Examination Procedure

Context and purpose

This Procedure prescribes the requirements for examinations and should be read in conjunction with the Assessment Policy and related Procedures.

This Procedure applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate courses with examinations, including [Adelaide University College examinations].

Open Universities Australia (OUA) students must comply with clauses relating to breaches of examination procedures and must also comply with OUA-specific procedures.

Responsibility

The Executive Director, Student and Academic Services or Deputy Vice Chancellor, Student Experience & Success is responsible for organisation-wide adherence to this Procedure.

Procedure

A. General procedures

1. Examinations are undertaken in an approved examination mode. The approved modes are in-person and online. The examination mode for each examination will be stated in the course outline and examination timetable.
2. Unless otherwise indicated, the provisions in this section apply to all examination modes. Exceptions to examination procedures may only be made with the prior approval of the Executive Director, Student and Academic Services.
3. Students will receive advance notice of the scheduled primary examination and, where applicable, any examination in the deferred examination period. All examinations will be scheduled in Australian Central Standard Time (South Australia) (ACST/ACDT as applicable). Students are required to sit their examinations on the scheduled date, time, and location. For further information on eligibility criteria, please refer to the Variations to Assessment Procedure.
4. Students are responsible for knowing their examination dates, times, and locations and, where relevant, travelling to the venue.
5. Students who have an approved [Access Plan] should notify the [Course Coordinator] or [Online Course Facilitator], at the start of teaching for each study period if the plan includes any arrangements for assessments, including examinations.
6. Examination adjustments are organised centrally, and students must follow the published process to have these applied. Failure to give sufficient notice to the [Course Coordinator] or [Online Course Facilitator] may prevent a student from completing an examination or receiving adjustments.
7. Students undertaking an examination must behave in a manner consistent with Adelaide University’s [Student Code of Conduct].
8. Students must not communicate with other students during the examination.
9. Unless it is permitted in the course outline or as an approved variation, a student must not have, or access, anything that could provide them with an advantage during the examination. Examples include, but are not limited to:
   1. electronic devices, including smart watches, wearable devices, and audio devices, other than those devices needed for undertaking the examination
   2. calculators
   3. books, notes or other documents, including dictionaries
   4. other items listed on the relevant [Student Website].
10. Items that are allowed for use in the examination must not be enhanced or tampered with in a way that has the potential to provide an advantage to any student.
11. Reading time will be incorporated into the approved duration for the examination.

B. Invigilated in-person examinations

1. Students may enter the examination room up to 30 minutes after the official start time. However, students who arrive late within this period will not be granted any additional time to complete the exam. Any student who attempts to enter the examination venue more than 30 minutes after the examination has commenced will be denied entry.
2. Every student undertaking an in-person examination must complete the attendance slip provided.
3. All students must display on their desk:
   1. their student identification card, or
   2. If a student does not have their Adelaide University student identification card, an alternative form of government-issued photographic identification, such as a passport or an Australian driver license.
4. Students who have an approved [Access Plan] that includes provisions relating to in-person examinations must display a copy of the [Access Plan] on their desks.
5. Students may enter the examination venue with their mobile phone only to confirm their seat number. After being seated, the phone must be powered off and stored as directed by invigilators and must not be accessed again during the examination.
6. Prior to the examination start time, students are not permitted to open the examination question paper, use a calculator or write in the examination booklets, but may complete attendance slips, and/or fill in details required on the front cover of the examination booklets.
7. Students must not commence writing answers until instructed by an invigilator. All students must stop writing when instructed by an invigilator. At the end of the examination, all students must remain seated until all examination materials have been collected.
8. Students are not permitted to leave the examination room during the first 30 minutes after the published starting time, or during the last ten minutes of any examination.
9. After the start of the exam, a student can request to leave the examination room for a short break. The break is permitted only if approved by an invigilator, and the student will be supervised during their break. The student will not receive additional time to compensate for the time lost during the break.
10. Students intending to leave the examination room permanently must hand all examination booklets, question papers, and examination materials to the invigilator, who will endorse the booklets as correctly identifying the student.
11. Students must not remove any examination question papers, examination booklets, scrap paper or attendance slips from the examination room.
12. Adelaide University must retain examination answer books and attendance slips in confidential storage for a minimum of 12 months following the deadline for finalising results for the relevant study period. After 12 months, these documents should be disposed of or retained in accordance with instructions from the [University’s Records Management Office].

C. Invigilated online examinations

1. All students must complete the [Mandatory System Check] and sit the [Mandatory Training Quiz] prior to each examination period to ensure system requirements are met and to gain familiarity with the process and software used. Students are responsible for ensuring that system requirements are met for all online examinations.
2. All students must participate in an online identity verification process at the beginning of each examination. This will involve:
   1. clear evidence being captured by the invigilation system of their student identification card (or an alternative form of government-issued photographic identification such as a passport or an Australian driver license)
   2. a clear photo being taken by the invigilation system of the student sitting the examination, and
   3. may involve a clear short video recording of the examination room being made by the student at the time of the examination to ensure the room is free of prohibited items or other people.
3. Students may access their mobile phone only to complete the multi-factor authentication (MFA) or to seek IT support.
4. If these conditions are not met, the invigilator will flag this as an examination rule violation and will report a breach.
5. Recorded footage of the online examination will be made available to Adelaide University when required, in accordance with the Privacy Policy and the [Records Management Procedure].
6. Students are responsible for knowing their examination times and are required to log in [10 minutes] before the published start time to complete the identity verification process.
7. Students who log in after the published start time will not be allowed any additional time to complete the examination.
8. Students are not permitted to leave the view of the webcam, turn off their webcam, or turn off their microphone at any time during the examination.
9. Students who experience technical difficulties are permitted to call the [IT Help Desk] but must do so on speakerphone.
10. Students are not permitted to retain a copy of examination questions following completion of an online examination.

