On the day

For on campus examinations, there are procedures in place to help deal with any unusual or special circumstances that may arise on the day.

Admission to the examination room

Students must bring their student ID card to each examination as well as necessary writing implements and any other required materials (as advised by the school). No unauthorised materials can be taken into the assessment room.

Students will have been notified of their allocated seat number for each assessment on the personal assessment timetable available online. Seating lists will also be posted outside each venue to allow students to look up their seat number if they don't already know it. Invigilators will allow students to enter the room a few minutes before the start of the assessment. Students must sit in the seat allocated to them.

Students arriving within 60 minutes after the start of an assessment will be admitted to the room and allowed to sit the assessment, although they will not be permitted extra time.

Identification in assessments

A University student ID card is the only form of identification accepted for assessments. Students without a University ID card will be allowed to sit the assessment, however, their details will be recorded and an identification check will be carried out on the student in the venue (this may require the student to remain in the venue after the assessment has finished). If they attempt to attend further assessments without their card, they may be excluded from that assessments. Students will need to know their student ID number as this is required to complete each script book.

Please note the ID card is an official University document and should not be tampered with in any way (e.g. the printed photo should not be covered or replaced with a different photo, the published dates on the card should not be amended etc). Tampering with the ID card may be considered cheating.

If a student has lost their student ID card, they will need to obtain a new one. Information on this can be found on the Student Card webpage.

Procedures and requirements during an assessment

Invigilators will instruct and monitor students on assessment procedures and requirements. Where a student has a concern, they should raise a hand and wait for assistance but must not leave their seat.

During an assessment, students must not:

speak
communicate with other students
copy another student's notes
refer to any unauthorised material or text.

Mobile phones and other electronic communications equipment must be switched off, with all preset alarms disabled and placed in the plastic bags provided on the desks. Any phones or pagers will be confiscated if found on a student or on or near their desk during the assessment, and its presence may be regarded as cheating.

Departure from the assessment room is not permitted during the first hour or the last 10 minutes of the allocated time. Where temporary leave from the room is required, a student must be accompanied by an invigilator. Candidates who wish to leave the room before the end of the assessment are required to raise their hand to ask permission. They should not be permitted to leave until the invigilator is satisfied that a script book has been completed. The invigilator must also note on the top of the script book the time the candidate left. If more than one script book has been completed, these should be fastened together with a treasury tag. Penalties apply where any of these are not observed.

It was agreed by the Taught Student Education Board that:

No assessments should be postponed in the event of a delay greater than 30 minutes.
The module leader/member of the teaching team should attend the assessment venue(s) at least 10 minutes before the assessment starts and for the first 10 minutes of the assessment.
Contact details will be provided against every assessment paper to ensure that queries (arising after the first 10 minutes) can be managed.

Academic staff are not required to attend any part of the August re-assessment period or to be on stand-by to deal with assessment related queries, though one or the other would be helpful.

Use of dictionaries during assessments

Candidates are only allowed to take a dictionary into the assessment if it is specifically stated on the rubric of the assessment paper (the instructions on the front of the assessment paper) that it is permitted. Students should check with their Module Leader before the assessment whether or not they are permitted to use a dictionary in that assessment.

Module Leaders should ensure that if a translation dictionary is required to complete the assessment that they instruct their students accordingly on the regulation.

Where a dictionary is permitted, it must not be annotated, augmented or otherwise altered in any way apart from the inclusion of the owner's name inside the front cover. Annotations include, for example, notes (including single words), cross-references, highlighted text or underlined text. Any annotation other than the owner's name on the inside cover will be considered an attempt to introduce an 'unauthorised' item into the assessment room under the Cheating, Plagiarism, Fraudulent or Fabricated Coursework and Malpractice in University Examinations and Assessments Regulations. (See the Procedure webpage for information.)

Students are responsible for the dictionary they bring to the assessment. To claim it is borrowed or second hand will not be an acceptable defence.

