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Examinations Policy

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Section 1 - Purpose and Context

(1) The University recognises that assessment is an essential part of the teaching and learning process. The University acknowledges and supports the conduct of formal examinations as a summative assessment component within units of study.

(2) This policy refers to end of session formal examinations and deferred examinations. It sets out the University rules and procedures, and the expectations the University has of its students. It does not exclude the setting of mid-session examinations or tests run by individual Unit Coordinators.

(3) In addition to the policy, rules and procedures laid down in this Policy, the University has developed the Assessment Practice - Fundamental Code, and the Teaching and Learning Fundamental Code, which it expects staff and students to uphold.

(4) Information regarding assessment for students with disabilities may be found in the University's Disability Policy.

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Section 2 - Definitions

(5) Nil.

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Section 3 - Policy Statement

(6) Normally a unit will not have more than one formal examination administered by the Registrar's Office during the official examination period, unless approved by Academic Senate.

(7) Examinations organised outside the official examinations period are the responsibility of the Unit Coordinator. Examinations, due dates of assessment tasks and teaching are not permitted during Stuvac.

(8) Other tests and practical/laboratory examinations may be conducted at other times during the session, provided:

  1. students are advised at the beginning of the session that the test/examination will be held during the normal teaching periods;
  2. the time for the test/examination does not exceed the normal teaching period;
  3. when the examination is held during a scheduled teaching period, the total time devoted to the examination must not exceed the scheduled class time, unless the unanimous consent of the class has been gained;
  4. alternative examination arrangements for students with special needs comply with the University's requirements for reasonable accommodation;
  5. the unit outline must inform students about the intention to conduct such an examination. The date, time and place of the examination will be made available to students as early as possible;
  6. that only with the express permission of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic and Research shall an examination be conducted during a study recess period. This permission will be made before the beginning of the relevant teaching session and students will be notified at the commencement of the session.
  7. on-line examinations are permitted, subject to:
    1. the relevant Head of School, prior to delivery, identifying such exercises and signing off on a resource/security checklist, and
    2. the Head of School providing a report for noting to the relevant College Education Assessment and Progression Committee.

(9) Mid-session examinations or tests conducted by individual unit coordinators will adhere to the principles outlined in this Policy.

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Section 4 - Procedures

Examination Timetables

(10) The University will publish the examination timetable no later than five weeks prior to the commencement of the examination period, and will specify the time, date, duration, campus and examination venue at which an examination will be conducted.

(11) The examination timetable will be available on the University website, and in personalised form for each student via their website login, including the location of each of their examinations.

(12) External students will at the time of initial enrolment at the University be invited to choose their preferred examination location from the selection provided by the Assessment and Graduation Unit. The examination venue will normally be not more than 200 kilometres from the student's place of residence. Those students who reside more than 200 kilometres from the nearest University examination location may choose their own location prior to current session census date, in consultation with the Assessment and Graduation Unit.

(13) Once the examination location has been identified, the student will sit all examinations at that location for the duration of their course, unless the student notifies the Assessment and Graduation Unit of a change of address. Any change of address should be notified to the University no later than six weeks prior to the examination period.

(14) Students enrolled in examinable off campus units are advised to review their examination location and time of exam at the University website and inform the Assessment and Graduation Unit of any change in circumstances no later than four weeks prior to the examination period.

(15) Not all examination locations may be available in every examination period. UWS reserves the right to reallocate students to the examination venue of its choosing, closest to the student.

(16) The University will not provide verbal advice on an individual student's examination timetable via telephone or at the Student Centre unless the student is identified as an External Student.

(17) It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they are familiar with the examination timetable.

Examination Venue and Times

(18) The University does not guarantee that the examination for a particular unit will be scheduled at the campus where classes for that unit have been held.

(19) Examinations may be scheduled to start between 8.30am and 6.30pm on weekdays and between 8.30am and 6.30pm on a Saturday. The finish time will depend on the length of the examination.

(20) SGSM runs final examinations on Sundays when required.

