University Teaching, Learning and Student Experience Committee. November Proposal to Amend Examination Rules

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1 Purpose University Learning, Teaching and Student Experience Committee University Teaching, Learning and Student Experience Committee November 2012 Proposal to Amend Examination Rules It is proposed to replace the current, brief examination rules document with a more comprehensive and detailed examination policy in response to environmental changes and feedback received over the last few years. The existing rules and the proposed policy document are appended. Background An online search of HEI examination policy led to the production of a discussion document which was taken to a small group of academic and administrative representatives from faculties which in, turn, led to the examination policy in Appendix B. Key Issues The drivers for this change include: An obvious need to increase control of what exam candidates have on and around their exam desk due to difficulties in invigilating large exam venues. Recent cases involving the collection of exam answer books where candidates have claimed the book is lost or they have removed a book from the exam room. The increasing complexity of electronic devices and calculators and their potential to be used as cheating aids. Enquiries received by academic departments regarding how to deal with illegible scripts. Feedback from students regarding the disruption caused by candidates leaving the exam room or arriving late. Feedback from invigilators which suggests there is an unexpectedly large number of toilet breaks during some exams and the potential for cheating. Recent cases of aggressive or confrontational behaviour towards invigilators. The need to incorporate a procedure on how to confirm candidate s ID where religious headgear is worn. A need to improve the checking and approval of calculators appropriate for use in exams. The current procedure is based on a limited list of approved calculators and a procedure to deal with exceptions which requires judgement on the part of invigilators. Ambiguity about the type of translation dictionary allowed. Feedback from invigilators reporting candidates using comprehensive dual language learning dictionaries.

2 Summary of Proposed Changes: Greater detail in the guidance given to candidates. Inclusion of how ID will be checked where a religious veil is worn. Additional rules concerning what a candidate should have on their desk during an exam i.e. equipment must be in a clear plastic bag or pencil case and bottle labels must be removed. Reduction in the time allowed for late entry or early departure. Time allowed for late arrival is changed from 30 minutes after the examination start time to 15 minutes and the time students are allowed to leave the exam room is changed from 30 minutes before the end time to 15 minutes. Introduction of a rule prohibiting students from leaving a main exam room for any reason, including toilet breaks, for exams of 90 minutes duration or less (students with a medical condition requiring frequent toilet breaks are currently accommodated in a separate location and this would continue). Clarification of student s responsibilities with regard to the submission of examination answer books. Addition of rules concerning behaviour towards invigilators. Addition of a policy on illegible scripts. Addition of a robust and workable calculator policy. Introduction of a policy on the use of translation dictionaries. Impact on the Student Experience Reduction of cheating opportunities so our examinations are a more reliable and fairer measure of student performance. Clarification of current ambiguity of rules on calculator and dictionary usage which will reduce disruption caused by invigilators investigating possible breaches. Resource Implications A small cost will be associated with approval and marking of calculators. The cost of purchasing tamper proof security stickers for calculators will be approximately 2000 per year. Some staff time will be also required to check and approve calculators. A database of approved devices will be provided by the Examinations Office and students will be able to obtain an approved sticker at registration at the beginning of the year and in the run up to examinations by either School Offices or Student Progress Service.

3 Implementation, Communication and Monitoring University Learning, Teaching and Student Experience Committee The examinations policy will be introduced for the start of academic year 2013/14. The policy will be circulated to Schools and Faculties in the summer term 2012/13 and highlighted to students with their registration instructions before the start of term in September Feeback will be invited from staff, invigilators and students and the policy will be reviewed in light of comments received. Summary of Recommendations to UTLSEC The Committee is asked to consider the drivers for change, summary of proposed changes and the document at appendix B and approve the implementation of the examinations policy to replace the current examination rules as from 2013/14. Liane Brierley Academic Administration Manager September 2012

4 Appendix A Rules Governing the Conduct of University Examinations 1. Candidates are responsible for noting correctly the times and places of their examinations. 2. Candidates are responsible for bringing their University Smartcard to each examination for display on their desk. 3. Without the special permission of the Invigilators no candidate may enter the examination room more than half-an-hour after the examination has begun, or leave it until half-an-hour of the examination period has elapsed. 4. No candidate may leave their desk during the last fifteen minutes of any examination period without the special permission of the Invigilators. At the end of the examination, candidates should remain seated at their desks until the Invigilators have collected all the answer books. 5. All personal effects such as, bags, files etc., which are brought into the examination room, must be left with the Invigilators who will return them at the end of the examination. 6. No book or writing paper may be taken into the examination room, except where prescribed within specific examination arrangements as previously notified. 7. Answers to questions should be written legibly in ink. 8. No answer book or supplementary sheet may be taken from the examination room. A candidate in possession of a book or supplementary sheet will be liable to severe disciplinary action. 9. The use of bilingual dictionaries (e.g. French-English, English-German etc.) is permitted in all examinations other than those in which language translation itself is the skill being assessed. It is the responsibility of each candidate to supply themselves with a bilingual dictionary, if they so wish. Such dictionaries must not have been annotated in any way by the candidate or by any other person. The use of any other dictionary (which includes electronic versions) and the use of bilingual dictionaries in cases relating to translation skills is not permitted unless they are specifically allowed in the regulations for a particular examination. 10. Candidates may not pass off the work of another as their own or quote the work of others without acknowledgement. Such action will be liable to academic penalty and may also be liable to severe disciplinary action. 11. Candidates are forbidden to communicate with anyone except the Invigilator during the examination.