Electronic translators are not permitted.

All venues will be supplied with a basic English Language Dictionary that students may request to use by raising their hand and speaking to the Invigilator during the assessment.

Emergencies during an assessment

Invigilators will instruct students where any emergency issues arise. Invigilators have permission to allow an extra 10 minutes of assessment time for students to regain concentration after a substantial interruption. The Assessment & Progress Manager or Officer must be informed if any extra time has been given. More extra time may only be allowed with the approval of the Assessment & Progress Manager or Officer.

Leaving an assessment

Candidates are not permitted to leave an assessment in the first 60 or last 10 minutes. An invigilator will let candidates know when there is 10 minutes assessment time remaining and then call an end to each assessment when the time is up. At this point, students must stop writing and remain quietly in their seat while all answer books are collected. Assessment papers printed on white may be taken away by the student, however all other assessment papers, which are the property of the University, must be left in the assessment room. Students are not permitted to remove script books from the room and must remain seated until all scripts have been collected and the invigilator announces that they are free to leave.

Absence from an assessment

Where a student does not or cannot attend an assessment, he or she should immediately inform their parent and teaching schools. Evidence supporting the absence, such as a medical certificate, must be included. Unless exceptional reasons prevail, notification submitted after five working days after an assessment period will not be considered.

Special circumstances room

A special circumstances room is available for students with particular study concerns such as a disability or health problem or unavoidable clash.

Students who have a disability or health problems and require location in the special circumstances room will normally have the prior approval of their school and the Leeds Student Medical Practice or the Disabilities Adviser. Such students will be advised of special procedures by the Assessment & Progress Team (A&P).

In the case of an unavoidable clash, the student will be advised of special procedures by A&P. This will involve sitting both of the clashing papers in the special circumstances room.

Illness during an assessment

If a candidate is ill during the assessment, they will have the following options:

Taking a few minutes out and carrying on when they feel better, but with no extra time.
Going to the special circumstances room and getting the rest of time in full once they feel well enough to continue.
Stopping completely and applying to resit - they must get a doctor’s note to cover their illness if they wish consideration to be given to that re-assessment counting as a first attempt.

If a candidate does not wish to continue in the main assessment room, the invigilator will take them to the nearest A&P sub-office with their paper and script books, unless the nature of the illness prevents such.

Where health permits, the student may then be able to continue the assessment in the special circumstances room with extra time as appropriate.

In all cases, the circumstances will be reported to A&P and the appropriate school.

Late arrival

If a student arrives within the first 60 minutes of an assessment, they will be admitted but will not be allowed any extra time. They will be asked to complete a Late Arrivals form giving their reason for lateness and this will be sent to the school for consideration during marking and moderation and will assist in any decisions about the award of first attempts. Examiners may also take the decision not to accept the reasons for the late arrival and award a grade of AB for the assessment concerned.

If a student arrives after the first 60 minutes of an assessment, they will be escorted to the main A&P sub-office where, in consultation with A&P, a decision will be made as to whether the circumstances leading to the late arrival are sufficiently serious and beyond the student's control to justify them being granted permission to start the assessment late. If permission is granted, a decision will also be made regarding the arrangements under which the assessment will be conducted. Examiners may take the decision not to accept the reasons for the late arrival and award a grade of AB for the assessment concerned.

If a student arrives after the assessment has finished, they will not be permitted to take the assessment under any circumstances and will be recorded as absent for that assessment.

Adverse weather conditions

In the event of adverse weather, it should be assumed that assessments will continue as timetabled. Where a student claims to be affected by such conditions, this information should be registered within both the school and A&P (via the email address examinations@leeds.ac.uk) as soon as possible after the missed assessment(s) and where claims are verified, special arrangements can then be made to enable such students to complete their assessment(s). However if after the day of the assessment the school must be notified no more than three working days after the missed assessment(s). The school will decide if this information is acceptable to request a first attempt in August.