Charles Sturt University Handbook 2002

The Director, Student Administration is responsible for the conduct of all official examinations of the University. Official examinations are those conducted in the examination periods.

In Autumn and Spring sessions, a two-week period will be set aside at the end of the teaching period for the conduct of official or final examinations. Examinations may be held during this period on a Saturday and in the evening. Summer session examinations will be held in week following the last week of Summer session classes.

The examination periods for Autumn Spring and Summer session, and for supplementary examinations for each session will be specified each year in the Principal Dates.

The Examinations Office shall publish an examination timetable for all subjects in which there is a final examination or supplementary examination.

Students with an examination clash are required to notify the Examinations Officer to resolve such clashes. Such notification may be in writing or by telephone and must be not later than the dates specified each year in the principal dates.

Where students are affected by an examination clash, one of their examinations may be rescheduled such that they can take both examinations on the same day. Students will be supervised during the break between such examinations.

Students may lodge an objection to an examination timetable if it requires them to sit for:

three 2 or 3-hour examinations on the same day; or
four 2 or 3-hour examinations on two consecutive days; or
a 2 or 3-hour examination on the evening of one day followed by a 2 or 3-hour examination on the morning of the following day.

Objections must be lodged in writing with the Examinations Officer no later than the dates specified each year in the Principal Dates.

Except where a supplementary or special examination is approved, students may not take a final examination at any time other than on the day and at the time it is timetabled. Students sitting examinations in a different time zone to eastern Australia will commence their examinations at times approved by the Examinations Officer.

Internal students are expected to attend their examinations at the University except where course requirements necessitate their absence from the University during the examination period.

Distance education students living within 120 kilometres of an established examination centre are expected to attend that centre.

Students using overseas examination centres may be required to meet all costs associated with such examinations.

Where an examination centre is established, the University will appoint a Presiding Invigilator and such other invigilators necessary to supervise the conduct of the examinations. The University shall meet any cost of the invigilation at examination centres.

In the case of individual examinations conducted outside the University and its established examination centres, the cost of providing an invigilator may be charged to the students concerned.

Internal students who because of course requirements will be absent from the University during the examination period must apply to the Examinations Officer at least six weeks before the start of the examination period, to sit their examination at another centre.

The Director, Student Administration after consultation with the Head of the teaching School, may permit an internal student to sit for a supplementary examination at an external examination centre or at a different campus of the University.

Distance education students must apply to the Examinations Officer at least six weeks before the start of the examination period to change their examination centre. A change of address does not automatically bring about a change of examination centre.

Requests for a change of examination centre received within six weeks of the start of an examination period will be processed in time for that examination period if accompanied by the appropriate late fee. Requests received within two weeks of the examination period will be processed only in exceptional circumstances and with the approval of the Director, Student Administration.

Candidates shall provide their own writing instruments at an examination and may provide for their own use any approved items or materials to be supplied by candidates.

The University shall not supply instruments items or materials which are designated to be supplied by candidates.

Unless advised to the contrary for a particular examination, candidates shall not take the following materials or items in to the examination room:

writing, blotting, tissue or other paper;
dictionaries excepting multi or bi-lingual general dictionaries;
textbooks and other reference material;
calculators;
electronic devices including diaries, organisers, dictionaries, laptop or palmtop computers;
mobile telephones or other communication devices.

Where some of the materials or items in clause 7.1.2 above are permitted in a particular examination, the following conditions will apply:

calculators - must be portable, silent, self powered and fit on a standard examination table and must be used for numerical calculations only;
texts and references must be limited to those specified for the examination and may be subject to further restrictions imposed by the subject convenor. Such restrictions will be printed on the examination paper;
dictionaries - where dictionaries are permitted in a particular examination they must be in printed not electronic form. The dictionaries must contain no notes or other annotations.
Candidates may use multi or bi-lingual general dictionaries in any examination other than those where such dictionaries are specifically prohibited.

the subject is a language subject;
it can be shown that a candidate will derive an unfair advantage that outweighs any possible disadvantage arising from the prohibition;
clear and concise notice of the prohibition is given on the course outline for that subject;
such a prohibition has been approved by the Dean of the teaching Faculty on advice of the Faculty Board.