5 12. Candidates may only use a pocket calculator in an examination if that particular calculator appears on the University s approved list. No other calculator or electronic device may be used in an examination. The approved list currently consists of the models listed below:- Casio FX82 Casio FX83 Casio FX85 Casio FX115 Calculators with additional lettering after the model number (e.g. FX83 WA) are acceptable provided that their model number begins with either FX82, FX83, FX85 or FX115. *The Casio FX82 series is no longer in production, but candidates who possess such models are permitted to continue using them. 13. Candidates must switch off mobile phones during examinations. Mobile phones will not be used as clocks or alarms and should be completely inactive. 14. Smoking & eating are prohibited. Candidates may take a drink and a small packet of sweets into the examination room. All mobile telephones should be switched off during the examination.

6 Appendix B Examination Policy All Newcastle University students are expected to be available for each day of the duration of the published examination periods. Examinations will typically take place between 09:00am 6:30pm Monday to Saturday. Exceptions to this availability must be approved via Student Wellbeing (in the case of medical conditions) or confirmed by a religious or community leader (in the case of religious obligation). Examination Rules Admission to the Examination Candidates must 1. Consult their examination timetable and arrive at the correct venue at least 20 minutes before the published start time. 2. Bring their University Smartcard, passport or drivers licence to each examination. ID will be confirmed during the examination. If a veil is worn for religious reasons, the candidate will be taken to a discrete location near the examination room and will show their face to a single invigilator of the same sex. 3. Supply their own calculator, which is approved via the University s calculator policy (see Appendix), unless the use of a calculator is specifically prohibited in the examination instructions. 4. Place any books, notes and blank paper which are brought into the examination in the designated area as instructed by invigilators. The University is not responsible for the security of mobile phones, or other valuable items, left in the designated area. 5. Switch off mobile phones, including alarm functions, and place in the area designated for personal belongings. 6. Take to the exam desk pens, pencils and equipment necessary for completion of the examination only and place this equipment in a clear plastic bag or pencil case. In addition, candidates may take a drink and a small packet of sweets into the examination room. Labels must be removed from bottles.

7 7. Sit in the seat specified on the seating plan displayed at the venue. Candidates must not 8. Impersonate another candidate, or allow themselves to be impersonated. 9. Enter the examination room more than fifteen minutes after the examination has begun. During the Examination Candidates must 10. Follow all instructions given by invigilators. 11. Remain seated at their examination desk until 1 hour of the examination has lapsed. Candidates must not 12. Communicate with anyone except the Invigilator. 13. Have in their possession any books, notes, learning material or equipment not specifically authorised in the examination instructions or have access to unauthorised material by any means. 14. Look at the work or copy from another candidate, nor allow anyone to copy from them. 15. Pass off the work of another as their own or quote the work of others without acknowledgement. 16. Remove official Newcastle University examination answer books or supplementary paper from an examination room nor bring such material into the examination room. 17. Have in their possession any electronic device or equipment apart from a calculator approved via the University s calculator policy. 18. Have in their possession any headphones, communication or recording device. 19. Leave the room during the last thirty minutes of any examination except in the case of illness.

8 20. Leave the room during exams of 90 minutes duration or less for any reason other than illness. Completion and Submission of Examination Answer Books Candidates must 21. Write answers legibly in ink. 21. Complete the front cover of the examination book fully and correctly. 22. Ensure their answer book, and any other material to be submitted, is collected by invigilators. At the end of the Examination Candidates must not 23. Leave the examination room without the permission of the invigilator. Any student leaving the examination room unaccompanied will not be re-admitted. Candidates must 24. remain seated and refrain from communicating with each other until such time the invigilator instructs them to leave.

9 Examinations Rules Related Policies Appendix Calculator Policy 1. Only calculators on the approved list will be used in examinations. 2. The criteria for prohibition are the inclusion of alphabetic display of stored data or equations or alphabetic formulae. Models will also be prohibited if they are capable of being programmed externally by any means. The approved list will be updated from time to time. 3. Students should refer to the University calculator check list to ensure their calculator is an approved model and take their device to the designated office to receive an approved sticker before their first examination. 4. Any device brought into the examination room without an approved sticker will be confiscated. Dictionary Policy 1. The use of paper copy bilingual dictionaries (e.g. French-English, English-German etc.) is permitted in all examinations other than those in which language translation itself is being assessed. 2. Learner dictionaries or other texts which include content other than word to word translations are not permitted. 3. Candidates are not permitted to use any other dictionary except where specified in the examination instructions. 4. It is the responsibility of each student to supply themselves with a bilingual dictionary, if they so wish. 5. Such dictionaries must not have been annotated in any way by the candidate or by any other person. 6. It is the responsibility of each student to ensure the dictionary is a clean copy with no notes or unauthorised content. llegible Script Policy

10 Where a marker finds a script illegible, reasonable attempts will be made to identify another member of staff within the immediate subject area who is able decipher the handwriting. If the answers are still deemed illegible, the university accepts no responsibility and the illegible sections will not be marked. Feedback on Performance in Examinations Refer to the University policy entitled Policies on Submission of Assessed Work, Feedback on and Return of Assessed Work.