ls1intum · HannesHarbeck · Jul 31, 2026 · Jul 31, 2026 · Aug 1, 2026 · Aug 1, 2026
@@ -254,6 +254,7 @@ public ResponseEntity<ExamDTO> createExam(@PathVariable Long courseId, @RequestB
         if (examDTO.id() != null) {
             throw new BadRequestAlertException("A new exam cannot already have an ID", ENTITY_NAME, "idExists");
         }
+        checkExamTitleIsPresentElseThrow(examDTO.title());
 
         examAccessService.checkCourseAccessForInstructorElseThrow(courseId);
 
@@ -287,6 +288,7 @@ public ResponseEntity<ExamDTO> updateExam(@PathVariable Long courseId, @RequestB
         if (examUpdateDTO.id() == null) {
             throw new BadRequestAlertException("An exam update must have an ID", ENTITY_NAME, "idMissing");
         }
+        checkExamTitleIsPresentElseThrow(examUpdateDTO.title());
 
         examAccessService.checkCourseAndExamAccessForInstructorElseThrow(courseId, examUpdateDTO.id());
 
@@ -465,6 +467,7 @@ public ResponseEntity<ExamWideAnnouncementEventDTO> createExamAnnouncement(@Path
     public ResponseEntity<ExamImportResultDTO> importExamWithExercises(@PathVariable Long courseId, @RequestBody ExamImportDTO examImportDTO,
             @RequestParam(required = false) String importId) throws URISyntaxException, IOException {
         log.debug("REST request to import an exam : {}", examImportDTO);
+        checkExamTitleIsPresentElseThrow(examImportDTO.title());
 
         examAccessService.checkCourseAccessForInstructorElseThrow(courseId);
 
@@ -548,6 +551,18 @@ private void checkExamTitleLengthElseThrow(Exam exam) {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Checks that the exam title is present, so an exam is never created or updated with a missing or blank title. The client marks this too, but crafted requests and import
+     * payloads bypass the UI. This validates the raw request title before it is mapped to an entity, because {@link Exam#setTitle} would throw on a null title during mapping.
+     *
+     * @param title the exam title from the request
+     */
+    private void checkExamTitleIsPresentElseThrow(String title) {
+        if (title == null || title.isBlank()) {
+            throw new BadRequestAlertException("The exam title must not be empty.", ENTITY_NAME, "examTitleEmpty");
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Validates numeric field limits for exam configuration.
      * Maximum values:

@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ <h5 class="pb-1" jhiTranslate="artemisApp.examManagement.sections.configuration"
                     [hideChannelName]="hideChannelNameInput()"
                     [initChannelName]="isImport() || exam.id === undefined"
                 />
+                @if (!exam.title?.trim()) {
+                    <div class="text-state-danger text-sm mt-1 block" data-testid="title-validation-message" jhiTranslate="artemisApp.examManagement.titleMissingOrNotValid"></div>
+                }
             </div>
             <div class="form-group">
                 <div>

@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ describe('ExamUpdateComponent', () => {
         beforeEach(() => {
             examWithoutExercises = new Exam();
             examWithoutExercises.id = 1;
+            examWithoutExercises.title = 'Test Exam';
             course = new Course();
             course.id = 1;
             course.courseInformationSharingConfiguration = CourseInformationSharingConfiguration.COMMUNICATION_AND_MESSAGING;
@@ -146,6 +147,23 @@ describe('ExamUpdateComponent', () => {
             expect(component.exam.workingTime).toBe(0);
         });
 
+        it('should show the title validation message for a missing or whitespace-only title and hide it once a title is set', () => {
+            fixture.detectChanges();
+            const titleValidationSelector = By.css('[data-testid="title-validation-message"]');
+
+            const examWithBlankTitle = cloneDeep(component.exam);
+            examWithBlankTitle.title = '   ';
+            component.exam = examWithBlankTitle;
+            fixture.detectChanges();
+            expect(fixture.debugElement.query(titleValidationSelector)).not.toBeNull();
+
+            const examWithTitle = cloneDeep(component.exam);
+            examWithTitle.title = 'A valid exam title';
+            component.exam = examWithTitle;
+            fixture.detectChanges();
+            expect(fixture.debugElement.query(titleValidationSelector)).toBeNull();
+        });
+
         it('should validate the dates correctly', () => {
             examWithoutExercises.visibleDate = dayjs().add(1, 'hours');
             examWithoutExercises.startDate = dayjs().add(2, 'hours');
@@ -243,6 +261,7 @@ describe('ExamUpdateComponent', () => {
         it('should validate the example solution publication date correctly', () => {
             const newExamWithoutExercises = new Exam();
             newExamWithoutExercises.id = 2;
+            newExamWithoutExercises.title = 'Test Exam';
             component.exam = newExamWithoutExercises;
 
