** NOTE: THESE PROCEDURES DO NOT COME INTO EFFECT UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1, 2013 **

1.0 Reason for Procedures

To set out Procedures secondary to the Policy entitled "Final Examinations and Final Grades" in connection with the method of conducting final examinations. A final examination is a test scheduled within an examination period which serves as the final evaluation of student performance in a course.¹


2.0 Procedures

2.1 Information Provided to Students

Within the first week of the academic term, students shall be informed of the method of evaluation to be used in each course, as specified in the Responsibilities of Academic Staff with Regard to Students Policy.

2.2 Examination General Regulations

2.2.1 Any test or tests, which have an aggregate value of more than 20% of the total value of the course may not be scheduled to take place during the fourteen (14) calendar days ending with the last day of classes in the term during the regular session as defined in the University General Calendar, or during the last two (2) classes of Summer Evening and the last three (3) classes for Summer Session (see Responsibilities of Academic Staff with regard to Students Policy).

2.2.2 No project or assignment may be announced during the periods outlined in section 2.2.1 unless contained in the course outline or syllabus required to be provided to all students in the course during the first week of classes (see Responsibilities of Academic Staff with Regard to Students Policy).

2.3 Final Examinations

2.3.1 No final examinations or the submission of take-home final examinations shall be scheduled to occur prior to the examination periods as described in the General Calendar except with the expressed joint consent of the Deans and Directors involved.

2.3.2 The weight of each question shall be clearly indicated on the examination paper.

2.3.3 The name of the instructor or course coordinator shall be clearly indicated on the examination paper.

2.3.4 Faculties, schools or academic units electing to use the services of the Registrar’s Office shall adhere to the regulations outlined in section 2.4 below.

2.4 Regulations for Examinations Administered by the Registrar’s Office

If a faculty, school, or academic unit elects to use the services of the Registrar’s Office to schedule and administer examinations, the following regulations shall apply:

a) Requests for examination scheduling must be submitted five (5) working days prior to the Revision Deadline for the term in which the course is offered.

b) Examinations shall be of one, two or three hours duration.

c) The faculty, school, or academic unit shall be responsible for supplying the number of examination invigilators as deemed necessary by the Registrar’s Office.

d) Examination question papers must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office ten (10) calendar days in advance of the examination.

e) The Registrar’s Office shall make a record of any issues arising during the conduct of examinations and bring any matters to Senate that it deems to be significant.

f) The responsibilities of invigilators (see section 2.7) shall apply for examinations administered by the Registrar’s Office.

2.5 Regulations for Examinations administered by Student Accessibility Services

Examinations administered by Student Accessibility Services are additionally regulated by the Accessibility for Students with Disabilities Policy.

2.6 Invigilation of Examination

2.6.1 The faculty, school, or academic unit shall supply such number of examination invigilators as is necessary. At a minimum, there shall normally be one invigilator for the first sixty (60) students and one additional invigilator for each fifty (50) students thereafter.

2.6.2 Invigilation of examinations shall normally be carried out by the instructor of record. In addition, university employees appointed as invigilators by a faculty, school, or academic unit[0] may assist.

2.6.3 An instructor must be available during the whole of his or her examination even though he or she is not invigilating that examination.

2.6.4 In view of the responsibilities with which a Chief Invigilator has been charged, selection of Chief Invigilators for large examination halls shall ensure that they are persons at a more senior rank than that of teaching assistants.

2.7 Responsibilities of Invigilators and Students

2.7.1 Prior to an Examination

a) Invigilators are required to report to the Registrar’s Office for examinations administered by the Registrar’s Office for supervisory duties not later than thirty minutes (one half hour) prior to the scheduled time for each examination. Examination material, supervisory lists, and the name of the invigilator in charge will be distributed.

b) At each seat in the examination room, the invigilator should place the appropriate material required for the examination.

c) The time of commencement of the examination shall be announced.

d) Each student shall display his or her student card and photo identification and shall sign an attendance form.

2.7.2 Conduct During Examination

a) Any student departing from accepted procedure during an examination must be reported immediately to the Chief Invigilator.

b) The Chief Invigilator shall allow the student to continue writing the examination except as noted in subsection 2.7.2(g).

c) The Chief Invigilator shall record the nature of the alleged infraction on the form provided by the Registrar’s Office.

d) The Chief Invigilator shall complete the introductory section of the form immediately and shall ask the student to sign at that point in order that the student provides positive identification.

e) The Chief Invigilator shall advise the student, when the identification portion of the form has been signed, of his or her right to submit a separate report on the circumstances of the incident to the Dean or Director of his or her faculty, school, or academic unit.

f) The Chief Invigilator shall ask that the student read the form containing full details of the incident by or at the close of the examination. The form, thus completed, shall be sent to the Registrar’s Office for distribution to the Dean or Director, to the student and to the invigilators involved in the incident.

g) Notwithstanding the above, in those cases in which the behaviour of a student is disruptive to others writing the examination, or to the conduct of that examination, the Chief Invigilator may, after due warning, require that student to cease writing the examination and leave the examination hall. For such cases the form provided by the Registrar’s Office must be completed, to the extent possible, in the manner outlined in the above paragraph.

h) The Chief Invigilator shall ensure that no student leaves the room without signing the roll and submitting a script. In addition:

i) No student shall be permitted to leave the examination room during the first thirty (30) minutes of an examination.

