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Overview
A Zoom Webinar Practice Session allows hosts, alternative hosts, and panelists to set up and get acquainted with webinar controls before going live. This guide walks you through enabling, starting, and broadcasting a Zoom Webinar Practice Session.
Applies to: Faculty Staff
💡 Good to Know
You can run a practice session days before the actual webinar. Starting, broadcasting, and ending a practice session will not impact your ability to start the webinar at the actual scheduled date and time. Attendees cannot join a practice session — only the host, alternative host, and panelists have access.
Step-by-Step Guide
Part 1: Enable the Practice Session
1 Sign In to the Zoom Web Portal
Access the Zoom web portal using your Columbia College credentials.
●Navigate to zoom.us and sign in with your institutional account.
2 Navigate to Webinars
Locate your scheduled webinar or create a new one.
●In the left navigation menu, click Webinars.
●Either schedule a new webinar or click the title of an existing scheduled webinar.
3 Enable the Practice Session Option
Turn on the Practice Session setting within the webinar's configuration options.
●Click Edit this Webinar.
●Scroll to the Webinar Options section and check the Enable Practice Session checkbox.
●Save your changes. The practice session option is now active for this webinar.
Part 2: Start the Practice Session
4 Start the Practice Session — Desktop Client
Launch the practice session directly from the Zoom desktop application before the scheduled start time.
●Sign in to the Zoom desktop client.
●In the Home or Meetings tab, locate your webinar and start it before the scheduled date and time.
●The host, alternative host, and panelists will see a banner at the top of the Zoom window confirming they are in Practice Mode.
5 Start the Practice Session — Web Portal
Alternatively, launch the practice session directly from the Zoom web portal.
●Sign in to the Zoom web portal and click Webinars in the navigation menu.
●Click the webinar that has a practice session enabled.
●Click Start Practice Session.
Part 3: Go Live from the Practice Session
6 Start Broadcasting the Webinar Live
When the host and panelists are ready, transition from the practice session to the live webinar to allow attendees to join.
●While in the practice session, locate the banner at the top of the Zoom window and click Start Webinar.
●Click Start to confirm and begin broadcasting live to attendees.
●The host and panelists will see the top banner update to confirm the webinar is now live.
⚠ One Practice Session at a Time
There can only be one active practice session per webinar. If the host starts a practice session and an alternative host also starts one, they will both be placed in the same shared practice session — not separate ones.
Support & Assistance
Get Help
Need additional assistance setting up or running a Zoom Webinar Practice Session?