Index: lams_tool_assessment/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/assessment/web/action/LearningAction.java
===================================================================
diff -u -rd154d92adbc4d7f3f3906fa918af4227a69ee403 -re0f0bfaf1b029e6241352c307a86381e9c5faf42
--- lams_tool_assessment/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/assessment/web/action/LearningAction.java	(.../LearningAction.java)	(revision d154d92adbc4d7f3f3906fa918af4227a69ee403)
+++ lams_tool_assessment/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/assessment/web/action/LearningAction.java	(.../LearningAction.java)	(revision e0f0bfaf1b029e6241352c307a86381e9c5faf42)
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.assessment.model.AssessmentOptionAnswer;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.assessment.model.AssessmentOverallFeedback;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.assessment.model.AssessmentQuestion;
-import org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.assessment.model.AssessmentQuestionOption;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.assessment.model.AssessmentQuestionResult;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.assessment.model.AssessmentResult;
 import org.lamsfoundation.lams.tool.assessment.model.AssessmentSession;
@@ -135,6 +134,10 @@
 	if (param.equals("checkLeaderProgress")) {
 	    return checkLeaderProgress(mapping, form, request, response);
 	}
+	if (param.equals("getSecondsLeft")) {
+	    return getSecondsLeft(mapping, form, request, response);
+	}
+	
 	// ================ Reflection =======================
 	if (param.equals("newReflection")) {
 	    return newReflection(mapping, form, request, response);
@@ -293,7 +296,7 @@
 	//time limit
 	boolean isTimeLimitEnabled = hasEditRight && !showResults && assessment.getTimeLimit() != 0;
 	long secondsLeft = isTimeLimitEnabled ? service.getSecondsLeft(assessment, user) : 0;
-	request.setAttribute(AssessmentConstants.ATTR_SECONDS_LEFT, secondsLeft);
+	sessionMap.put(AssessmentConstants.ATTR_SECONDS_LEFT, secondsLeft);
 	boolean isTimeLimitNotLaunched = (lastResult == null) || (lastResult.getTimeLimitLaunchedDate() == null);
 	sessionMap.put(AssessmentConstants.ATTR_IS_TIME_LIMIT_NOT_LAUNCHED, isTimeLimitNotLaunched);
 
@@ -489,7 +492,7 @@
 	    storeUserAnswersIntoDatabase(sessionMap, true);
 
 	    long secondsLeft = service.getSecondsLeft(assessment, user);
-	    request.setAttribute(AssessmentConstants.ATTR_SECONDS_LEFT, secondsLeft);
+	    sessionMap.put(AssessmentConstants.ATTR_SECONDS_LEFT, secondsLeft);
 	    
 	    // use redirect to prevent form resubmission
 	    ActionRedirect redirect = new ActionRedirect(mapping.findForwardConfig(AssessmentConstants.LEARNING));
@@ -500,6 +503,32 @@
     }
 
     /**
+     * Ajax call to get the remaining seconds. Needed when the page is reloaded in the browser to check with the server
+     * what the current values should be! Otherwise the learner can keep hitting reload after a page change or submit
+     * all (when questions are spread across pages) and increase their time!
+     * @return
+     * @throws JSONException 
+     * @throws IOException 
+     */
+    private ActionForward getSecondsLeft(ActionMapping mapping, ActionForm form, HttpServletRequest request,
+	    HttpServletResponse response)
+	    throws ServletException, IllegalAccessException, InvocationTargetException, NoSuchMethodException, JSONException, IOException {
+
+	IAssessmentService service = getAssessmentService();
+	String sessionMapID = WebUtil.readStrParam(request, AssessmentConstants.ATTR_SESSION_MAP_ID);
+	SessionMap<String, Object> sessionMap = (SessionMap<String, Object>) request.getSession()
+		.getAttribute(sessionMapID);
+	Assessment assessment = (Assessment) sessionMap.get(AssessmentConstants.ATTR_ASSESSMENT);
+	AssessmentUser user = (AssessmentUser) sessionMap.get(AssessmentConstants.ATTR_USER);
+	long secondsLeft = service.getSecondsLeft(assessment, user);
+	JSONObject JSONObject = new JSONObject();
+	JSONObject.put(AssessmentConstants.ATTR_SECONDS_LEFT, secondsLeft);
+	response.setContentType("application/x-json;charset=utf-8");
+	response.getWriter().print(JSONObject);
+	return null;	    
+    }
+
+    /**
      * Handling submittion of MarkHedging type of Questions (in case of leader aware tool).
      * @throws NoSuchMethodException 
      * @throws InvocationTargetException 
@@ -641,7 +670,7 @@
 
