Arrangements for Online Exams for Spring and Summer Terms 2021

This is the School's official policy on Online Exams for the Spring and Summer terms 2021.

Online Exams Student Guidance - Spring / Summer 2021 (.pdf)

Policy

For the remainder of the 20/21 academic year, the School will have the following options for online exams. Faculty should choose an appropriate option for their course.

Please note, this information only applies to online exams; it does not apply to assessments labelled “take home exams” which are typically released in advance and/or have longer deadlines.

1. Timed Window Exam - with or without a time restriction (default option)
   1. This option will have one session only which will occur during a specific window. For exams that are less than 6 hours, the window will be 6 hours (total). For exams that are longer than 6 hours, the exam will be the length of the window.
   2. Faculty may choose to apply a time restriction to limit the amount of time students have to complete the exam within the window. For example, faculty may restrict the exam to 2 hours from the time it is first downloaded.
   3. Students will be responsible for completing the exam within the window. For time restricted exams, once the student has accessed the exam, they must complete it before the time ends.

2. Multiple / Asynchronous Exams (alternative option for faculty to choose)
   1. This option will have a minimum of two sessions which occur at scheduled times on a specified day. This includes specified start and finish times for the exam.
   2. Students will be responsible for choosing a session that suits their own schedule and logging into the exam at the start of the session. Once a student has accessed the exam, they must complete it in that session. Any further attempts at the exam will be disregarded.

Process

1. Timed Window Exam - with or without a time restriction (default option)

1. 1. Faculty Requirements:
      1. Faculty will be required to write one exam paper but may write more versions if desired.
      2. Where there is only one version of the exam paper, the normal processes for external examination will continue.
      3. Where faculty write more than one exam paper, all versions must be reviewed by the external examiner to ensure they are of sufficient and equal academic standards.

1. 2. Exam Administration:
      1. The exam window will be fixed and scheduled in advance to accommodate different time zones whilst being within or close to UK business hours so technical support can be provided and staff are not required to work overtime.
      2. The exam window will open and close at set times and will be the same for all students. No changes will be made to start and finish times of the window or the amount of time students have to complete the exam if there is a time restriction, except for students that have Reasonable Adjustments (as confirmed by Wellbeing Services).

1. 3. Submissions Process:
      1. For time restricted exams, an extra 15 minutes will be given for students to complete the submissions process. This will be added to the amount of time that faculty stipulate is required for the exam. Faculty should specify if the 15 minutes has already been included into the total time for the exam.
      2. For exams where students have the full window to complete the exam (i.e. no time restriction) and exams over six hours, no additional time will be given for the submissions process.

2. Multiple / Asynchronous Exams (alternative option for faculty to choose)

1. 1. Faculty Requirements:
      1. Faculty will be required to write a fresh version of the exam paper for each session.
      2. All versions of the exam paper must be reviewed by the external examiner to ensure they are of sufficient and equal academic standards.

1. 2. Exam Administration:
      1. The exam times will be fixed and scheduled in advance to accommodate different time zones whilst being within or close to UK business hours so technical support can be provided and staff are not required to work overtime.
      2. The exam will start and finish at set times and will be the same for all students. No changes will be made to start and finish times of the exam, except for students that have Reasonable Adjustments (as confirmed by Wellbeing Services).

1. 3. Submissions Process:
      1. An extra 15 minutes will be given for students to complete the submissions process. This will be added to the amount of time that faculty stipulate is required for the exam. Faculty should specify if the 15 minutes has already been included into the total time for the exam.

The following decisions made by APC in Autumn 2020 still stand:

1. For exams with restricted time periods, an additional 15 minutes will be provided for students to complete the submissions process. The same will now apply to asynchronous exams. No additional time is given for Timed Window Exams Under 6 Hours or Exams over 6 Hours.
2. The processes agreed by APC in November 2020 for managing late and incorrect submissions remains the same and is applicable to all online exams and courses.