diff --git a/custom_addons/encoach_ai/controllers/ai_controller.py b/custom_addons/encoach_ai/controllers/ai_controller.py
index fdfeca8b..316c8fb0 100644
--- a/custom_addons/encoach_ai/controllers/ai_controller.py
+++ b/custom_addons/encoach_ai/controllers/ai_controller.py
@@ -1372,7 +1372,7 @@ class AIController(http.Controller):
             except KeyError:
                 return _json_response({"error": "encoach.exam.custom model not available"}, 500)
 
-            initial_status = "published" if skip_approval else "draft"
+            initial_status = "published" if skip_approval else "pending_approval"
             exam_vals = {
                 "title": title,
                 "label": label,
@@ -1558,11 +1558,46 @@ class AIController(http.Controller):
                     quality_summary["failed"], quality_summary["warned"],
                 )
 
+            # ── Route through the approval workflow ────────────────────────
+            # If the admin selected an approval workflow AND did not click
+            # "skip approval", create a real ``encoach.approval.request`` that
+            # lands in the first stage approver's queue. QA flagged that
+            # submitted modules were invisible to the assigned approver —
+            # before this block the exam was just left in ``draft`` with
+            # ``approval_workflow_id`` set but no request record routing it.
+            approval_request_id = False
+            if not skip_approval and workflow_id:
+                try:
+                    Workflow = request.env["encoach.approval.workflow"].sudo()
+                    workflow = Workflow.browse(workflow_id)
+                    if workflow.exists() and workflow.stage_ids:
+                        first_stage = workflow.stage_ids.sorted("sequence")[:1]
+                        approval_req = request.env["encoach.approval.request"].sudo().create({
+                            "workflow_id": workflow.id,
+                            "res_model": "encoach.exam.custom",
+                            "res_id": exam.id,
+                            "state": "in_progress" if first_stage else "draft",
+                            "requester_id": request.env.user.id,
+                            "current_stage_id": first_stage.id if first_stage else False,
+                        })
+                        approval_request_id = approval_req.id
+                        _logger.info(
+                            "created approval.request %s for exam %s (workflow %s, stage %s)",
+                            approval_req.id, exam.id, workflow.id,
+                            first_stage.id if first_stage else None,
+                        )
+                except Exception:
+                    _logger.exception(
+                        "failed to create approval request for exam %s workflow %s",
+                        exam.id, workflow_id,
+                    )
+
             return _json_response({
                 "exam_id": exam.id,
                 "status": exam.status,
                 "template_id": template_id,
                 "total_questions": total_questions,
+                "approval_request_id": approval_request_id,
                 "quality": quality_summary,
                 "schema_validation": {
                     "verdict": schema_report["verdict"],
diff --git a/custom_addons/encoach_exam_template/controllers/approval_workflows.py b/custom_addons/encoach_exam_template/controllers/approval_workflows.py
index 22237ef7..68f9aa32 100644
--- a/custom_addons/encoach_exam_template/controllers/approval_workflows.py
+++ b/custom_addons/encoach_exam_template/controllers/approval_workflows.py
@@ -57,17 +57,33 @@ def _ser_workflow(wf):
 
