(1) The purpose of this Policy and the associated Examination Procedure for Staff is to achieve coordinated and consistent examination practices across Australian Catholic University (ACU). (2) This Policy applies to all central and School-based examinations at ACU, and to all staff and students. (3) Terms used in this Policy and the associated procedures are consistent with the Glossary of Student and Course Terms. In addition, the following words and expressions in this Policy have the meanings listed below: (4) There will be a designated, maximum three-week examination period at the end of the first and second semesters for the conduct of central examinations. (5) Examinations for units offered in non-standard study periods will be arranged and conducted by the relevant School. (6) There will be a deferred examination period not less than two weeks after the end of the central examination periods for the first and second semesters. (7) Examinations may be held within the period 8 am to 8 pm Monday to Friday (including public holidays) and 8 am to 5 pm Saturdays throughout the examination periods. (8) An examination may be a central examination, organised by Examinations and Results (E&R) of Student Administration, or a School-based examination organised by the relevant School. (9) All central examinations will occur within the examination periods as identified in the common academic calendar. Examinations falling outside these periods will be organised by Schools as per clauses (12) – (16) of this Policy. (10) For central examinations, Schools are responsible for: (11) For central examinations, E&R is responsible for: (12) School-based examinations may be held during the designated central examination period, or at any other time specified for an examination in the published unit outline. (13) School-based examinations held during the central examination period should be held after the final examination session for the day, commencing at 6.00 pm or on Saturdays. (14) In the event of a clash between a central examination and a School-based examination, the central examination will have priority and the School-based examination will need to be rescheduled. (15) School-based examinations will not be held during the Universities Australia common vacation week, or an official pre-examination study week as identified in the common academic calendar, without prior approval from the Academic Registrar. (16) For School-based examinations, the School is responsible for: (17) For any course, or course cohort, with a professional experience component occurring during the central examination period, effort will be made to schedule all examinations during a minimum of one calendar week out of the three-week official examination period. (18) If a clash between a professional experience placement and a scheduled examination is identified at the time of publication of the final examination timetable, a student may submit an application for a Deferred Examination with evidence of the dates of the professional experience placement. Such applications will receive automatic approval and the student will be notified in accordance with Section 21 of this Policy. (19) For standard study periods, where supplementary assessments take the form of a written examination (in-person or online), they will be managed by E&R. All other forms of supplementary assessment will be managed by the relevant School. (20) Supplementary examinations will be held concurrently with any deferred examinations for the unit. (21) Concurrent use of the same examination paper is permissible only: (22) Requests for concurrent use of the same examination paper must provide the following: (23) Requests for use of an examination paper for multiple examinations will be accommodated where possible. If not possible, an additional examination paper will be required (24) Central examinations can be between one and two hours in duration including reading time. (25) The central examination timetable will be scheduled in one or two hour blocks. (26) Examinations will be scheduled taking into consideration the mix of units undertaken by students and endeavouring to minimise, or preferably eliminate, clashes of examinations for units taken by class cohorts or individual students. (27) Subject to space constraints, priority will be given to the scheduling of central in-person examinations for units with enrolments of 400 students or more. Where clashes cannot be avoided, special arrangements will be made to enable affected students to undertake the examinations as close as possible to the scheduled time, while maintaining the security of examinations. (28) A student may be required to undertake a maximum of two examinations in a single day or three examinations in any two consecutive days. (29) A student should have a minimum of a two hour break between end time of one examination and start time of another. (30) Where a unit has in excess of 900 enrolments, online examinations will be scheduled inside at least a four-hour window to ensure system capacity is not compromised. (31) Final central examination timetables will be published at least six weeks prior to the commencement of the main examination period and at least one week prior to the commencement of the deferred examination period. (32) Examination timetable information will be made available online to staff and students. It is the responsibility of each student to: (33) Venues for examinations must adhere to the University examination standards. See Schedule 1 for minimum requirements for examination venues. (34) Students will sit examinations at the