STUDENT GUIDE TO EXAMINATIONS April 2019 Examinations Office examgeneralenquiries@dmu.ac.uk April 2019
Introduction Exams form part of the assessment of each module and are scheduled by the Exams Office. This guide is designed to help students understand more about the exams process, how to prepare for exams, what to bring and what material is classed as unauthorised in an exam. Exam Timetable Exams are scheduled throughout the year and you are required to be available to sit your exam course handbooks give details about the number and length of exams to expect The main undergraduate exam schedule is in May and is normally published the first week of March. The main resit period is normally in the second two weeks of August. All other exam schedules are throughout the year. It is the responsibility of all exam candidates to know: What exams you need to sit The date, time and venue of the exam(s) Exam timetables are subject to change as occasionally exams are cancelled, added or relocated so you need to check and double check the exam timetable regularly to be aware of changes that affect you. You can access the Exam Schedule on my.dmu.ac.uk and clicking the Exam Schedule tile: Exam Venues Exams are held across the campus, typically in The Venue, Watershed, Campus Centre, Clephan, Gateway or Queens Buildings you may have an exam in an unfamiliar building so make sure you know how long it takes to walk there, so you don t lose any time on the day. Large exams may be split across different buildings this alpha split means the same exam is in different venues so you need to check if there is an alpha split and go to the building assigned to your surname. Before an Exam Exams can be stressful and you are encouraged to devote sufficient time to revision so that you feel as prepared as possible. A range of revision support resources is available in your Faculty and in the Kimberlin Library. 1
On the Day Aim to arrive at least 20 minutes before the start of the exam. If you arrive 15 minutes after the exam has started you will not be permitted to enter the exam room. Essential items to bring: Pens, pencils and an eraser bring spares! Student ID Card the photo must be clear and not defaced You are permitted to bring a drink in a clear bottle with all labels removed Unauthorised items that you are not permitted to have on your person during the exam are: Revision notes, of any form - you will be asked to check your pockets to be sure you don t have any notes on your person, this includes blank scrap paper Notes written on your hands, arms or any part of the body Revision books or your own dictionary (in an open exam there will be specific books you are allowed to bring with you) Hot drinks/food Pencil cases (unless transparent), glasses cases, calculator cases Ear/headphones Phones, smart watches/trackers/data storage devices including programmable calculators Bags, Coats and Belongings Coats and bags are stored at the front or back of the room (as instructed by the invigilators). The Exams Office and Invigilator staff cannot accept responsibility for your personal belongings so please bring only essentials with you. Coats, outerwear, hats or scarves cannot be worn during your exam so think about wearing light layers that can be removed if the room is warm. Clothing can t be hung on the backs of chairs so if you remove any clothing during the exam the invigilator will put it with your other belongings. Students wearing a veil will be required to confirm their identity; this will take place discretely in an area away from others before the exam takes place. Entry to the Exam Room Invigilators will direct students to into the room and particular rows and seats, there may be different exams in one room and for larger exams it can take some time to seat each student. Entrance into the exam room can be a little formal, as exam conditions begin as soon as you enter the room and students cannot talk or communicate in any way with eachother, this includes speaking, texting or any form of signalling. 2
Mobile Phones, Smart Watches, Data Storage Devices Mobile phones and any form of data storage/internet enabled device is unauthorised material in an exam room and you are not permitted to have these with you on your person during the exam. Attempts to access these during the exam will be reported to the Faculty as an academic offence. On entering the exam room you will be asked to switch off mobile phones and data storage devices and place them in the plastic bag provided and then on the floor under the desk. It is an academic offence to access unauthorised materials and where you are found to be in possession of these during an exam the items will be confiscated by the invigilators, even if you have no intention to use them. So to avoid any problems just switch all devices off and place in the plastic bag before the start of the exam. Use of Calculators Unless specifically prohibited, students may use an electronic calculator which performs the standard arithmetic functions of addition, division, calculation of percentages. Students are not permitted to use a programmable calculator which can store text information, data and formulae or performs any function other than those which are purely numeric, unless this is specifically allowed in the exam. Your course leaders can answer questions about specific models being permitted in the exam. Use of Dictionaries A Concise Oxford Dictionary will be available which you can ask to