"Ah, excellent, it will take a while to set it up all, and of course, you will want a chance to properly prepare, so let us plan for the test first thing tomorrow morning. There are a few forms you will need to sign, mostly disclaimers giving the school legal protections as long as the test stays within it's normal bounds (administration insists on these; there is no getting around it),and the rest are to determine your rough capability level so that we can provide an appropriate level of challenge.
As for the limitations, while in the environments, you cannot interact with the creatures and they cannot interact with you. The only exception to this is creatures that you summon; you can communicate and interact with them as normal, and they can interact with the creatures in the environment. Magic will have the effects you would normally expect, though, once again, you cannot directly target any creatures other than your summons with your magic, nor will area of effect spells effect any creatures other than those you summoned. You, your familiars, and your eidolons still interact with the rest of the environment (the plants, gravity, etc), as normal, though if anything should happen to shape the environment in such a way as to kill you, the program would be stopped, or in your case, the effect will be removed as if it never happened.
If you trigger the guardians of the safe, it's battle, treat it accordingly; once you have all eight keys the environments will be deactivated at the same time you are given the final clues, so it will be a straight up fight against a reasonably challenging foe in a basic room. If you feel like you are getting in trouble, you can step out into the library, and the battle will be considered over. In the student's case, this will impact their grade; in your case, I promise that you will get paid regardless of the outcome, so really, if it comes down to it, feel free to end it without feeling shame. It's a test run; any result is beneficial to us. Also, if the guardians would deal a normally fatal blow, the program automatically ends, and the battle is over with you still standing.
Are there any other questions? I apologize for the paperwork, but it is a necessary evil, I'm afraid." She finishes up as she hands both of you a stack of papers she had pulled out of the many stacks of paper on her desk. Each one has a few basic aptitude and general knowledge tests, a basic questionaire about your capabilities, and standard disclaimer forms. It's clear that they take their precautions very seriously. There is also a voucher for up to 500 gp worth of goods from the on campus "store" should you wish to procure some potions or scrolls.
