You’ll find our calculators on many state, national, and international assessments. Practice with free calculators that are configured to match what students will see on test day at any time in our Test Mode app (which is available on Chromebooks, Android devices, iOS devices) or on our Testing page.
If you’re curious about how to use testing calculators on in-class assessments, learn more about your options based on the devices available in your classroom:
Test Mode on School-Managed Devices
School and district-level testing options tend to offer benefits like offline practice and the ability to lock student devices into a specific calculator, but they often require setup from administrators.
Chromebooks
Desmos currently offers a Desmos Test Mode app that allows for offline practice and testing using the built-in Kiosk Mode feature, which is available through the Google Education bundle for schools that use 1:1 Chromebook setups.
First-Time Setup for Google Administrators
Follow these steps to add the default Test Mode app to all school-managed devices:
Add the App by URL
- Sign into your Google Admin console and navigate to the Kiosks tab.
- Hover over the plus icon and choose Add by URL - enter https://chrome-test-app.desmos.com/chrome-test-app/stable/index.html.
- Click Save to add the app to Kiosks.
Add the Extension to Make it Work in Kiosk Mode
- Click the row for Desmos Test Mode to open its settings panel. Under Extensions, click Add extension, then add the Desmos Test Mode companion extension by ID: glgbmmalkgmehlikndaeamkehagichlm.
- Click Save.
If you’d prefer to use a unique link for your school so that students only have access to a specific calculator, please reach out to us at assessments@desmos.com and we’ll get back to you.
Still using the legacy Test Mode app?
The previous Desmos Test Mode Chrome app remains available in the Chrome Web Store as "Desmos Test Mode - Chrome App" and will continue to work on school-managed devices through the 2025–2026 school year. If you run into any issues, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at assessments@desmos.com.
Secure Browsers for Windows & Mac Devices
Secure browsers create locked-down environments that prevent students from accessing other applications or websites during an exam.
Respondus LockDown Browser: In Respondus, you can include a link to the Desmos calculators within an exam. For setup instructions, check out Respondus’s support article on Using the Desmos Calculator with LockDown Browser.
GoGuardian: GoGuardian lets you push the Desmos calculators directly to students’ devices and restrict browsing to approved sites only. Learn more about GoGuardian’s Teacher Commands.
Mobile Device Managers for iOS Devices
A mobile device manager (MDM) controls the entire device, allowing you to lock iPads into the Desmos Test Mode app for secure assessments.
Jamf: Jamf School Teacher supports secure testing on iPads. For setup instructions, see Jamf’s Secure Testing on iPads with Jamf School Teacher article.
Mosyle: Mosyle is another MDM option that focuses on iOS devices. Learn more at Mosyle.
If you are using something else, feel free to reach out to us at assessments@desmos.com, and we’ll see how we can help.
Test Mode on Student Devices
If school-managed device options aren’t available in your classroom, you can also have students use the free Desmos Test Mode apps on their iPhones, iPads, and Android devices for testing or practice.
These apps rely on the security features of the devices themselves. However, you can double-check that your students are working in Test Mode by confirming that the banner at the top of the screen matches the correct color: green for Graphing, purple for Scientific, and blue for Four-Function. A badge will also appear next to the Desmos logo.
iPhone and iPad Test Mode App
Our iPad and iPhone Desmos Test Mode app allows for offline practice. If you use the app in Test Mode, it will turn on Apple’s self-lock feature to prevent students from leaving the app while the calculator is in use.
To use the Apple Test Mode app on an assessment, have your students complete the following steps:
- Open the app and get started with one of the default calculators. Or, select Choose Assessment and then find your calculator.
- Select Start Test.
- Select Yes on the Confirm Apple Self-Lock pop-up.
- Select I’m Done to complete the test. Doing so will show a pop-up that includes how long the student was continuously in the app, as well as the start time.
- Select I’m Done again to confirm you’d like to end the test. Otherwise, select Continue Session to resume.
If you need help exiting the app after it’s been locked, learn how to restart the device from Apple Support, or contact us at support@desmos.com.
Android Test Mode App
Our Android Test Mode app app allows for offline practice. If you use the app in Test Mode, it will rely on Android’s pinning feature.
To use the Android Test Mode app on an assessment, have your students complete the following steps:
- Open your device settings.
- Disable WiFi on your device.
- Turn on Airplane Mode.
- Open the Test Mode app and get started with one of the default calculators. Or, select Choose Assessment and then find your calculator.
- Select Start Test.
- The app will automatically pin itself, and you’ll see directions for how to unpin it. Read more about pinning apps on Android Help.
- Select I’m Done to end the test. Doing so will show a pop-up that includes how long the student was continuously in the app, as well as the start time.
- Select I’m Done to confirm. Otherwise, select Continue Session to resume.
- Unpin the app.
Other Devices
If you use another device or platform, or have any questions about the options we’ve listed, send us a note at assessments@desmos.com. We’d love to hear more about your situation and see if we can help.