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Examinations Policy

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Section 1 - Purpose and Context

(1) The University recognises assessment is an essential part of the teaching and learning process and conducts Final Examinations as a summative assessment component within some subjects.

(2) This policy provides the principles for Final Examinations. Schools and other University partner providers also conduct examinations and should adopt the same principles. It is expected that local practices may vary, but the same principles will apply.

(3) This policy and Examinations Procedures should be read in conjunction with the Disability Policy, Assessment Policy, Curriculum Design and Approvals PolicyCurriculum Approval Procedures, Records and Archives Management Policy, Disruption to Studies Policy, Student Code of Conduct, and Student Misconduct Rule.

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Section 2 - Definitions

(4) The following definitions apply for the purposes of this policy:

  1. Deferred Exam means a Final Examination conducted after the timetabled final examination due to a student's serious misadventure, accident or other extenuating circumstances.
  2. Director, Academic Program (DAP) means the Director, Academic Program for both on campus and online programs or Academic Director, or equivalent, at a partner provider.
  3. Exam types include but are not limited to:
    1. Online Invigilated Exams - Exams run in the Formal Examination Period delivered via the University's Learning Management System (LMS) and include the use of an online invigilation service or software product provided by the University's online invigilation partner. 
    2. Online Non-Invigilated Exams – Exams run in the Formal Examination Period delivered via the LMS.
    3. Take-Home Exam – A timed exam that may be completed and submitted online within a period of one or more days.
    4. Face to Face invigilated exams on campus - Assessment that is centrally coordinated and invigilated and occurs at the end of a term during the Formal Examination Period on campus.
    5. Practical Exam - A demonstration of technical/professional skills invigilated by the School during the Formal Examination Period.
    6. Viva Voce – A verbal explanation/account of a topic, problem or task conducted face to face or online.
  4. Final Examination means an examination that takes place during the Formal Examination Period at the end of a term.
  5. Online Exam means an exam that is completed in the LMS and may or may not include invigilation by the University's online invigilation partner. 
     
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Section 3 - Policy Statement

(5) The University conducts Final Examinations to:

  1. moderate and validate the student's continuous assessment performance;
  2. assess the extent to which the student has achieved learning outcomes being assessed;
  3. satisfy the requirements of relevant external bodies, e.g. professional associations, who stipulate that a certain component of particular programs must be assessed under specific examination conditions.

(6) Final Examinations must be a valid component of a subject's assessment regime, which must be fit for the purpose of testing the student's achievement of relevant Subject Learning Outcomes listed in the Learning Guide for the subject.

(7) Deans of Schools, or equivalent:

  1. have overall accountability for the preparation of Final Examination and Deferred Exam papers for the subjects offered by their School and must ensure the examination papers are fit for purpose and are written in clear and unambiguous language. This includes building and deploying the exam in the LMS where the exam is to be held online;
  2. must ensure their School has appropriate processes in place, endorsed by the School Academic Committee (SAC), or equivalent, to assure the academic quality of the examination questions, model answers and/or guidelines, and moderation of the marking scheme; 
  3. will report to their SAC, or equivalent, on the discharge of their responsibilities at the conclusion of each Formal Examination Period, identifying any matters that have impacted on the quality and effectiveness of the examinations process within the School; 
  4. have overall accountability for the collection and marking of Final Examination and Deferred Exam papers for the subjects offered by their School and must ensure the examination papers are collected and marked or marked online, so that results are submitted within the published timeframes for each term.

(8) Subject Coordinators, Director, Academic Programs, Academic Program Advisors and Deputy Deans, or equivalent roles, are responsible for ensuring appropriate quality checks have been carried out in relation to the preparation, marking and moderation of examinations. Refer to the Assessment Policy.

(9) Deans of Schools may delegate some or all of their functions under this policy to Deputy Deans, Associate Deans, Director, Academic Programs, or equivalent roles.

Examination Duration

(10) The normal duration of a Final Examination is two hours including reading time. The duration of exams is provided in the Subject Learning Guide. Additional time may be provided during online exams for exam submission or to offset the additional time required in completing some modes of exam online.

(11) Examinations of three hours are not recommended where online invigilation is required and only permitted where:

  1. explicitly required for professional accreditation of a program or subject; or
  2. an academic case has been presented in the subject approval documentation justifying that this examination duration is essential to fully test whether a student has achieved the learning outcomes; and
  3. prior approval has been given in accordance with the Curriculum Design and Approvals Policy.

(12) Final Examinations and Deferred Exams will not exceed three hours’ duration except where provided in an individual student's Academic Integration Plan (AIP) or in the case of a take-home exam.

(13) Exams will normally be run during the day (Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) or Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time (AEST)) regardless of the mode the subject is studied, e.g. evening, weekend, block etc.

Examinations Conditions

(14) Where exams are on campus, Data Integrity, Quality and Operations will organise appropriate on campus supervision.

(15) Where exams are online, students are responsible for ensuring they complete their exam under exam conditions ensuring:

  1. a private space where they will not be interrupted;
  2. a steady and stable internet connection;
  3. a web camera;
  4. appropriate technology to sit their exam, including meeting the requirements of the University's designated online invigilation partner.

(16) Students must adhere to the terms and conditions of the invigilation software/partner that the University has deemed most suitable.

Deferred Examinations

(17) A Deferred Exam may be granted:

  1. in exceptional circumstances where the University considers the severity or gravity of the misadventure, accident or illness prevented a student from sitting an examination;
  2. where a student could not reasonably have been expected to avoid the circumstances that led them to miss an examination; and
  3. only where the student has not entered the examination room, except during online exams where students who have accessed the exam and there is evidence that they could not complete it due to technological issues or disconnection from the exam.

(18) Deferred Exams are normally held as soon as practicable after the Final Examination Period.

(19) Students who believe their examination performance has been adversely affected by serious misadventure or ill health may apply for Disruption to Studies in accordance with the Disruption to Studies Policy.

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Section 4 - Procedures

(20) Examinations Procedures

(21) Deferred Exam Procedures

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Section 5 - Guidelines

(22) Exams webpage

(23) Examinations for Students with Disabilities Guidelines

(24) Examinations for External Students Guidelines

(25) Assessment Guide

(26) Breastfeeding on University Premises Policy

(27) Children on University Premises Policy