Proctoring

Scheduling and Examination Services (SES) usually sends out an email with instructions and information regarding final exams in advance of the exam period. Here are some important details to keep in mind:

  • Instructors are responsible for invigilating their own exams.
  • Additional invigilators are required for each additional group of 50 students. For classes over 50 students with a teaching assistant, please include proctoring the final examination as one of the teaching assistant duties and account for the hours when signing off on the TA Assignment of Duties.
  • If you have difficulty providing this level of invigilation support, please consult with your Department / Unit head.
  • It is important to note that if you are unable to invigilate, it is your responsibility to make arrangements for alternate supervision and to inform your Chair or Director of these arrangements.
  • Exam Services requires instructors to arrive at the exam site a half hour before the exam start time.
  • E-proctoring for remotely-delivered examinations must be approved by the Dean following a request to SES by using the e-Proctoring application form. Consult the e-proctoring instructor website for term deadlines. Course Instructors considering using e-Proctoring must include a statement on e-Proctoring in their course outlines. Information for students can be found on the SES e-Proctoring overview page.

Scheduling

All tests and examinations (excepting laboratory examinations, oral and slide tests) are subject to the following scheduling rules, as set out in Article 4.1 of the Undergraduate Regulations and Article 9 of the Graduate Regulations.

Term work, including end-of-term assignment (final papers)

The latest due date for term work for full- and late-term courses is last day of classes for the term, as prescribed by the Academic Year schedule.

As an alternative for end-of-term assignments (term papers) only, instructors may also:

  1. Follow the practice for “take-home” examinations that are not formally scheduled. Term papers are then due on the last day of the formal exam period.
  2. Formally schedule the term paper during the formal exam period with Scheduling and Examination Services. Term papers would then be written over a range of time (e.g., four days) with a specified due date during the formal exam period, as determined by Scheduling and Examination Services.

Tests and Examinations

  1. Tests and examinations given in class must not exceed the time allotted for the class.
  2. The schedule for any term tests or examinations held outside of class time must be communicated in the course outline. Students who are unable to write during this scheduled time must be accommodated before the last day of class.
  3. If there is a final or end-of-term examination in a multi-term course, this examination will be held in the official examination period. This applies to FYSMs as well as to lecture courses. If there is a final examination in the summer term, it will be held during the official examination period.
  4. No summative tests or final exams may be held during the last two weeks of the term, or during the last week of each half of summer term. Practical exams, where the material cannot be tested during formal examination period, are exempt from this rule provided (i) students are made aware of the practical exam requirement at the start of the term via the course outline, and (ii) the examination contributes to no more than 15% of the final grade. If provision (i) above is met but the examination comprises more than 15% of the final grade, Dean approval is required prior to informing students via the course outline.
  5. Formative tests may be held during the last two weeks of classes of fall or winter, or during the last week of each half of the summer term, provided they do not total more than 15% of the final grade. Note that formative assessments are those carried out during the course that act to provide feedback and guidance to the student in addition to assessing the student’s performance. Summative assessments, by contrast, are those carried out at the end of a course or the end of specific components of a course whose sole purpose is to constitute a judgement on a student’s performance in the course or a specific component of the course.
  6. Take-home examinations in any term are normally assigned on or before the last day of classes and are due on the last day of the official examination period. Final take-home examinations not set according to this normal practice must be formally scheduled by Scheduling and Examination Services and are subject to overload rules.  In all cases instructors must clearly communicate the rules for take-home examinations to students.

In-Person Exam Administration for Online/HyFlex Courses and Distance Exams

Scheduling and Examination Services is offering in-person exam administration for in-term tests/midterms for those courses designated as online or HyFlex. SES will provide scheduling (i.e., conflict-free date and time), space booking, and proctoring to assist with your assessment.

If your online course will require an in-person assessment, it must be stated clearly in the course outline, specifying that it will take place outside of class time (which can include Friday evening, Saturday or Sunday). If you are interested in this service, you must notify SES by submitting a request via the in-term exam data collection form before the stipulated deadlines.

Note that this process pertains only to in-term tests or midterms. If you require an in-person final exam (or December midterm for full year courses) for your online course, you should communicate this information to your departmental administrator.

Students who are taking an online or HyFlex class and who are living/studying outside of the Ottawa area can apply to write at a distance. More information on Distance Exam services, including important eligibility criteria and deadlines, can be found on the Distance Exams overview page. If you have further questions, please reach out to onlineexams@carleton.ca.

Fall and Winter Breaks

Normally, instructors cannot require students to be on campus, or to submit coursework, during the Fall and Winter break weeks and during the weekends immediately prior to and immediately following the break weeks. If exceptional circumstances necessitate holding a test during these periods, such a test can only be scheduled for the Saturday prior to the break and must be announced on the course outline distributed at the beginning of the term. Online examinations may continue to be scheduled on the Saturday prior to the break week as required.

In-class Examinations (tests, quizzes)

In-class tests are not normally written under full examination conditions (official proctors, etc). However, the same rules apply to tests as to examinations and take-home examinations. Please inform students before tests and quizzes of the rules.

  • If a student has unauthorized material, take it away and allow the student to continue writing.
  • If a student appears to be copying from another student, please separate them by asking one of the students to move.
  • Write a report of the incident including date, time, circumstances and any confiscated material, attach a memo alleging a violation of examination rules and submit the dossier to your chair/director for action.
  • Important reminder: In all cases of suspected academic offences, the student(s) must be allowed to complete the test, quiz, and examination.

Take-home Examinations 

If you plan to give a take-home examination in your course, note the scheduling rules above.

  • You need to specify clearly whether or not it is open-book and how you want sources to be cited.
  • If you intend that all written work on the take-home be that of the individual student, include a specific directive stating this.
  • If group preparation is acceptable, but all answers must be written by the individual acting alone, then you need to state this very clearly in your course outline and, preferably, in the assignment guidelines/instructions.

Academic offences can be minimized by clear communication of your expectations.

Scantron Examinations

Instructors are to pick up their scantron examinations from TLS after the grades have been processed.