bug: Timed assessment force-submit on timeout may not save latest code version

[enkr1]

Bug Description

During a timed practical exam (Apr 16), I let the timer run out instead of manually clicking Finalise. After the force-submit on timeout, the submitted code shown was not the latest version I had pasted. It appeared to be an older auto-saved version.

There is no confirmation or visibility into which version of the code was actually submitted, so it's impossible to tell whether auto-save captured the latest edits before force-submit fired.

What Happened

1. Completed all 4 tasks in a timed assessment (2-hour practical exam)
2. Pasted final code into the editor
3. Did not click Finalise, waited for the timer to expire
4. Timer expired, force-submit triggered automatically
5. Checked submitted code afterward, it was not the version I last pasted
6. Had to ask my professor to manually look at a specific answer version to get the correct one graded

What I Expected

• Auto-save should capture the latest editor state before force-submit
• After force-submit, the submitted code should match what was last in the editor
• There should be clear confirmation of exactly which version was submitted

Possible Areas to Investigate

• Auto-save frequency: How often does the client auto-save drafts? If there's a gap between last auto-save and force-submit, the latest edits are lost.
• Force-submit flow (timer.ts): Does the force-submit trigger a save of the current editor state before finalising, or does it just finalise whatever was last auto-saved?
• BUFFER_TIME_TO_FORCE_SUBMIT_MS (5 seconds): Is this buffer used to save before submitting, or just for the countdown display?

Impact

• I only got full marks (20/20) because my professor manually checked a specific answer version. Without that intervention, the wrong version would have been graded.
• For students who don't notice or don't ask, this could cause incorrect grading.
• Professors should not need to manually dig through answer versions because the platform submitted the wrong one.

Environment

• Coursemology production (coursemology.org)
• Timed assessment, 2-hour practical exam
• Apr 16, 2026

[enkr1]

Correction on impact: I got full marks only because I asked my professor to manually look at a specific version of my submission (Coursemology stores multiple answer versions via "All Answers"). Without that intervention, the auto-submitted version, which was not my final code, would have been graded instead.

This means the bug has real grading impact for students who don't notice or don't ask their instructor to check. Professors should not need to do this manually.