D. Breaches of examination procedures in invigilated examinations

1. The invigilator will document and report breaches of examination procedures even if it cannot be demonstrated that the student gained an advantage as a result of the breach. The breach report will be provided to:
   1. the relevant [Course Coordinator] or [Online Course Facilitator] in the case of academic misconduct matters, to be dealt with in accordance with the Academic Integrity Procedure, or
   2. the [Executive Dean], or delegate, in the case of other misconduct matters, or
   3. to all of the staff members listed above if the matter falls into both categories.
2. In the case of in-person examinations, any student disrupting an examination may be dismissed from the examination room at the discretion of the invigilator in charge. If the invigilator in charge determines that a breach of examination procedure has been committed, the student will be informed that the breach will be reported.

Further assistance

• [Exams and Results Enquiries]
• [Student and Academic Services Policy Team]

Definitions used in our procedure

This policy document has been adopted from the University of South Australia and adapted to meet Adelaide University requirements. All definitions have been reviewed and aligned with the Adelaide University glossary to ensure consistency and accuracy. Where terms differ from common usage or legacy terminology, the definitions in the Adelaide University glossary prevail.

Examination means a formally scheduled assessment held under supervised conditions, administered during the primary or deferred examination period, or as otherwise approved by the University. This does not include mid-semester tests or in-class quizzes unless specifically designated by the Course Coordinator as an examination in the course outline and scheduled through central timetabling.

Academic misconduct is any action inconsistent with academic integrity, and may include, but is not limited to, the following:

1. Plagiarism:
   • Directly copying of material from electronic or print resources without acknowledging the source.
   • Closely paraphrasing sentences or whole passages without referencing the original work.
   • Submitting another person’s work in whole or in part.
   • Using another person’s ideas, work, or research data without acknowledgement.
   • Appropriating or imitating another’s ideas.
   • Submitting work for which the student has received or intends to receive credit in the same course or other courses (self-plagiarism).
2. Collusion, such as any unauthorised collaboration in preparation or presentation of work, including knowingly allowing personal work to be copied by others.
3. Contract cheating, which is the outsourcing of assessments to a third party, whether that is a commercial provider, or a non-commercial provider such as a current or former student, family member, or acquaintance.
4. A breach of examination rules that is determined to be a breach of academic integrity.
5. Presenting and/or submitting for assessment documents or data that are copied, falsified, or in any way improperly obtained.
6. Presenting and/or submitting academic work for assessment or review produced through generative artificial intelligence tools unless permitted under assessment guidelines.
7. File sharing such as exchange of assessment questions, answers or notes with other students, or uploading assessment questions to online file sharing sites or study sites.
8. Providing significant assistance to a student in the completion and/or presentation of their academic work.
9. Fabricating or falsifying information or student identity.
10. Offering or accepting bribes for potential academic gain.

Deferred examination period refers to the University’s scheduled period following the primary examination period, primarily used for deferred examinations (deferred exams) and supplementary examinations (supplementary exams). It is a timetabling period, not a separate examination type.

Deferred examinations (deferred exams) refer to a replacement sitting of the same or equivalent examination approved when a student could not sit the primary examination due to approved grounds (e.g., medical, compassionate, or extenuating circumstances). A deferred examination usually runs under equivalent conditions (duration, materials, invigilation/mode) and is scheduled in the deferred examination period (or as otherwise advised).

Examination mode refers to the approach used for delivering and supervising an examination. The University recognises three examination modes:

• In-person: Conducted in an approved venue under supervision, with on-site identity verification and specified permitted materials. The examination has a fixed duration and is managed by invigilators.
• Online: Examinations are conducted remotely with digital proctoring, requiring identity verification and technical requirements (e.g., camera, microphone). They may be scheduled at a fixed date and time or offered within a defined availability window (e.g., within 24 hours). Once commenced, the exam runs for a fixed duration.

Postgraduate program means an academic program of study leading to the conferral of a graduate certificate, graduate diploma, masters degree or doctoral degree.

Primary examination means the first scheduled sitting of an examination for a course/offering.

Student means a person enrolled in an Enabling Program, award or non-award coursework study, a research program, a short course or microcredential at Adelaide University.

Study period is the time over which a course is run, for example a trimester, a semester, or an intensive.

Supplementary examination (supplementary exam) refer to an additional assessment opportunity, offered under the University’s eligibility rules (e.g., borderline results/other specified criteria) to allow students to demonstrate the minimum required learning outcomes. A supplementary examination is typically scheduled in the deferred examination period.

Undergraduate program means an academic program of study leading to a qualification such as an undergraduate certificate, diploma, associate degree or bachelor degree. This includes an honours degree where applicable.

How our procedure is governed

This procedure is categorised, approved and owned in line with the governance structure of Adelaide University and the offices and officers listed below.

Legislation and other documents related to our procedure

This procedure does not assign or confer decision-making authority. Refer to the Delegation Policy for all delegations of authority at Adelaide University.

History of changes

At the time of writing, Adelaide University’s organisational structure, position titles, and committee names have not been confirmed. Square brackets [ ] indicate placeholders for these details. Brackets are also used to identify policy elements that are subject to further decision-making or confirmation. These will be updated once final decisions are made.