jupyterlab-anticheat 1.0.6

JupyterLab extension that blocks copy-paste in code cells to prevent cheating during exams

jupyterlab-anticheat

A JupyterLab extension that blocks copy-paste in code cells to prevent cheating during university programming exams. Students are required to type code manually, reinforcing genuine learning.

Features

• Blocks Ctrl+V / Cmd+V keyboard paste in code cells
• Blocks drag-and-drop of code into cells
• Blocks right-click → Paste from the context menu
• Shows a clear red notification message to the student
• Works in Anaconda JupyterLab and web-hosted JupyterLab (both run in a browser)
• Instructor can enable/disable via Command Palette or Settings
• Configurable block message via Settings

Installation

cd jupyterlab-anticheat
pip install -e .
jupyter labextension develop --overwrite .

See install.txt for full step-by-step instructions.

Instructor Controls

Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+C) and search for AntiCheat to:

• Enable paste blocking (Exam Mode)
• Disable paste blocking
• Toggle paste blocking

Settings

Go to Settings → Advanced Settings Editor → AntiCheat Exam Extension to configure:

• enabled — turn blocking on or off (default: true)
• message — customize the message shown when paste is blocked

How It Works

The extension registers event listeners at the document level using capture phase (addEventListener(..., true)), which means it intercepts events before JupyterLab's editor (CodeMirror) can process them. It checks whether the target element is inside a code cell and, if so, cancels the event and displays a notification.

Limitations

• A technically advanced student could open browser DevTools and disable the extension from the console. For high-stakes exams, combine with browser lockdown tools.
• Does not block paste in Markdown cells (intentional — Markdown editing is not exam content).

License

MIT