All materials taken into an examination room shall be subject to checking as follows:

(i) a check for unauthorised material will commence when students enter the examination room;

(ii) once students are seated, the principal invigilator will advise students that their examination materials are being checked and will ask them to check that they have not brought into the examination room any unauthorised material and that if they have, to raise their hand so that it can be collected from them before reading time commences;

iii) checking for unauthorised material will continue during reading time, at which time such unauthorised material will be removed from students; and

iv) where materials suspected of being unauthorised are discovered after the commencement of the examination itself, the student will be permitted to retain them for the duration of the examination but at the end of the examination the materials will be held by the principal invigilator and submitted to the Manager of the Examinations Office with an Incident Report Form.

Where unauthorised material is deemed to have been used, the matter will be investigated under the Student Academic Misconduct Rule.

Candidates shall bring with them to the examination room their University identity card. Students shall produce or keep displayed their card in accordance with any direction given by notice displayed in the examination room, by direction of an examination book, or by the Presiding Invigilator. If the University identity card is not available, then a passport, driver's licence, or some other means of identification which bears the candidate's signature and photograph must be produced.

Where a student is unable to provide an approved means of personal identification at an examination, the following procedures apply:

(i) the Presiding Invigilator shall request the student to provide personal information on the prescribed form which shall be attached to the student's worked examination script;

(ii) the Examinations Office shall detach the form from the worked script (which will be sent for marking with all other scripts for that examination) and will check the information provided on the form against the information held on the student's file and indicate any discrepancies or certify its correctness;

(iii) the form, appropriately annotated by the Examinations Office will be forwarded to the Head of the teaching School for information;

(iv) if on the basis of the annotated form the Head of School has reason to believe that the person who sat the examination was not the student, the matter shall be referred to the Dean for investigation under Assessment Regulation 5 relating to Academic Misconduct.

Candidates may take into the examination room a small handbag, a wallet or purse which must be placed on the floor next to the candidate's desk. Briefcases, attache cases, shopping bags and other property or personal effects must not be taken into the examination room but may be left, at the owner's risk, in an area set aside for such items.

The doors of the examination room will be opened in sufficient time prior to the commencement of all examinations to enable candidates to take advantage of reading time allowed. At the conclusion of reading time the invigilator will direct candidates to complete the attendance voucher and to commence the examination. Candidates for an examination shall, upon entering an examination room, proceed without delay to such place as they are directed by the invigilator to occupy for that examination.

Candidates may be admitted late to an examination room. Such candidates will not be given an extension of time to complete the examination. Only in exceptional circumstances will candidates be admitted more than 30 minutes after the start of an examination and their names shall be reported to the Examinations Officer by the Presiding Invigilator.

Candidates shall not have any communication whatsoever with other candidates from the time of entering until leaving the examination room. Candidates wishing to communicate with an invigilator shall do so by raising their hand and waiting for attention.

Candidates shall observe all instructions issued by an invigilator and all instructions printed on the attendance voucher, examination paper, answer booklets or answer sheets.

Candidates shall not leave an examination room (except in the case of illness when they shall be accompanied by an invigilator) within the first 30 minutes of the examination. Likewise, candidates shall not leave an examination room during the last 15 minutes of the examination.

Candidates shall not remove from an examination room any writing paper or other issued material during a temporary absence from the examination room, nor at the conclusion of the examination. Any material so removed will be automatically void.

An exception to this is examination question papers printed on white (not coloured) paper which may be removed by candidates at the end of an examination.

Candidates who leave an examination room without supervision shall not be permitted to re-enter the examination room until the examination session is concluded and all other candidates have left the examination room.

Candidates may seek permission to temporarily leave an examination room. Such absences shall be granted subject to the candidate being supervised while absent and on condition that the candidate is not granted extra time in which to complete the examination.

The Presiding Invigilator shall indicate when 30 minutes of examination time remains. On the announcement, "stop writing", candidates will stop writing immediately and remain seated until the answer booklets and papers have been collected by an invigilator.

If, in the opinion of the Presiding Invigilator, a candidate's behaviour is such as to disturb or distract any other candidate, the Presiding Invigilator may require the offending candidate to leave the examination room and will report the circumstances in writing to the Director, Student Administration as soon as possible.

Alleged breaches of discipline and misconduct at an examination will be referred to the Dean of the teaching Faculty for investigation and decision as provided for in Assessment Regulation 5.

