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Alice Keeler

You Can Password Protect Google Forms

Password protect Google Forms to make it easier to restrict students from taking the quiz or survey until you're ready.
Password Protect a Google Form
You Can Password Protect Google Forms

In the era of digital education, tools like Google Forms have become indispensable for teachers, aiding in creating quizzes, surveys, and collecting feedback. However, the security of such digital platforms is a growing concern. While Google Forms lacks built-in password protection, teachers can ingeniously secure their forms using sections and question validation. This technique is essential not only for protecting sensitive student data but also for preserving the integrity of assessments. You can password protect Google Forms.

AI image of a teacher setting a password protect Google Forms

Hacking Forms

In order to password protect Google Forms you need to learn this hack.

Use validation on a required question. 

Toggle Off Accepting Responses

Google Forms allows you to toggle on and off accepting responses. However, sometimes you do not want to turn off responses but rather restrict who is filling out the Form.

As a teacher, I do not necessarily want students to access the form any time of the day. Students should not always be able to fill out the Form outside of class.

How to Password Protect Google Forms

Setting Up Your Google Form

Begin by designing your form to suit educational needs, whether for quizzes, surveys, or feedback.

Using Sections for Controlled Access

Discover how to divide your form into sections, using the first as a ‘password’ gatekeeper to control access to the rest of the form.

Adding a Password Question

Incorporate a question in the first section that acts as a password, allowing only those with the correct answer to proceed.

Applying Response Validation

Utilize the response validation feature to set the correct answer as the ‘password’, ensuring only intended respondents advance.

Create a Short Answer Question

Add a short answer question to your Google Form asking for the password. Note: The “answer key” does NOT set the password. The question should be worth zero points. You MUST make this question REQUIRED.

Password Protect Google Forms with the 3 Dots

Use the 3 dots in the bottom right of the question to choose “Response Validation.”

Choose Text Validation

Response validation requires the respondent to answer in a particular format in order to submit the Form. 

The default validation is “Number.” Click on the arrow to change from “Number” to “Text.” In the text spot, enter the password you want to set for the test. 

The format you want the student to respond with is the text password you set. 

Screenshot to change the data validation

Be sure to set “Custom error text” to be “Enter password” to prevent the automatic hint providing students the password.

Google Forms automatically save so you can simply change the word you have in the validation and the next person to open the Form and try to get past the first question will need your new password.

If students have started the Google Form and have entered the password and progressed past the password question you CAN change the password even if the students are not done with the Form.

Google Forms Icon
Learn More About Google Forms from Teacher Tech
Screenshot of the floating toolbar create a section to password protect Google Forms

The last icon in the floating toolbar is to “Create a section.” This essentially creates pages in your Google Form. 

Create a Section

You will want to create sections to password protect Google Forms. This prevents students from seeing the questions, but still able to acess the Form.

In order for the password to prevent students from filling out the Google Form you need to have “What is your password” be the ONLY question in the section. If they get the password correct they will be permitted to fill in other questions such as “What is your name.” But those need to be in a separate section.

Add Additional Questions

In the next section, add the questions for the assessment or survey. By having the questions in a subsequent section, the questions will not be available to the student until they correctly enter the password. 

Use the Add-on Quiz Helper by AliceKeeler to quickly set up your Google Forms to administer quizzes. 

Create feedback reports for students.

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