Examination Clashes

(21) The University defines an examination clash as:

  1. two examinations at the same time including any overlap;
  2. less than two hours between exams where they are held on the same campus;
  3. where there is insufficient travelling time (less than three hours) between examination venues at different campus or off campus sites;
  4. where a student had more than three examinations scheduled on two consecutive days. The University does not regard Friday or Saturday and the following Monday as consecutive days;
  5. an evening examination that finishes after 8.30pm followed by a morning examination that starts before 9.30am on the next consecutive day.

(22) Students wishing to advise of an examination clash before an examination must advise the University (via the Assessment and Graduation Unit ) in writing no later than ten working days after the examination timetable has been published.

(23) The University may not be able to provide alternative arrangements where written advice is received after the ten working days period.

Part A - Students with a Disability - Individual Examination Provisions

(24) Students with a disability which may result in them being disadvantaged are advised to discuss special needs regarding all types of assessment with Counselling and Disability Services within Student Support Services at the commencement of the teaching session.

(25) Students with a disability which may cause them to be disadvantaged in an examination and who may require individual examination provisions are expected to register through Counselling and Disability Services within Student Support Services at least 30 working days prior to the commencement of the examination period, to enable sufficient time for provisions to be met. If this deadline is missed the student is expected to contact Counselling and Disability Services. A student needs to notify the University only once in writing unless circumstances change.

(26) Students may apply for special examination conditions if they have a disability which will prevent them from demonstrating the extent of their knowledge in an examination. The provision of the conditions is in keeping with the Disability Policy.

(27) Late notification of requirements may result in difficulty ensuring the necessary arrangements can be put in place.

(28) Examinations under special conditions are organised and supervised by the Assessment and Graduation Unit unless the nature of the request may compromise the security of the examination. In these cases, the School may be asked to arrange special conditions for either an alternative assessment or take home examination.

(29) Special Examination Conditions include: extra time for reading or resting or writing or toilet breaks, use of a scribe or a computer, exam papers in Braille or large print, ergonomic furniture, better lighting etc.

(30) Only end of session formal examinations are organised by the Assessment and Graduation Unit. Session tests and School run examinations are managed through the relevant School.

Students with a Temporary Injury or Disability

(31) Students with a temporary injury or disability which may cause them to be disadvantaged in an examination and who may require individual examination provisions must inform the Assessment and Graduation Unit immediately.

(32) Students with a temporary disability that will prevent them from sitting an examination may apply for special consideration - see the Special Consideration Policy.

Part B - Attendance at Examinations

(33) It is the responsibility of the student to be present at examinations at the correct time and place.

(34) Students are required to be in their places in the examination room not less than ten minutes before the time of commencement.

(35) The University will not provide special consideration in cases where the student has misread or misunderstood the examination timetable.

(36) Students should not make any vacation travel arrangements that might interfere with attendance within the examination period.

Materials Brought Into the Examination Venue

(37) A student may bring into the examination venue any materials considered necessary by the University to complete the examination. This includes writing equipment (e.g. pens, pencils, erasers etc) as these will not be supplied, and any study materials and/or equipment indicated on the examination paper. Writing materials should be contained only in a clear plastic bag. Pencil cases will not be permitted.

(38) Scribbling paper is not provided - 'rough' work should be done on the reverse side of pages of the answer booklet. Candidates are not permitted to remove any examination question papers from the examination room or any unused material.

(39) For unauthorised material see clause (40) Unauthorised Materials at the Examination.

Unauthorised Material at the Examination

(40) The following materials are not allowed at the examination:

  1. textbooks and other reference material unless authorised by the examiner;
  2. bags, motorcycle helmets, bicycle helmets, caps, hats or other personal items;
  3. notes of any kind including those written on rulers and calculator covers;
  4. electronic Dictionaries, Programmable Calculators and Text Retrievable devices (including mobile phones);
  5. pencil cases;
  6. blank paper, notepads or any other material, whether or not related to the examination.