Students who suffer from a physical disability or other handicap which may be a disadvantage in written examinations may apply in writing to the Examinations Officer after admission but no later than six weeks before the commencement of an examination period, for special conditions or provisions to apply when their examinations are taken.

A medical certificate or report or other documentation (see Special Consideration Regulation 5.1) specifying the severity and duration of the disability or handicap and its effect on a student's ability to take examinations must accompany the application.

Note: this clause applies only to events during the examination period and the preceding week. Misadventure which occurred earlier in a session is covered in Assessment Regulation 7.

were prevented by misadventure or extenuating circumstances from attending an examination in a subject; or
immediately prior to an examination suffered misadventure or extenuating circumstances which they believe seriously prejudiced performance at the examination; or
were to a substantial degree adversely affected by misadventure or extenuating circumstances during the course of an examination,

they should report the matter on an Incident Report form or in writing as required by Special Consideration Regulation 4.6.

Where a report is made in writing it must be received by the Examinations Office within three days of the date of the examination (excluding weekends and public holidays) (or within such further time as the Head of the teaching School may in special cases permit). Where students are personally unable to take the action required by this clause, other persons may report the circumstances on the students’ behalf.

As Admission Regulation 4.5 expects a level of proficiency in the English language, it is expected that the level of proficiency will be of a standard whereby a student is able to undertake examinations in normal conditions.

Reports of misadventure and extenuating circumstances must be documented as required in Special Consideration Regulation 5.

First year students in identifiable minority groups who may be disadvantaged in examination venues may apply in writing to the Examination Officer after admission but no later than six weeks before the commencement of an examination period, for the use of an alternative non-threatening venue for their examinations.

The student’s application must specify how the examination venue is likely to adversely affect the students ability to take their examination.

Applications for an alternative non-threatening examination location will be referred by the Examination Officer to the Presiding Officer of Academic Senate for approval.

Applications for special consideration lodged under Examination Regulation 8.1 shall be referred to the Head of School. Where the Head of School believes that a student's disability would disadvantage the student in an examination conducted under normal conditions, the Head of School may approve special conditions for the student (see clause 10.1 below).

Applications for special consideration lodged under clause 8.2 above shall be referred to the Subject Coordinator who may take into account the circumstances when the School Assessment Committee is formulating a recommendation on the student's final grade in the subject to the Faculty Assessment Committee or who may recommend to the Head of the teaching School that:

a supplementary examination be granted for the student; or
a grade be awarded on some other basis; or
no action be taken and the student's performance stand.

Applications for special consideration lodged under clause 8.2 above will not normally be approved if they fail to satisfy the requirements of Special Consideration Regulation 3 or where:

a student's routine work commitments prevent attendance at an official examination; or
a student missed an official examination by mis-reading the examination timetable.

Special examinations are those examinations approved by a Head of School under clause 9.1 above where special conditions are approved for students who suffer a permanent or prolonged disability. Special conditions may include, for example:

an extension of time to write the paper;
appointment of an amanuensis;
an oral examination;
permission to record answers on tape;
the provision of special furniture;
permission to use a typewriter;
permission to use a microcomputer (to be supplied by the University-students may not use their own microcomputer in an examination);
permission to take the examination at a special location (at the student's home, in a hospital).

Where special examinations are approved, the Examinations Officer will advise students in writing of the conditions under which the examinations will be conducted.

Supplementary examinations are examinations granted on the basis of misadventure or extenuating circumstances which prevented a student sitting an official examination or which adversely affected the student’s performance in an official examination.

Where supplementary examinations are approved under clause 9.2 above, the Examinations Officer will advise students in writing and will conduct the examinations.

have the same weight in determining the final grade in the subject as the official examination;
be of a standard of difficulty equivalent to that of the official examination.

Where a student suffers misadventure or extenuating circumstances at a supplementary examination, the Subject Coordinator shall recommend to the Head of the teaching School that:

the student be granted approved withdrawal (AW); or
a grade be awarded on the basis of performance in the supplementary examination; or
the student be required to sit for another supplementary examination in which case the student will sit the final examination in the subject in the session when the subject is next offered or, if the subject will not be offered again, in the next final examination period; or
in exceptional circumstances a grade be awarded to the student on some basis other than performance in the supplementary examination.