Help

Before Contacting Support

Gather this information:

  1. User Details

    • Your email/username
    • Account type (student/admin)

  2. Issue Details

    • What were you trying to do?
    • What happened instead?
    • When did it occur?

  3. Technical Info

    • Browser and version
    • Operating system
    • Error messages (exact text)
    • Screenshots if possible

  4. Steps to Reproduce

    • List actions taken before error
    • Can you make it happen again?
    • Does it happen every time?

Contact Channels

  • Admin: Contact your institution's administrator
  • Technical Support: Use support email/form
  • Documentation: Review other doc sections
  • FAQ: Check common questions

Emergency During Exam

If critical issue during an active exam:

  1. Document Everything

    • Take screenshots
    • Note exact time
    • Record error messages

  2. Don't Close Browser

    • Keep exam tab open
    • System saves progress
    • May auto-recover

  3. Contact Immediately

    • Email admin right away
    • Provide all details
    • Explain impact on exam

  4. Follow Instructions

    • Wait for admin response
    • Don't attempt workarounds
    • Preserve evidence of issue

Found a problem with this page? Help us fix it.

Still stuck? Read the FAQ or the troubleshooting guide.