How and when to use the admin override that gives a learner additional attempts on an assessment beyond the retake policy.
Reset Attempts is an admin-only override. The retake policy you set in Assessment Settings governs how many attempts every learner gets by default. Reset Attempts gives a specific learner more attempts beyond that limit — without changing the policy for anyone else.
The override is useful, but it's not a substitute for a well-designed retake policy. If you find yourself resetting attempts frequently, the policy itself may need adjustment.
For the retake policy that governs everyone, see Assessment Settings. For the strategic frame on assessment design overall, see Assessments: Designing Knowledge Checks That Are Useful.
When to Use Reset Attempts
Reset Attempts fits situations where a specific learner needs extra attempts for a defined reason — not as a general workaround for the retake policy.
Technical issues. A learner's session crashed, browser closed mid-attempt, or upload failed. The attempt was consumed without a real chance to complete the assessment. Resetting restores the lost attempt.
Missed cohort or program window. A learner who was out during the original program window and needs to take it later. Resetting gives them a fresh set of attempts when they return.
Documented special circumstances. Medical leave, family emergency, or another verified exception that prevented the learner from using their attempts in a typical way.
Re-certification cycles. When a recurring program runs again (e.g., annual compliance recert) and a learner needs fresh attempts even though they used theirs during the prior cycle.
When Not to Use Reset Attempts
"Just one more try" requests without a defined reason. Granting reset on request without criteria erodes the retake policy. If a learner failed three attempts on a verification assessment, the assessment is doing its job — adding a fourth attempt undermines that.
As a workaround for an undersized retake limit. If most learners are running out of attempts, the retake policy is probably too tight for the assessment's difficulty. Adjust the policy in Assessment Settings rather than resetting one learner at a time.
For an entire cohort. If a cohort hit the limit together — usually due to an assessment problem or program issue — fix the underlying issue and reset in bulk through automation logic rather than per-learner resets.
How to Reset a Learner's Attempts
1. Open the Assessments list. Click Create in the left-hand navigation, then Assessments.
2. Open the Stats view for the assessment. Click the Stats icon next to the assessment the learner needs more attempts on.
3. Find the learner. Click the three dots next to the learner who needs their attempts reset.
4. Click Reset Attempts.
The learner now has a fresh set of attempts on this assessment. Previous attempt records remain in the assessment's history — reset doesn't erase prior scores, it just makes new attempts available.
Configuration Pitfalls
Resetting Without a Documented Reason. Reset Attempts has no built-in reason field. Track resets externally (in your program management tool or a simple log) so the team has visibility into who got resets and why. Without this, reset becomes inconsistent across admins and creates fairness questions.
Inconsistent Application Across Learners. Some admins reset on request, others require documentation. The inconsistency reduces trust in the assessment. Agree on the criteria for reset before the program goes live and apply them uniformly.
Treating Reset as a Fix for Bad Assessment Design. If a high percentage of learners are failing all their attempts, the issue is usually the assessment (unclear questions, mismatched difficulty, missing prerequisite content) — not insufficient attempts. Review the assessment before resetting at scale.
Not Telling the Learner. A learner who used their attempts and now sees fresh ones available — without explanation — may assume something is broken. A short message ("Your attempts have been reset because [reason]") closes the loop.
Confusing Reset With Retake Policy Change. Reset affects one learner. Adjusting the retake limit in Assessment Settings affects every future attempt by every learner. Use reset for the individual exception and policy adjustment for the systemic issue.
Where This Fits
You're here because a learner needs more attempts than the retake policy allows. The strategic decision — what the retake policy should be — lives in Assessment Settings. Use Reset Attempts for the cases the policy can't cover.
See Also
- Assessments: Designing Knowledge Checks That Are Useful — the strategic anchor.
- Assessment Settings — where the retake limit is set for everyone.
- Assessment Grader Settings — who can grade, including notification and SLA design.
- Assigning an Assessment — assignment paths and audience choice.
Reset Attempts is for the individual exception. The retake policy is for everyone else.