use to clarify the definition of a word (unless prohibited for the exam) but cannot repeatedly use in the exam. Excessive dictionary use for one candidate may lead to requests being refused. Invigilators Invigilators manage the running of exams, overseeing student conduct and ensuring exam conditions and regulations are applied to all students. Invigilators control entrance into the room, put out exam papers and officially start/close the exam. Invigilators will report any incidents to the Exams Office. Before the exam starts, the invigilator will make announcements which are instructions about the exam. It is important to listen carefully even though you may have heard them before. Raise your hand if you need to speak to an invigilator. Interruptions of Exams Exams may be interrupted, e.g. to notify students of a paper correction or to evacuate the building. In the event of an evacuation, exam conditions remain and students cannot communicate with eachother and must follow the evacuation instructions of the invigilators. Any time lost due to an evacuation will be added to the length of exam. 3
End of Exam & Leaving the Exam Room Raise your hand if you have finished the exam and want to leave as the invigilator will need to collect your completed work. To avoid disturbance to others, you cannot leave the exam in the first hour or last 15 minutes of the exam. The invigilator will announce when there is 15 minutes until the end of the exam and students cannot leave the exam room at this point until the exam is finished. The end of the exam will be confirmed by the invigilator and you must stop writing. Invigilators will collect the exam papers and it is your responsibility to ensure your name and exam details are completed on the front of the exam book. Invigilators can have hundreds of answer books to collect and account for so please be patient whilst this is done. You are not permitted to talk or communicate with eachother whilst this happens. Invigilators will confirm when students can leave the exam room. Individual Exam Arrangements Individual Exam Arrangements are put in place where students require adjustments to their exam. The arrangement must be confirmed through the assessment interview with the Disability Advice and Support team in advance of the exam and within the published deadlines. Adjustments will only be in place that are specifically confirmed with the disability team and amendments must confirmed through a further appointment with the disability team. Students with a confirmed Individual Exam Arrangement will receive email notification from the Exams Office confirming the details and should not attend any other exam venue. Academic Offences Any attempt to cheat or gain advantage in an exam is reported to the Faculty as an Academic Offence. Invigilators patrol, observe and monitor students and will report any concerns to the Principal Invigilator in relation to a suspected academic offence, including where a student is found to have access to unauthorised material (including during a break/toilet visit) even if the material isn t used. Academic Offences include but are not limited to:! Having notes, or any other information on or near the desk or on a candidate s person (such as written on the body) which are not allowed in the examination, whether a candidate uses it or not! Having a mobile phone, smart watch or data storage/internet enabled device on your person during an examination including programmable calculators (where not expressly permitted) or electronic dictionaries! Copying from the exam script of another candidate! Helping another candidate, including attempting to communicate by oral, electronic, written or signalling means 4
Summary and Checklist Before the exam What to bring on the day Check Exam Timetable on MyDMU it s subject to change so you need to check it regularly and just before your exam You must bring your own pens, pencils, eraser and spares invigilators cannot loan stationery to students Make sure you know where the exam location is, it might be in a building you are not familiar with and take an extra few minutes to get there Arrive at least 20 minutes before the start of the exam, you will not be allowed into the exam room 15 minutes after the start of the exam Phones, smart watches, fitness trackers, mp3 players and any data storage device: none of these are permitted on your person. Switch off everything and place in the plastic bag on the desk. Any student found with these items on their person will be reported to the Faculty who will treat it as an academic offence so please just switch everything off and place in the bag! When you enter the exam room you are under exam conditions and cannot communication with other students You will be asked to leave your coat and bag near the door outerwear is not permitted and clothing cannot be hung on the chair Invigilators will read out instructions about the exam, listen carefully and raise your hand if you have a question Ear/headphones of any description are not allowed Drinks you can bring a drink in a clear plastic container with all labels removed Programmable calculators are not permitted in the exam unless approved by the Faculty if in doubt check with the Faculty office Bring your Student ID card which should be clear and the photo not defaced You are not permitted to bring in revision notes of any format or blank paper. You are not allowed any writing on your body whether its linked to the exam or not 8