The purpose of this procedure for Institutional Policy DO-05: Student Examinations is to provide a fair and secure exam environment for students.
This procedure applies to all Year 1 and Year 2 course computer-based assessments. Faculty responsible for such exams will define them in the syllabus for each course. The Clinical Evaluation Center will set the procedures for administering the OSCEs, and the Office of National Boards and Exam Center will determine the procedures for administering the required qualifying exams as defined in Institutional Policy DO-14: Promotion Requirement National Board Exam - COMLEX and its associated procedure.
WVSOM reserves the right to amend this procedure at any time, as necessary or appropriate.
A representative from the Exam Center and Information Technology (IT) will be present at each computer-based exam. A Head Proctor and/or faculty member may also be present.
Students will be notified of pre-exam procedures via email from the Office of National Boards and Exam Center.
On the day of the exam, each student must bring the WVSOM issued laptop, power supply, Ethernet connected adaptor, and other optional and/or approved devices to the exam venue at the time designated for the exam by the Course Director.
If a student requires noise cancellation devices, foam ear plugs are preferred. Other headphones must be approved in advance by Director of the Exam Center or designee.
If a student experiences technical problems on the day of the exam, the Exam Center and/or IT department representative will attempt to address the issue prior to the start of the exam within a reasonable amount of time. The student will not lose any time from the exam because of any such delay. If the issue cannot be resolved, the student will be provided a loaner laptop or paper copy of the exam.
If students are provided a paper copy of the exam, answers may be submitted on a scantron sheet or the paper copy of the exam, at the discretion of the Director of the Office of National Boards and Exam Center and/or the Associate Dean for Preclinical Education. Once students have been provided a paper copy of the exam, they must finish the entire exam in that format and will be allowed the full exam time. Students who must take the exam on paper, unless the entire class does so, will be relocated to a different venue but all exam policies and procedures will apply.
Particular items are subject to the following restrictions. Any attempt to bring information or items not permitted into the exam venue will not be tolerated and may result in disciplinary action.
Headwear/Clothing:
No hats or caps may be worn and hoodies may not be in the raised position.
Headbands are permitted but must not be continuously touched or adjusted.
Religious items such as head coverings, Rosary beads, Kabbalah bracelets, etc. are permitted in the exam venue after being approved in advance by the Director of ONBEC. Similar to any other clothing or jewelry, any religious items allowed to be worn in the exam venue must remain on the person at all times and must not be continuously touched or adjusted.
No wristwatches, including smart watches, can be worn.
No sunglasses are permitted on the face or head.
No electronic or wireless devices except for the computer and approved accessories may be brought into the exam venue.
No personal items can be in the testing area. This includes keys, wallets, cell phones, backpacks, snacks, and beverages.
Computers must sit completely on the desktop for the entire exam; students are not permitted to hold the computer in their lap during the exam.
Students should not engage in behavior that might be construed as cheating. Such behavior includes, but is not limited to: placing the chair away from the desktop and computer in such a way that would allow observation of other students’ computer screens, glancing from side to side often, and staring away from the student’s computer screen for long periods of time.
All exams are monitored via audio and video means.
Upon entering the exam venue, the student will adhere to on-campus testing procedures as defined by The Exam Center. These may include, but are not limited to, seating location, access to testing supplies, and assessment access/testing protocols.
A representative from the Exam Center, or designee, will determine when the exam may begin.
To start the exam:
the password will be displayed;
students are not to begin the exam until instructed to do so by the Exam Center representative, or designee; and
after being instructed to begin the exam, the student will enter the exam password in the appropriate box and start the assessment.
Any student who arrives more than 5 minutes after the exam has started will not be permitted to enter the exam venue; that student must go to the Office of Preclinical Education and receive instructions from the Associate Dean or designee. The Associate Dean or designee will seat the student in a manner which will not disturb other students. If the student does not have an excusable reason, no additional time will be allowed on the exam.
If a student experiences a technical or other issue after the exam has begun, the student will make the Exam Center representative/designee aware of the problem while not disturbing other students. If an issue occurs:
Actions will be taken to resolve the issue in a reasonable amount of time. If the issue is resolved, the student will start/resume the exam and be allowed full time to complete the exam.