(41) The University does not guarantee safe-keeping of students' possessions inside or outside of examination rooms. Students concerned about the security of valuable possessions during examinations will need to make alternative arrangements for their care, or ensure that they do not bring these possessions to campus on days when they are required to attend examinations.

Admission to Examination Venue

(42) Students must produce a UWS Student Identity Card (ID) for entry to all examinations and display the ID card on their desk for the duration of the examination. Students will not be admitted to examinations without a UWS student identification card, except that, in exceptional circumstances, students may be admitted to examinations on presentation of a Temporary ID for Examination. The Temporary ID can be obtained from a UWS Student Centre prior to the exam, once the student's identity, enrolment and eligibility to sit the exam have been confirmed.

(43) Students will not be admitted to an examination venue after the examination has been in progress for 30 minutes.

(44) No additional time will be granted for time lost.

(45) The start time is the official time displayed on the timetable or the time the Examination Supervisor in Charge announces an examination has commenced, whichever is later.

(46) Students are required to sit in the seat allocated to them by the Examination Supervisor.

Leaving the Examination Venue

(47) A student will not be permitted to leave an examination venue until 30 minutes have elapsed from the commencement of writing.

(48) A student will not be permitted to leave the examination venue during the last ten minutes of an examination unless there are exceptional circumstances such as illness.

(49) A student wishing to leave an examination venue outside of the times listed above shall not be re-admitted to the examination room after they have left it unless during the full period of their absence, they have been under approved supervision.

(50) A student may seek permission to temporarily leave an examination venue. Such absences will be under approved supervision.

(51) Once the time allowed for the examination has elapsed the Examination Supervisor will instruct students to stop writing but remain in their seats until all examination materials are collected and the Examination Supervisor has given permission to leave.

Start of an Examination

(52) The Head of School will ensure that the Unit Coordinator or designated nominee will be present at the Examination venue for a period of time (normally the reading time plus ten minutes) at the start of an examination. The Unit Coordinator and/or designated nominee will be contactable on campus during the rest of the examination time.

(53) Where a Unit Coordinator has two or more examinations running concurrently, they will attend the examination with the greatest number of students.

Reading Time

(54) Ten minutes reading time may be allowed in some examinations. During this time students may complete their attendance form. No other writing or the use of calculators is permitted.

Part C - Conduct of Students During Examinations

(55) A student will comply with all directions given by the Examination Supervisor, and all instructions set out on examination paper.

(56) In addition a student must not:

  1. disturb, distract or behave in a manner that may adversely affect another student;
  2. obtain or endeavour to obtain assistance in their work;
  3. provide or endeavour to provide assistance to another student in their work;
  4. communicate by word or otherwise with another student once in the examination venue;
  5. smoke inside the examination venue;
  6. eat inside the examination venue except for medical conditions such as diabetes;
  7. remove any examination booklet from the examination venue;
  8. remove the examination paper from the examination venue unless the examination paper states it can be removed;
  9. bring unauthorised material into the examination venue (see clause 40 Unauthorised Material at the Examination).

Misconduct During Examinations

(57) Any student who behaves in a manner which disrupts an examination, may be requested to leave the examination venue immediately.

(58) A student who breaches the provisions under Part C Conduct of Students during Examination will be dealt with under the provisions of the Misconduct - Student Academic Misconduct Policy.

Part D - Conclusion of Examinations

(59) The Supervisor in Charge will notify students when there are ten minutes of the examination time remaining. At the end of the examination time the Supervisor in Charge will instruct all students to stop work. All students must immediately cease writing.

(60) Students must remain seated until all papers are collected and may not leave the examination venue until instructed.

(61) Students must not communicate with other students until they have left the venue.

Part E - Inability to Attend an Examination

(62) Students who are unable to sit for an examination due to circumstances beyond their control should apply for Special Consideration. Students should note that the fact of submitting a 'Final Examination/Special Consideration Application' does not automatically mean that it will be granted. (Refer to the Special Consideration Policy )

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Section 5 - Guidelines

(63) Nil.