             const now = dayjs();
@@ -263,6 +282,7 @@ describe('ExamUpdateComponent', () => {
         it('should validate the exam summary publication date correctly', () => {
             const newExam = new Exam();
             newExam.id = 3;
+            newExam.title = 'Test Exam';
             component.exam = newExam;
 
             const now = dayjs();
@@ -802,6 +822,25 @@ describe('ExamUpdateComponent', () => {
             expect(button.disabled()).toBe(true);
         });
 
+        it('should disable the save button when the title is only whitespace', async () => {
+            examWithoutExercises.visibleDate = dayjs().add(1, 'hours');
+            examWithoutExercises.startDate = dayjs().add(2, 'hours');
+            examWithoutExercises.endDate = dayjs().add(3, 'hours');
+            examWithoutExercises.workingTime = 3600;
+            examWithoutExercises.title = '   ';
+
+            fixture.changeDetectorRef.detectChanges();
+            // Force the reactive form itself to report valid, so only the whitespace-only title can disable the save button
+            const ngForm = fixture.debugElement.query(By.directive(NgForm)).injector.get(NgForm);
+            vi.spyOn(ngForm.form, 'invalid', 'get').mockReturnValue(false);
+            fixture.changeDetectorRef.markForCheck();
+            await fixture.whenStable();
+
+            expect(component.isValidConfiguration).toBe(false);
+            const button = fixture.debugElement.query(By.directive(ButtonComponent)).componentInstance;
+            expect(button.disabled()).toBe(true);
+        });
+
         it('should open the confirmation dialog when dates changed for an ongoing exam', async () => {
             // Set up an ongoing exam
             examWithoutExercises.id = 1;

@@ -394,7 +394,16 @@ export class ExamUpdateComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
         return !!(this.exam.id && this.originalStartDate && this.originalEndDate && dayjs().isBetween(this.originalStartDate, this.originalEndDate));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns whether the exam title is present after trimming. The title input is required, but Angular's required validator
+     * accepts a whitespace-only value, so the trimmed check is needed to keep the save button in sync with the title validation message.
+     */
+    get isValidTitle(): boolean {
+        return !!this.exam.title?.trim();
+    }
+
     get isValidConfiguration(): boolean {
+        const examTitleValid = this.isValidTitle;
         const examConductionDatesValid =
             this.isVisibleDateSet && this.isStartDateSet && this.isValidStartDate && this.isEndDateSet && this.isValidEndDate && this.isValidVisibleDateValue;
         const examReviewDatesValid = this.isValidPublishResultsDate && this.isValidExamStudentReviewStart && this.isValidExamStudentReviewEnd;
@@ -406,6 +415,7 @@ export class ExamUpdateComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
         const examValidNumberOfExercises = this.isValidNumberOfExercises;
         const examValidGracePeriod = this.isValidGracePeriod;
         return (
+            examTitleValid &&
             examConductionDatesValid &&
             examReviewDatesValid &&
             examNumberOfCorrectionsValid &&

@@ -490,6 +490,7 @@
         "examManagement": {
             "reviewDatesInvalidWarning": "Das Ende der Klausureinsicht ist falsch definiert oder fehlt",
             "reviewDatesInvalidExplanation": "Ist ein Beginn der Klausureinsicht definiert, muss auch ein Ende definiert werden. Zusätzlich muss das Ende der Klausureinsicht immer nach dem Beginn datiert sein.",
+            "titleMissingOrNotValid": "'Titel' fehlt/ungültig",
             "sections": {
                 "configuration": "Klausurkonfiguration",
                 "conduction": "Klausurdurchführung",

@@ -490,6 +490,7 @@
         "examManagement": {
             "reviewDatesInvalidWarning": "End of Student Review is set incorrect or missing",
             "reviewDatesInvalidExplanation": "If the Begin of Student Review is set, the End of Student Review has to be set as well. Furthermore, the End of Student Review has to be chronologically after its Begin.",
+            "titleMissingOrNotValid": "'Title' is missing/invalid",
             "sections": {
                 "configuration": "Exam Configuration",
                 "conduction": "Exam Conduction",

