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You cannot set a time limit for an entire assessment. Time limits apply at the test or question level, depending on the test type. Equip library content has fixed timers; only Custom Tests let you control them.

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How Time Limits Work

An Equip assessment (for example, Python Developer) is a set of tests, and each test contains one or more questions. A quiz may have many MCQs, while a programming challenge has a single problem. See Assessments, Tests, Questions: The Hierarchy for a refresher. Time limits are never set on the assessment itself. Depending on the test type, the timer lives either on each question or on the test as a whole. Here is an example assessment with two tests: In Test 1, each MCQ has its own timer and there is no whole-test timer. In Test 2, the single programming problem is governed by one test-level timer.
Because every Equip question carries a timer, the builder shows an Estimated Assessment Duration in the Test Order tab. See Assessment Duration for how that estimate is calculated.

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Time Limits by Test Type

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Equip Library vs Custom Tests

If a test uses Equip Content, its time limits are fixed. You cannot lengthen or shorten Equip’s timers, even if they feel too generous or too tight for your role. To control timers yourself, create a Custom Test and select My Content when adding a test. Custom tests let you set the timer on each question or on the whole test, depending on the display mode. For custom quizzes specifically, the display mode decides where the timer goes: one-by-one quizzes use per-question timers only, and all-at-once quizzes use a single whole-test timer. See Time Limits on Custom Quizzes for details.

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Setting a Start Time Window

While you cannot cap when an assessment must end, you can control when candidates are allowed to start it. Use the Cannot Start Before and Cannot Start After settings, either one or both.
1

Open Assessment Settings

From the Recruiter Dashboard, open Assessment Settings for your assessment, then go to the Settings tab.
2

Set the window

In the Timer section, enable Cannot Start Before and/or Cannot Start After, then pick a date and time for each.
3

Save

Save the assessment. Candidates can now begin only within this window.
For example, you can require candidates to start between 11:00 AM and 11:15 AM on a given day. Once a candidate starts, the time they actually have depends on the question and test timers inside the assessment.
The times you pick are interpreted in your local time zone as the recruiter.

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What Happens When Time Runs Out

Candidates see a persistent time-remaining display while taking a test, so the countdown is always visible. In one-by-one quizzes, candidates cannot return to earlier questions, so time spent on a question is final.
You cannot control the time by which an assessment must end. Candidates may take a break between tests, so only the start window is enforceable. If you need a hard overall cap, such as 45 minutes, use a single test with a 45-minute duration; with two or more tests, the end time cannot be pinned down.
If a candidate faces a system or internet issue mid-test, how the timer is affected depends on the test type. See Resume Your Attempt for how interrupted attempts are handled.