campus or Satellite Centre at which they attend classes for the unit being examined, or an established examination centre. (35) Students enrolled in a unit offered in multi-mode or at a location other than an ACU campus or Satellite Centre, may sit examinations at the campus, ACU Satellite Centre or established examination centre closest to their semester address. Students will be notified of the location of the examination venue via their personal examination timetable. (36) Students enrolled in a unit offered in online mode will undertake their examinations online. (37) In exceptional circumstances a student may apply to sit an examination at a venue other than those outlined in clauses (33) and (34) of this Policy. (38) The application must be made in writing to the Academic Registrar at least six weeks before the commencement of the relevant examination period. (39) If a variation of exam venue is approved to enable a student to sit the examination at an alternative venue, the student may be required to pay a prescribed fee. (40) In exceptional circumstances a student who is remote from the University on practical experience and is required to undertake an in-person examination during that practical experience, may apply for an in situ School-based examination. (41) The application must be made in writing to the Head of School at least six weeks before the commencement of the relevant examination period. (42) The student must be notified of the outcome of the application within ten calendar days of the receipt of the application. (43) If approved, the School will be responsible for ensuring appropriate local supervision is arranged. (44) If an in situ exam is approved, to enable a student to sit the examination at an alternative venue, the student may be required to pay a prescribed fee. (45) Examination papers will be produced in accordance with the Examination Procedure for Staff. (46) Examination supervisors are responsible for the conduct of examinations and for ensuring compliance with this Policy. A student must comply with all directions given by the examination supervisor and the supervisor’s decision is final. (47) In an examination, a student may be required to: (48) A student must comply with the Academic Regulations, the Student Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Student Conduct Policy. (49) Students are subject to the provisions of the Dealing with Instances of Fraudulent Information Policy. (50) Students must carry and produce their ACU Student Card at each examination. (51) The ACU student card must be displayed prominently on the desk during in-person examinations. In cases where student does not have their ACU Student Card, ACU will implement other identity checking processes. (52) Students will have their attendance recorded at every examination. (53) A person other than the supervisor, or other authorised person[1], may not enter or remain in an examination room during an examination, or during the period of 45 minutes immediately preceding or immediately following an examination session, without the permission of E&R. (54) A student, on entering an examination room, must proceed to the place to which that student is directed by the supervisor. A student must not leave that place without permission or direction from a supervisor. (55) A person, whether a student or not, who is permitted to enter or leave an examination room must comply with conditions as outlined by the supervisor. (56) The time listed on the examination timetable is the time when the examination commences. Students must not commence writing until the supervisor has given permission. (57) Students who arrive within the first 30 minutes after the start of an examination will be permitted to undertake that examination but will not be allowed additional time. (58) Students who arrive later than 30 minutes after the start of an examination will not be permitted to undertake that examination. (59) Except in circumstances related to illness as provided for in clauses (61) to (64) of this Policy, a student must not leave the examination room: (60) Where it is unavoidable, a student may take bathroom break. They will need to inform the exam invigilator and no extra time will be provided. There is no time limit on breaks, however lengthy and/or repeated bathroom breaks that appear suspicious may be reported to the Faculty for further review. (61) If a student becomes ill during an examination and temporarily leaves the examination venue, but remains under supervision, no extra time will be allowed for the student to complete the examination. In this circumstance the student may submit an application for special consideration as per the Assessment Policy and Assessment Procedure. (62) If the candidate decides to continue the examination, the Examination Supervisor may make a decision to move the student to an alternative location, to reduce disruption to other students. The time required for the move will be added to the student’s allocated examination time. (63) If the student cannot continue with the examination, the supervisor will note this and report the matter to E&R. (64) If a student becomes ill during an examination and is unable to continue the examination, the student may submit an application for a Deferred Examination. If a Deferred Examination is granted the original sitting of the examination will not be marked. (65) At the conclusion of the examination all students must maintain examination conditions until all papers have been collected and the supervisor has given students permission to leave the examination room. (66) The time listed on