@@ -651,6 +651,17 @@ public void putAndExpectError(String path, Object body, HttpStatus expectedStatu
         assertThat(response.getHeader(errorHeader)).isEqualTo(fullErrorKey);
     }
 
+    public void postAndExpectError(String path, Object body, HttpStatus expectedStatus, String expectedErrorKey) throws Exception {
+        final var jsonBody = mapper.writeValueAsString(body);
+        final var response = performMvcRequest(MockMvcRequestBuilders.post(new URI(path)).contentType(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON).content(jsonBody))
+                .andExpect(status().is(expectedStatus.value())).andReturn().getResponse();
+        restoreSecurityContext();
+
+        final var fullErrorKey = "error." + expectedErrorKey;
+        final var errorHeader = "X-" + APPLICATION_NAME + "-error";
+        assertThat(response.getHeader(errorHeader)).isEqualTo(fullErrorKey);
+    }
+
     public <T> T get(String path, HttpStatus expectedStatus, Class<T> responseType) throws Exception {
         return get(path, expectedStatus, responseType, new LinkedMultiValueMap<>());
     }

@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 import org.junit.jupiter.params.ParameterizedTest;
 import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.Arguments;
 import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.MethodSource;
+import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.NullSource;
 import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.ValueSource;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpStatus;
@@ -678,6 +679,55 @@ void testCreateExam_failsWithExamMaxPointsTooHigh() throws Exception {
         request.post("/api/exam/courses/" + course1.getId() + "/exams", ExamUpdateDTO.of(exam), HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST);
     }
 
+    @ParameterizedTest(name = "title=\"{0}\"")
+    @NullSource
+    @ValueSource(strings = { "", "   " })
+    @WithMockUser(username = TEST_PREFIX + "instructor1", roles = "INSTRUCTOR")
+    void testCreateExam_failsWithMissingOrBlankTitle(String title) throws Exception {
+        // A missing (null), empty or whitespace-only title has to be rejected with a clean 400, not persisted and not failing while mapping the null title to the entity
+        ObjectNode examJson = examBodyWithTitle(ExamUpdateDTO.of(ExamFactory.generateExam(course1, "examTitleValidationTest")), title);
+
+        request.postAndExpectError("/api/exam/courses/" + course1.getId() + "/exams", examJson, HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST, "examTitleEmpty");
+    }
+
+    @ParameterizedTest(name = "title=\"{0}\"")
+    @NullSource
+    @ValueSource(strings = { "", "   " })
+    @WithMockUser(username = TEST_PREFIX + "instructor1", roles = "INSTRUCTOR")
+    void testUpdateExam_failsWithMissingOrBlankTitle(String title) throws Exception {
+        ObjectNode examJson = examBodyWithTitle(ExamUpdateDTO.of(exam1), title);
+
+        request.putAndExpectError("/api/exam/courses/" + course1.getId() + "/exams", examJson, HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST, "examTitleEmpty");
+    }
+
+    @ParameterizedTest(name = "title=\"{0}\"")
+    @NullSource
+    @ValueSource(strings = { "", "   " })
+    @WithMockUser(username = TEST_PREFIX + "instructor1", roles = "INSTRUCTOR")
+    void testImportExam_failsWithMissingOrBlankTitle(String title) throws Exception {
+        ObjectNode examJson = examBodyWithTitle(ExamImportDTO.of(exam1, course1.getId()), title);
+
+        request.postAndExpectError("/api/exam/courses/" + course1.getId() + "/exam-import", examJson, HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST, "examTitleEmpty");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Serialises the given exam DTO and overwrites its title, so a missing (null), empty or whitespace-only title can be sent as a raw request body.
+     *
+     * @param examDto the exam create/update/import DTO to serialise
+     * @param title   the title to set, or null to omit it
+     * @return the request body as a JSON object with the adjusted title
+     */
+    private ObjectNode examBodyWithTitle(Object examDto, String title) {
+        ObjectNode examJson = request.getObjectMapper().valueToTree(examDto);
+        if (title == null) {
+            examJson.putNull("title");
+        }
+        else {
+            examJson.put("title", title);
+        }
+        return examJson;
+    }
+
     @Test
     @WithMockUser(username = TEST_PREFIX + "instructor1", roles = "INSTRUCTOR")
     void testCreateExam_failsWithGracePeriodTooHigh() throws Exception {