---
title: "What students see when they open an assignment"
description: "Follow the student path from your shared link to submission and saved results."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/help/teachers/assignments/student-assignment-access"
type: "teacher-help"
lastUpdated: "2026-09-03"
---

# What students see when they open an assignment

## Quick answer

A student opens the assignment link, signs in or creates a Fiveable account, joins the class when prompted, and selects Start assignment. They complete the sections, submit, and return to the same account to see results when your settings allow it.

## What to do

1. **Open the link**: The link loads the published assignment title and entry screen.

2. **Sign in**: Students use a Fiveable account so responses, attempts, and released results stay connected to the right person.

3. **Join the class when asked**: A class-specific link shows Join [class]. The student selects Join class before the assignment begins.

4. **Select Start assignment**: For a timed assignment, the timer starts now and cannot be paused. Students should be ready before they select Start assignment.

5. **Complete and submit**: Students move through the sections, review their work, and submit. Fiveable then follows the result-release and retake settings you chose.

   ![Student assignment view with a stimulus, an MCQ, Mark for Review, navigation, and a timer.](/img/teachers/student-question.jpg)

   *Students complete published work in an exam-style assignment view.*

## What students see

The assignment screen is modeled after the exam experience, with question navigation, Mark for Review, stimuli where needed, and a timer when you turned one on.

## If something is not working

### A student says the timer started too early.

The timer begins when the student selects Start assignment, not when they first open the link. A timed attempt cannot be paused after it starts.

### A student used the wrong account.

Have the student sign out and reopen the link with the correct account before starting a new attempt. Contact support before deleting any submitted work.

## Related guides

- [Fix an assignment a student cannot open, start, or submit](/help/teachers/assignments/fix-student-access): Check the link, sign-in, class, status, timing, and attempt limit in a useful order.
- [How automatic rostering works](/help/teachers/assignments/automatic-rostering): Understand when students are added to a Fiveable class from an assignment link.

## About This Document

Canonical Fiveable pages are available as Markdown at the same path plus `.md`.

- [llms.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms.txt): index of Fiveable's sections and URL patterns
- [llms-full.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms-full.txt): complete subject and unit listing
- [MCP server](https://fiveable.me/mcp): call Fiveable as tools instead of fetching pages (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp`)