 def _ser_request(req):
     stage = req.current_stage_id
+    # Resolve target record so the UI can show "what am I approving?"
+    # rather than an opaque id.
+    target_name = ''
+    target_status = ''
+    if req.res_model and req.res_id:
+        try:
+            target = request.env[req.res_model].sudo().browse(req.res_id)
+            if target.exists():
+                target_name = getattr(target, 'title', '') or getattr(target, 'name', '') or ''
+                target_status = getattr(target, 'status', '') or ''
+        except (KeyError, AttributeError):
+            pass
     return {
         'id': req.id,
         'workflow_id': req.workflow_id.id or None,
         'workflow_name': req.workflow_id.name if req.workflow_id else '',
         'res_model': req.res_model or '',
         'res_id': req.res_id or 0,
+        'target_name': target_name,
+        'target_status': target_status,
         'state': req.state or 'draft',
         'requester_id': req.requester_id.id or None,
         'requester_name': req.requester_id.name if req.requester_id else '',
         'current_stage_id': stage.id or None,
         'current_stage_sequence': stage.sequence if stage else None,
+        'current_stage_approver_id': stage.approver_id.id if stage and stage.approver_id else None,
+        'current_stage_approver_name': stage.approver_id.name if stage and stage.approver_id else '',
         'bypass_reason': req.bypass_reason or '',
         'created_at': req.created_at.isoformat() if req.created_at else None,
     }
@@ -234,6 +250,16 @@ class ApprovalWorkflowController(http.Controller):
                 methods=['GET'], csrf=False)
     @jwt_required
     def list_requests(self, **kw):
+        """List approval requests.
+
+        Query params:
+        * ``state`` — filter by request state
+        * ``workflow_id`` — filter by workflow
+        * ``mine=1`` — only requests currently awaiting the calling user
+          (current_stage.approver_id == me). Used by the "My approvals"
+          queue so approvers see exactly what's on their plate.
+        * ``requester=1`` — only requests the calling user submitted
+        """
         try:
             M = request.env['encoach.approval.request'].sudo()
             domain = []
@@ -241,6 +267,14 @@ class ApprovalWorkflowController(http.Controller):
                 domain.append(('state', '=', kw['state']))
             if kw.get('workflow_id'):
                 domain.append(('workflow_id', '=', int(kw['workflow_id'])))
+            if kw.get('mine') in ('1', 'true', True):
+                uid = request.env.user.id
+                domain += [
+                    ('current_stage_id.approver_id', '=', uid),
+                    ('state', 'in', ('draft', 'in_progress')),
+                ]
+            if kw.get('requester') in ('1', 'true', True):
+                domain.append(('requester_id', '=', request.env.user.id))
             recs = M.search(domain, order='created_at desc, id desc')
             items = [_ser_request(r) for r in recs]
             return _json_response({
@@ -296,6 +330,16 @@ class ApprovalWorkflowController(http.Controller):
                     })
                 else:
                     req_rec.write({'state': 'approved'})
+                    # Last stage passed — publish the underlying record.
+                    # Today this is always an exam; guard defensively so
+                    # other res_models don't raise.
+                    if req_rec.res_model == 'encoach.exam.custom' and req_rec.res_id:
+                        try:
+                            target = request.env['encoach.exam.custom'].sudo().browse(req_rec.res_id)
+                            if target.exists() and target.status in ('draft', 'pending_review', 'pending_approval'):
+                                target.write({'status': 'published'})
+                        except Exception:
+                            _logger.exception('failed to publish exam %s on final approval', req_rec.res_id)
 
             return _json_response({'success': True, 'id': req_id,
                                    'state': req_rec.state})
@@ -327,6 +371,14 @@ class ApprovalWorkflowController(http.Controller):
                         'acted_at': datetime.now(),
                     })
                 req_rec.write({'state': 'rejected'})
+                # Mark the underlying exam rejected so the author can see it.
+                if req_rec.res_model == 'encoach.exam.custom' and req_rec.res_id:
+                    try:
+                        target = request.env['encoach.exam.custom'].sudo().browse(req_rec.res_id)
+                        if target.exists():
+                            target.write({'status': 'rejected'})
+                    except Exception:
+                        _logger.exception('failed to mark exam %s rejected', req_rec.res_id)
             return _json_response({'success': True, 'id': req_id,
                                    'state': req_rec.state})
         except Exception as e:
@@ -339,18 +391,33 @@ class ApprovalWorkflowController(http.Controller):
                 methods=['GET'], csrf=False)
     @jwt_required
     def list_users(self, **kw):
+        """Return users eligible to act as approvers.
+
+        Explicitly excludes:
+        * inactive users, ``__system__`` (id=1), the portal template user, and
+          any ``op.student`` mirrored account (``op_student_id`` set)
+        * users with ``user_type='student'`` — students must never be
+          approvers; QA flagged student logins appearing in the picker.
+        """
         try:
             Users = request.env['res.users'].sudo()
-            domain = [('active', '=', True), ('id', '>', 1)]
+            domain = [
+                ('active', '=', True),
+                ('id', '>', 1),
+                ('share', '=', False),
+                '|', ('user_type', '=', False), ('user_type', '!=', 'student'),
+                ('op_student_id', '=', False),
+            ]
             search = (kw.get('search') or '').strip()
             if search:
                 domain += ['|', ('name', 'ilike', search), ('login', 'ilike', search)]
-            recs = Users.search(domain, order='name', limit=100)
+            recs = Users.search(domain, order='name', limit=200)
             items = [{
                 'id': u.id,
                 'name': u.name or u.login,
                 'login': u.login or '',
                 'email': u.email or '',
+                'user_type': u.user_type or '',
             } for u in recs]
             return _json_response({'items': items, 'results': items, 'total': len(items)})
         except Exception as e:
diff --git a/custom_addons/encoach_exam_template/models/exam_custom.py b/custom_addons/encoach_exam_template/models/exam_custom.py
index a56c74b2..575142a3 100644
--- a/custom_addons/encoach_exam_template/models/exam_custom.py
+++ b/custom_addons/encoach_exam_template/models/exam_custom.py
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ class EncoachExamCustom(models.Model):
     status = fields.Selection([
         ('draft', 'Draft'),
         ('pending_review', 'Pending Review'),
+        ('pending_approval', 'Pending Approval'),
+        ('rejected', 'Rejected'),
         ('published', 'Published'),
         ('archived', 'Archived'),
     ], default='draft', required=True)