 	    // time limit feature
 	    sessionMap.put(AssessmentConstants.ATTR_IS_TIME_LIMIT_NOT_LAUNCHED, true);
-	    request.setAttribute(AssessmentConstants.ATTR_SECONDS_LEFT, assessment.getTimeLimit() * 60);
+	    sessionMap.put(AssessmentConstants.ATTR_SECONDS_LEFT, assessment.getTimeLimit() * 60);
 
 	    return mapping.findForward(AssessmentConstants.LEARNING);
 	}
@@ -1013,15 +1042,18 @@
 		if ((questionDto.getType() == AssessmentConstants.QUESTION_TYPE_ESSAY)
 			&& (questionDto.getMinWordsLimit() > 0)) {
 
-		    String answer = new String(questionDto.getAnswerString());
-
-		    boolean isMinWordsLimitReached = ValidationUtil.isMinWordsLimitReached(answer,
-			    questionDto.getMinWordsLimit(), questionDto.isAllowRichEditor());
-
-		    // check min words limit is reached
-		    if (!isMinWordsLimitReached) {
+		    if ( questionDto.getAnswerString() == null ) {
 			isAllQuestionsReachedMinWordsLimit = false;
 			break;
+			
+		    } else {
+			boolean isMinWordsLimitReached = ValidationUtil.isMinWordsLimitReached(questionDto.getAnswerString(),
+				questionDto.getMinWordsLimit(), questionDto.isAllowRichEditor());
+			// check min words limit is reached
+			if (!isMinWordsLimitReached) {
+			    isAllQuestionsReachedMinWordsLimit = false;
+			    break;
+			}
 		    }
 
 		}
Index: lams_tool_assessment/web/pages/learning/learning.jsp
===================================================================
diff -u -r839af8b148458fd7202f178fb52274dca01fc090 -re0f0bfaf1b029e6241352c307a86381e9c5faf42
--- lams_tool_assessment/web/pages/learning/learning.jsp	(.../learning.jsp)	(revision 839af8b148458fd7202f178fb52274dca01fc090)
+++ lams_tool_assessment/web/pages/learning/learning.jsp	(.../learning.jsp)	(revision e0f0bfaf1b029e6241352c307a86381e9c5faf42)
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 	<c:set var="isResubmitAllowed" value="${sessionMap.isResubmitAllowed}" />
 	<c:set var="hasEditRight" value="${sessionMap.hasEditRight}"/>
 	<c:set var="isTimeLimitEnabled" value="${hasEditRight && assessment.getTimeLimit() != 0}" />
+	<c:set var="secondsLeft" value="${sessionMap.secondsLeft}"/>
 	<c:set var="result" value="${sessionMap.assessmentResult}" />
 	<c:set var="isUserLeader" value="${sessionMap.isUserLeader}"/>
 	<c:set var="isLeadershipEnabled" value="${assessment.useSelectLeaderToolOuput}"/>
@@ -153,7 +154,18 @@
 					},
 					description: "<div id='countdown-label'><fmt:message key='label.learning.countdown.time.left' /></div>"
 				});
-			}
+				
+				<%--  double check if we have the correct number of seconds left in case user has clicked refresh --%>
+				$.ajax({
+		            url: '<c:url value="/learning/getSecondsLeft.do"/>',
+		            data: 'sessionMapID=${sessionMapID}',
+		            dataType: 'json',
+		            type: 'post',
+		            success: function (json) {
+		            		$('#countdown').countdown('option', 'until', json.secondsLeft+'S');
+		            }
+			   });
+			}		
 		</c:if>
 		
 		//autosave feature