the examination timetable is the time when the examination opens online. (67) Students will normally be allocated a window of time, as per the examination timetable, in which to commence their examination. (68) It is the responsibility of the student to ensure they allow adequate time to complete the examination before the examination closes. (69) If a student becomes ill during an examination and is unable to continue the examination, the student may submit an application for a Deferred Examination using the Application for Deferral (DEF) form. If a Deferred Examination is granted, the original sitting of the examination will not be marked. (70) Where it is unavoidable, a student may take a bathroom break. They will need to announce to the camera that they are taking a bathroom break and no extra time will be provided. There is no time limit on breaks, however lengthy and/or repeated bathroom breaks that appear suspicious may be reported to the Faculty for further review. (71) Where specified books or other materials (restricted open book examinations) are permitted to be taken into an examination, such materials will be limited to those specifically approved by the Lecturer in Charge and such materials will be listed on the examination paper cover sheet. (72) Where an examination is designated 'open book', the relevant text book and allowable materials subject to clause (73) may be used in the examination. (73) The supervisor or other authorised person will ensure such materials comply with the approved list provided by the Lecturer in Charge and do not contain any unauthorised materials. (74) The use of e-books is not permitted in any in-person examination. (75) English language dictionaries are not permitted in an examination. (76) A student may take a standard English/foreign language dictionary[2] (bilingual dictionary) in printed, not electronic format, into an examination in any unit. Specialist dictionaries, for example medical dictionaries, are not permitted. (77) The dictionary must not contain any notations or any additional material and must be presented to the supervisor for inspection. (78) Students will be refused permission to use dictionaries that contain notations or additional materials. (79) Personal electronic devices may not be used in an examination except with the prior approval of the Lecturer in Charge. Such approval must clearly identify the category of electronic device allowed in the specific examination. (80) Electronic devices which can be approved are restricted to those which are hand-held, internally powered, silent and not capable of wireless communication with other electronic devices. (81) Calculators and other electronic devices approved for use in an examination must have any programmable memory cleared prior to the examination commencing. Non-programmable calculators, where allowed, must have volatile memory only and must not have alpha facilities. (82) A student using an authorised electronic device in an examination is responsible for its operation. Any failure or malfunction of the device will not constitute grounds for a deferred examination or other special arrangements. (83) Mobile phones must not be used in any examination (84) If a mobile phone is brought into an examination room, it must be switched off and placed face down on the floor under the student’s desk. Non-compliance will result in the mobile phone being confiscated by the Examination Supervisor for the duration of the examination. (85) A mobile phone must not be accessible to the student for the duration of the examination. Non-compliance will result in an incident being raised to investigate whether Academic Misconduct has occured. (86) Watches are not permitted in an examination. If a watch is brought into an examination, it must be placed face down on the floor under the student’s desk. Non-compliance will result in the watch being confiscated by the Examination Supervisor for the duration of the examination in an in-person examination. In an online examination, non-compliance will cause an incident to be raised for review in order to determine whether academic misconduct has taken place. (87) The University accepts no responsibility for the security of any materials left outside an examination room. (88) The Lecturer in Charge of a unit, or alternative contact as approved by Head of School or equivalent, must be contactable during the whole of the examination to answer any questions which may arise regarding the examination paper. E&R staff or examination supervisors must not make a determination regarding the content of an examination paper. (89) In addition to clause (88) of this Policy, the Lecturer in Charge must be present for at least 15 minutes at the beginning of an in-person computer-based examination to set and deliver the required password for/to students and to ensure the examination commences appropriately. (90) The Lecturer in Charge must provide students sitting a computer-based examination, and the examination supervisor(s) with written information equivalent to that provided on the cover sheet of a paper-based examination. (91) Where an examination is conducted in a clinical or science laboratory, the Lecturer in Charge must be present for the duration of the examination and is responsible for the supervision of all students undertaking the examination (92) If an electronic device has been approved for use in an in-person examination, the Lecturer in Charge, or nominee approved by the Head of School or equivalent, must be present to inspect such devices to ensure that they comply with clauses (79) to (82) of this