ii) No student shall be permitted to enter the examination room after at least one other student who is writing the same examination has left the examination room.

iii) A student who arrives to write an examination more than thirty (30) minutes after the start of the examination will not be permitted to write the examination.

iv) Any student who, due to late arrival, is not permitted to write an examination will be asked to complete the appropriate form and will then be advised to contact the Office of his or her Dean or Director not later than the next business day to discuss possible alternatives.

v) No student scheduled to write an examination in a centrally administered location who arrives late for the examination shall be permitted to write longer than the scheduled end-time for that examination. For those examinations not centrally scheduled, flexibility may be allowed at the discretion of the unit administering the examinations, but all students in a given course with commonly examined sections should have equal opportunities to take advantage of whatever flexibility is afforded.

vi) Should a technical irregularity occur in an examination, such as misprinted information or wrong instruction, invigilators supervising the same examination in other locations must be informed. The Registrar’s Office should be contacted immediately should this or other similar problems arise in an examination room.

vii) If a student becomes ill or receives word of a family emergency during the course of an examination and is unable to continue, the student must report at once to the Chief Invigilator, hand in the examination, and indicate either that they wish to submit their examination paper as: (1) completed; or (2) not completed and with the right to request a deferred examination. The Chief Invigilator must record all notifications. Students leaving an examination early in compliance with this section are eligible to apply for a deferred examination under the provisions outlined in section 2.1.2 of the Deferred and Supplemental Examinations Procedures. Only students who do not complete the examination and who notify the Chief Invigilator of the reason they cannot complete the examination shall be eligible to apply for a deferred examination.

Note: Documentation verifying the illness may be required.

2.7.3 At the Close of the Examination

a) The time of conclusion of the examination should be announced.

b) Every candidate must turn in an examination script before leaving the room to the invigilator located at the exit of the room.

c) A count must be made of the scripts by course number and balanced against the total for each course examination indicated on the nominal roll.

d) No student may be permitted to re-enter an examination room until all examination scripts have been collected.

e) The nominal roll must be returned to the Registrar’s Office at the conclusion of the examination session. Examination scripts may be either received by the instructor(s) concerned or be delivered to the Registrar’s Office.

2.8 Audio Visual Supports

The use of audio visual supports to display examination or test questions shall be prohibited with either of the following two exceptions:

a) Audio visual supports may be used to display examination questions where arrangements have been made to display all questions simultaneously for the entire examination period.

or

b) In courses where time limited identification is a legitimate and specified part of the examination process, the use of overhead or slide projectors, or other audio visual supports for display purposes shall be permitted.

Examinations using audio visual supports should not be scheduled with other examinations.

2.9 Unauthorized Materials in Examinations

Students are not permitted to access any unauthorized materials during an examination. This includes but is not limited to calculators, books, notes, pencil cases, or any electronic device capable of wireless communication and/or storing information (e.g. computer, dictionary, translator, cell phone, pager, PDA, mp3 units, etc.). However, students may bring in such materials or devices when permission has been given by the instructor.

2.10 Security

Students may store valuables and personal items under the desk or chair of the examination room but may not have access to these items during the examination. Items stowed under the desk or chair must not obstruct the aisles of the examination room. Students must ensure that all items required for the examination are placed on top of the desk prior to the start of the examination.

2.11 Posting Examination Answers

Answers to examination questions shall not be posted prior to the conclusion of the examination.

2.12 Student Access to Final Examinations

2.12.1 In order to allow proper feedback, students shall have an opportunity to read their own final examination script and any comments written on it prior to the deadline for a formal grade appeal, but only in the presence of the instructor or a staff member appointed by a faculty, school, or academic unit.

2.12.2 Notwithstanding section 2.12.1 above, there is no obligation upon the faculty, school, or academic unit to make machine-scored examination answer sheets available for consultation by students. It is expected that faculties, schools, and academic units will provide appropriate means of feedback to students in such circumstances and, where practicable, will encourage instructors to discuss selected questions and answers.

3.0 Accountability

3.1 The University Secretary is responsible for advising the President that a formal review of these Procedures is required.

3.2 The Vice-President (Academic) and Provost is responsible for the communication, administration and interpretation of these Procedures.

4.0 Review

4.1 Formal Procedure reviews will be conducted every ten (10) years. The next scheduled review date for these Procedures is September 1, 2023.

4.2 In the interim, these Procedures may be revised or rescinded if:

(a) the Approving Body deems necessary; or

(b) the relevant Bylaw, Regulation(s) or Policy is revised or rescinded.

5.0 Effect on Previous Statements

5.1 These Procedures supersede the following:

(a) all previous Board/Senate Procedures, and resolutions on the subject matter contained herein; and

(b) all previous Administration Procedures, and resolutions on the subject matter contained herein; and

(c) all previous Faculty/School Council Procedures stemming from the Faculty/School Council Bylaw and academic and admission Regulations and any resolutions on the subject matter contained herein.

6.0 Cross References

Responsibilities of Academic Staff with Regard to Students Policy

Final Examinations and Final Grades Policy

Accessibility for Students with Disabilities Policy

Deferred and Supplemental Examinations Procedures

Final Grades Procedures

¹ University of Western Ontario, Academic Handbook, Issued 2009 03