Safe Exam Browser System Requirements: What You Need

Before installing Safe Exam Browser, it is important to confirm that your device meets the necessary system requirements. SEB is a resource-light application, but its kiosk and security features rely on specific operating system capabilities. This guide lists the complete requirements for Windows, macOS, and iOS, including minimum and recommended specifications.

Windows System Requirements

Not supported: Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, Windows 10 32-bit, Windows ARM (limited, not officially supported), Windows Server editions.

macOS System Requirements

Not supported: macOS 11 Big Sur and earlier, macOS on PowerPC. SEB 3.6.1 is a universal binary and does not require Rosetta 2 on Apple Silicon.

iOS System Requirements

Note: iPhone is not an officially supported device for Safe Exam Browser on iOS. SEB for iOS is designed for iPad. Some institutions may also require an MDM-managed device for iOS deployment. Check with your IT department for details.

Network Requirements

Safe Exam Browser itself does not have special network requirements beyond what your exam platform needs. However, to ensure a smooth exam experience:

• Bandwidth: A minimum of 5 Mbps download speed is recommended per exam device. For media-rich exams with video content, 25 Mbps or more is advisable.
• Latency: A stable connection with under 100ms latency to the exam server provides the best experience. High-latency satellite connections can cause session timeouts on some LMS platforms.
• Firewall exceptions: Ensure your institution's firewall allows outbound HTTPS (port 443) to the exam server URL. SEB does not use any non-standard ports.
• VPN: Some VPN configurations may interfere with SEB's URL filtering or BEK calculation. Test with and without VPN if your institution uses one.
• Proxy: SEB respects the system proxy settings. If your network uses a proxy, configure it at the operating system level and SEB will use it automatically.

Additional Considerations

Virtual Machines

Running Safe Exam Browser inside a virtual machine (VMware, VirtualBox, Parallels, Hyper-V) is not recommended and may be detected and blocked by SEB's security settings if the administrator has enabled VM detection. Students should always use a physical machine for SEB exams.

Antivirus Software

SEB is compatible with all major antivirus and endpoint protection software. Occasionally, a newly released version may trigger a heuristic false positive until antivirus databases are updated. If your security software blocks SEB, add an exclusion for the SEB executable and verify the file hash matches the official release.

Multiple Monitors

SEB locks the primary display. External monitors may or may not be covered depending on the platform and configuration. For maximum security, exam policies typically require students to disconnect all external monitors before launching SEB.

Screen Recording and Remote Desktop Software

SEB can detect and block screen recording tools (such as OBS, Snagit, TeamViewer, AnyDesk) if configured to do so. Ensure these applications are terminated before SEB launches, or SEB's startup process may fail if it detects a forbidden application is running.