Policy. (93) Where an examination is affected by an unexpected interruption (for example, a power failure, computer/software malfunction, earthquake, bomb threat, fire alarm etc.) the supervisor will implement appropriate immediate action including any action necessary under the Critical Incident Management Policy. (94) Minor disruptions to an examination, for a period of 15 minutes or less, will be accommodated by the provision of an equivalent period of additional time added to the end of the allocated examination time by approval of the Coordinator, Examinations and Results. (95) The Academic Registrar or nominee will determine the appropriate course of action in the event of a significant disruption to an examination. A significant disruption may include repeated minor disruptions in the same examination session. (96) In the event of an evacuation of an examination venue, the Academic Registrar in consultation with the Executive Dean or nominee will determine which of the following outcomes will apply, with consideration to minimising disadvantage to students: (97) Where there is an interruption to an online examination the student may apply for a deferred examination using the Application to Defer (DEF) form with supporting documentation (e.g. screenshots). (98) Where there is a significant interruption to an online examination as a result of a known ACU technical issue, students may apply for a deferred examination using the Application for Deferral (DEF) form and will be automatically approved. (99) Adjustments to the examination conditions for students with a permanent disability and/or chronic medical condition will be incorporated in Education Inclusion Plans developed by the Access and Disability Service. (100) If a student has an unexpected temporary disability or medical condition, the student may apply for special adjustments to examination arrangements through submission of the relevant form to E&R. (101) If, due to the timing of the request, the University cannot implement the requested provisions, the student may be required to sit the examination during the deferred examination period. (102) Students with a disability and/or medical condition should consult a Disability Adviser to register for examination adjustments as early as possible, preferably at the time of enrolment and no later than the census date of the relevant study period. (103) Access and Disability Service will provide E&R with a list of examination adjustment requirements throughout the semester. Requests for Examination Adjustments after lecture week twelve will not be considered for central examinations in the main round. (104) Where examination adjustments are not advised to E&R by the above date, one of the following actions will be taken: (105) The Student will receive written advice of the decision on any application for an examination adjustment by E&R, with advice of any approval also being provided to the relevant School. (106) The Lecturer in Charge, or nominee, must collect students' examination scripts in person from the examination distribution room, within 2 working days of the examination date consistent with Section 9 of the Examination Procedure for Staff. (107) In the event of examination papers, writing booklets or answer sheets being lost, stolen or destroyed, the Academic Registrar, in consultation with the Executive Dean or nominee, and/or the Chief Information and Digital Officer will determine a course of action for those students who have been directly affected so as to minimise disruption or disadvantage to those students. (108) The final decision may be one of the following, or an alternative action, as determined by the Academic Registrar, in consultation with the Executive Dean: (109) Where a student is unable to attend an examination due to illness or other exceptional circumstance beyond their control, the student is required to submit the Application for deferral (DEF) form for deferred examination along with supporting documentation or Professional Authority as per clause (121) of this Policy. (110) Applications for deferred examinations must be submitted along with the required supporting documentary evidence no more than five calendar days after the examination. (111) The Academic Registrar or nominee will determine the outcome of an application for a deferred central examination. (112) E&R will notify a student of the outcome of their deferred examination application in writing no less than 48 hours prior to the commencement of the deferred examination period. (113) Where the application is approved, the details of the examination date, time and location will be published on the students’ Personal Examination Timetable. (114) In cases where an application is submitted prior to the originally scheduled examination and the application is refused, the student will be notified of the decision, in writing, prior to the originally scheduled examination. (115) Where a student is unable to attend an examination due to illness or other exceptional circumstance (beyond their control) the student is required to submit the relevant documentation for a School-based deferred examination with the Lecturer in Charge as per clauses (117) to (120) of this Policy. (116) Applications for deferred examination must be submitted along with supporting documentary evidence as per clause (121) of this Policy no later than five calendar days after the day of the examination. (117) The relevant School authority will determine the outcome of an application for a School-based deferred examination. (118) The School will notify the student of the outcome of their