Index: openacs-4/packages/xowf/lib/inclass-exam-answer.wf
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/xowf/lib/inclass-exam-answer.wf,v
diff -u -r1.1.2.15 -r1.1.2.16
--- openacs-4/packages/xowf/lib/inclass-exam-answer.wf	26 Apr 2020 20:14:20 -0000	1.1.2.15
+++ openacs-4/packages/xowf/lib/inclass-exam-answer.wf	28 Apr 2020 16:39:03 -0000	1.1.2.16
@@ -283,8 +283,7 @@
   :plain_template $obj
 
   if {[$parent_obj state] eq "published" && [$obj state] ne "done"} {
-    set synchronized [$parent_obj property synchronized]
-    if {$synchronized eq ""} {set synchronized 0}
+    set synchronized [$parent_obj property synchronized 0]
     set target_time [::xowf::test_item::question_manager exam_target_time \
                          -manager $parent_obj \
                          -base_time [expr { $synchronized
Index: openacs-4/packages/xowf/tcl/test-item-procs.tcl
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/xowf/tcl/test-item-procs.tcl,v
diff -u -r1.7.2.54 -r1.7.2.55
--- openacs-4/packages/xowf/tcl/test-item-procs.tcl	26 Apr 2020 20:14:20 -0000	1.7.2.54
+++ openacs-4/packages/xowf/tcl/test-item-procs.tcl	28 Apr 2020 16:39:03 -0000	1.7.2.55
@@ -1603,6 +1603,7 @@
       #set form_info [:combined_question_form -with_numbers $wf]
       set form_info [::xowf::test_item::question_manager combined_question_form $wf]
       set answer_form_field_objs [:answer_form_field_objs -wf $wf $form_info]
+      set autograde [dict get $form_info autograde]
 
       set form_field_objs {}
       lappend form_field_objs \
@@ -1913,12 +1914,22 @@
       #
       # Accepted formats for target_time, determined by JavaScript
       # ISO 8601, e.g. YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.sss"
-
+      #
+      # Set current time based on host time instead of new
+      # Date().getTime() to avoid surprises, in cases, the time at the
+      # client browser is set incorrectly.
+      #
+      set nowMs [clock milliseconds]
+      set nowIsoTime [clock format [expr {$nowMs/1000}] -format "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S"].[format %.3d [expr {$nowMs % 1000}]]
+      
       template::add_body_script -script [subst {
         var countdown_target_date = new Date('$target_time').getTime();
         var countdown_days, countdown_hours, countdown_minutes, countdown_seconds;
         var countdown = document.getElementById('$id');
 
+        // adjust target time by the difference between the host and client time
+        countdown_target_date = countdown_target_date - (new Date('$nowIsoTime').getTime() - new Date().getTime());
+
         setInterval(function () {
           var current_date = new Date().getTime();
           var seconds_left = (countdown_target_date - current_date) / 1000;
@@ -2263,6 +2274,7 @@
       }
       set target_time [clock format [expr {$base_clock + $total_minutes*60}] \
                            -format %Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S]
+      ns_log notice "exam_target_time $base_time base clock $base_clock + total_minutes $total_minutes = ${target_time}.$secfrac"
       return ${target_time}.$secfrac
     }