If the issue cannot be resolved in a reasonable amount of time, the student will be given a paper copy of the exam and will be compensated for any time lost due to the issue.
Students who experience technical or other issues may be moved to a separate testing venue to continue the exam.
For any technical or other issue, the initial time in the student test log may be used to determine any extra time the student will be provided for the entire exam.
In extraordinary circumstances where a significant portion of the class experiences computer software or network issues, the Associate Dean for Preclinical Education or designee in consultation with the Director of the Office of National Boards and Exam Center, may choose to reschedule the examination if rescheduling can be done with minimal disruption to course schedules. If rescheduling is not a viable option, they may require the entire class to take the exam using printed exams (with answers recorded either on scantron sheets or on the paper copy of the exam itself). In such a case, a paper exam will be distributed to each student and students will be provided the full amount of time allocated for the exam.
Break time allowed for an assessment and instructions on how to use the break time will be defined in the pre-exam procedures sent to students. The student may only leave the exam venue during a permitted break or at the end of the exam.
Students must stay in designated areas during breaks. Leaving the building is prohibited.
Students may not:
talk to one another during breaks;
refer to notes or any other materials (electronic or otherwise) during breaks; or
use any electronic devices during breaks without approval of a proctor.
In the case of an emergent situation with a student (as with illness or a health issue), the student may be permitted to leave the exam venue before the block is completed. This permission will be granted by the Exam Center personnel or designee.
After completing the exam, each student will:
submit the exam and upload the test; and
collect their permissible belongings from the seating area with a minimum of noise and distraction; have a proctor check that the upload has occurred; and leave the building.
Given the time constraints of both the TBL IRAT and anatomy lab practical exams, any student who experiences computer issues will immediately be issued a paper copy of the test and allowed the appropriate time designated for the assessment.
Accommodations for examinations will be made in accordance with WVSOM’s Health and Technical Standards and Institutional Policy DO-06: Accommodations for Examinations.
Students who are granted testing accommodations may be tested in an exam venue separate from the class in general, as designated by the chair of the Accommodations Committee in consultation with the Director of the Office of National Boards and Exam Center. These students will be subject to the same exam conditions as the class, unless otherwise noted.
Except under extreme circumstances, exams will be administered on-campus. In the event that course exams cannot be held on campus, students will be notified of the Off-Campus Exam Protocol, which may include students taking their course exams in their home environment. Exam Center and IT technical support will be provided via electronic communications as described within the Off-Campus Exam Protocol.
Students must maintain internet at their off-campus testing location for testing and studying purposes, and WVSOM shall have final discretion over any student off-campus testing locations.
Students must immediately contact the Exam Center per the Exam protocol to alert the staff of any exam related concerns.
One-time secure, proctored review of computer-based summative assessments including anatomy practical assessments will occur at a scheduled time defined by the Director of ONBEC and the course director, ideally within 3 business days of the exam.
Students will be permitted to review only their incorrect items and the rationales for each of those items.
Final exams occurring immediately prior to a reassessment period may only be reviewed at a scheduled session on the first day of the scheduled reassessment period. No assessment can otherwise be reviewed during the remediation or reassessment periods.
Students may not record exam questions or answers in any way, or take any notes. All security measures described in Section 3.7 will apply to exam reviews.
There will be no testing center review sessions for TBL iRATS or formative assessments.
One-on-one review with ASPIRE as part of a counseling session may be available at the discretion of a learning specialist. One-on-one review of practical assessments with an appropriate faculty member may also be available as part of an improvement plan
Individual exam review may not occur during reassessment or remediation periods defined in the academic calendar, unless otherwise determined by the Associate Dean for Preclinical Education.
Students may not record any information related to exam questions during a review..
Any exam violation noted during Year 1 or 2 exams will be reported to the Associate Dean for Preclinical Education and may be grounds for disciplinary action as defined in Institutional Policy DO-01: Academic and Professional Standards.
Students are obligated by Institutional Policy DO-01: Academic and Professional Standards to report any observed exam violations to the Associate Dean for Preclinical Education.