deferred examination application in writing not less than one week prior to the examination date determined by the Lecturer in Charge. (119) Where the application is approved, the written notification will include the details of the examination date, time and location. (120) In cases where an application is submitted prior to the examination and the application is refused, every effort will be made to contact the student prior to the scheduled examination. (121) Any application for a deferred examination must be supported by appropriate documentary evidence (e.g. Professional Authority). An electronic version of the documentary evidence may be submitted, but a student may be required to produce the original on demand. The authenticity of documentary evidence may be confirmed with the named provider. (122) An examination or alternative assessment may be deferred no more than once after the original scheduled examination. (123) If the student is unable to undertake the deferred examination or assessment, further deferral of the examination will not be granted and the Lecturer in Charge will be required to provide a final result for the unit. (124) If the student provides evidence of continuing exceptional circumstances, the Course Coordinator, after consultation with the student and the Lecturer in Charge, may recommend to the Head of School or equivalent that: (125) Subject to clause (127) of this Policy, past examination or sample papers for every unit that has a final examination will be published in the 'Past Exam Repository' page located on the Library website as outlined in the Examination Procedure for Staff. (126) Where there are multiple examination papers for the same unit in the same semester, only one paper is required for publication. (127) The following categories of examinations will be exempt from publication: (128) Where all or segments of examination papers are exempt from publication, the Lecturer in Charge is required to provide students with sample examination questions relevant to the examination paper for that unit of study via LMS at the commencement of the study period. No material with unresolved copyright issues may be used. (129) Where a paper contains both exempt and non-exempt questions, the exempt segment may be deleted prior to publication. (130) Examination papers will not be given to students at the conclusion of a central or deferred examination. (131) Past examination papers will be available for up to three years from the date of publication on the ‘Past Exam Repository’ page. (132) An Examination Supervisor may expel any student from the examination room, where the supervisor has reasonable grounds for believing that the student is in breach of this Policy. (133) An Examination Supervisor must report any alleged breach of this Policy to the Coordinator, Examinations and Results, who will refer the matter to the relevant officer. (134) Where an incident is reported during an online examination any alleged breach will be referred to the Coordinator, Examinations and Results, who will refer the matter to the relevant officer. (135) Any alleged breach of the examination conditions in Section 12 or Section 13 of this Policy will be referred to the Academic Registrar who may: (136) In cases of alleged cheating the matter will be referred to the Head of School responsible for the unit and must be investigated and resolved in accordance with the Student Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy. (137) In cases of alleged falsified documentation the matter will be referred to the Academic Registrar, and must be investigated and resolved in accordance with the Dealing with Instances of Fraudulent Information Policy and Dealing with Instances of Fraudulent Information Procedure. (138) In all other cases the matter will be referred to the Designated Officer and must be investigated and resolved in accordance with the Student Conduct Policy. (139) Students are required to be available to undertake examinations throughout the periods designated for central examinations, including supplementary examinations and deferred examinations as published in the Common Academic Calendar and associated study periods. (140) Students are required to be available to undertake School-based examinations at the dates and times specified in the relevant unit outlines. (141) Students with an Education Inclusion Plan are responsible for providing it to their Lecturer in Charge to discuss implementation of adjustments as per the Students with Disability Policy. (142) Students are required to familiarise themselves with the provisions of this Policy and the related policies as listed. (143) Staff responsibilities relating to examinations are detailed in the Examination Procedure for Staff. (144) Records related to Examinations will be maintained in accordance with the Records and Archive Management Policy of the University. (145) Any venue that is used by Australian Catholic University for examinations must adhere to the following minimum standards: (146) The revision table includes revisions up until this document was migrated into the current policy platform. Any later changes will show in the Status and Details tab. (147) For related legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines and any supporting resources please refer to the Associated Information tab.Examination Policy
Section 1 - Policy Statement
Section 2 - Policy Scope
Section 3 - Definitions
Top of Page
Term
Definition
In-person examination
means examinations that take place in an exam venue at an ACU campus or Satellite Centre or an established examination centre.
Online examination
means a timed, supervised or unsupervised, summative assessment conducted running a standardised operating system. All online examinations are held and conducted through the learning management system (Learning Environment Online (LMS)).
LMS
ACU uses the ‘Canvas’ Learning Management System.
Central examination
means any examination administered by Examinations and Results (E&R).
School-based examination
means any examination administered by a School, Faculty or other academic organisational unit.
Examination adjustment
means a change to examination conditions that take account of an ongoing medical or personal condition.
Special examination adjustments
means a change to examination conditions that account for a temporary disability or acute medical condition.
Section 4 - Timing of Examinations
Standard Study Periods
Non-standard Study Periods
Deferred Examination Periods
Examination Sessions
Section 5 - Examination Organisation
Central Examinations
School-Based Examinations
Examinations in Courses With Professional Experience Requirements
Supplementary Examinations
Concurrent Use of the Same Examination Paper
Section 6 - Examination Scheduling
Section 7 - Publication of Examination Timetables
Top of PageSection 8 - Location of Examinations
Venues
Online, Multi-mode and Off-campus Units
Variation of Examination Venue
In Situ Examination
Section 9 - Production of Examination Papers
Section 10 - Examination Supervision
Top of PageSection 11 - Conduct of Students in Examination
Section 12 - Conditions for In-person Examinations
Entry to Examination Room
Starting time
Late arrival
Leaving the examination room
Illness during examination
Conclusion of examination
Section 13 - Conditions for Online Examinations
Timing of Examinations
Interruptions during examination
Section 14 - Materials in Examinations
Nominated materials permitted in examinations
Use of dictionaries in examinations
Use of personal electronic devices in examinations
Mobile Phones
In-person examinations
Online examinations
Watches
Materials left outside examination room
Section 15 - Availability of Lecturer in Charge
In-person examinations
Computer-based In person examinations
Examinations conducted in a clinical or science laboratory
Examinations with approved electronic devices
Section 16 - Interruption to In-person Examinations
Top of PageSection 17 - Interruption to Online Examinations
Section 18 - Examination Adjustments for Students with Disabilities or Medical Conditions
Permanent disability and/or chronic medical condition
Unexpected temporary disability or medical condition
Notification of examination adjustment and special adjustment requirements
Section 19 - Collection of In-person Examination Papers
Section 20 - Missing Examination Papers, Writing Booklets or Answer Sheets
Top of PageSection 21 - Deferred Examinations
Central Deferred Examinations
Application
Determination of Application for a Deferred Central Examination
School-based Deferred Examination
Application
Determination of Application for a Deferred School-based Examination
Evidence in Support of Application for Deferred Examination
Limit on Number of Deferrals
Top of PageSection 22 - Publication of Past Examination Papers
Section 23 - Breach of Policy
Expulsion from examination room for in-person examinations
Report and investigation
Section 24 - Roles and Responsibilities
Student Responsibilities
Staff Responsibilities
Section 25 - Recordkeeping
Section 26 - Schedules
Schedule 1 - Examination Venue Standards
Top of PageSection 27 - Revisions to this Policy
Top of Page
Date
Major, Minor or Editorial
Description of Revision(s)
23 May 2018
Minor
Amendment to wording around Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE)
Feb 2019
Minor
Nov 2020
Update to Policy and procedures in line with current processes, to have terminology that is inclusive of both in-person and online examinations.
17 August 2022
Minor
Amendments in line with current processes and considering outstanding feedback from last review.
12 May 2023
Minor
Amendment to include advice on bathroom breaks
Section 28 - Associated Information
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[1] An authorised person in this circumstance would normally be limited to a candidate for that examination, a Lecturer in Charge or nominee, or a member of staff of Student Administration. Authorised visitors should acknowledge the supervisor’s need to maintain examination integrity and must follow the supervisor’s directions.
[2] The Lecturer in Charge should be aware that bilingual dictionaries normally include the meaning of words in the foreign language.