Guidelines for the Conduct of Written Examinations, including Digital Examinations at Uppsala University

1 Introduction

These guidelines concern the conduct of written examinations, including digital examinations, for students enrolled at Uppsala University. For the purposes of these guidelines, examination means, in addition to a written examination at the end of a course, any examination taken for part of a course (a test or similar), but not an examination or test taken as an entry requirement or a diagnostic test.

The guidelines set out the responsibilities and duties of all staff at departments working with all forms of examinations, the Examinations Coordination Office at Uppsala University’s Buildings Division, examination invigilators and candidates, with regard to the conduct of written examinations and the handling of examination papers and answers.

Departments/course coordinators must inform all staff who work with written examinations about the guidelines for the conduct of written examinations.

2 Anonymous examination codes

A system of anonymous examination codes is used for examinations. After registering for an examination, candidates receive an anonymous examination code to take to the examination venue.

When submitting answer sheets, students must give their anonymous examination code on each sheet, in accordance with instructions from the Examinations Coordination Office. Writing the code is part of the examination and must be done within the time allotted for the examination. The anonymity will be lifted when an examination has been assessed, before the examiner decides on final grades.

If there are special reasons for doing so, a disciplinary domain board/faculty board may decide that a certain examination will be conducted without anonymous examination codes. This decision may only be delegated to a dean or to a decision-making body established by the board.

The disciplinary domain board/faculty board determines the procedures for applying anonymous examination codes. If examination places are booked through the Buildings Division’s Examinations Coordination Office, the board’s decision must conform to the instructions of the Examinations Coordination Office.

3 Instructions for candidates

Candidates must register for an examination session at the time and in the manner determined by the department/course coordinator(s), and bring to the examination their own pens, erasers, any aids that are permitted and valid photo ID, for example, a passport, driving licence or national ID card. The ID presented must be an original document (not a copy). A residence permit is not acceptable ID.

• Only candidates who have registered for an examination at the time and in the manner determined by the department/course coordinator(s) may take the examination. However, it is never possible to register for an examination at the examination venue.
• Valid photo ID is required in order to take an examination. No candidate is entitled to take the examination without valid photo ID. For the purpose of confirming the candidate’s identity at the examination session, candidates must show their face. If necessary, an invigilator can conduct an identity check in private. Candidates must display valid photo ID so as to be clearly visible on their examination desks and must present their ID when they hand in their answer sheets.
• If the coordinator for students with disabilities at the Student Affairs and Academic Registry Division has recommended adapted examination procedures for a candidate, the candidate must contact the department/course coordinator(s) at the time and in the manner determined by the department/course coordinator(s) to discuss possible adaptations.
• Written examinations will start at the appointed time. It is therefore important to arrive in good time, so that the invigilators have time to show candidates to their places before the examination begins.
• Before the start of the examination, candidates must leave coats, bags, mobile telephones and other electronic devices in the place indicated by the invigilators. Mobile telephones and other electronic devices must be turned off. If the examination venue is equipped with lockers, mobile telephones and similar devices must be placed in them. While the examination is in progress, bags may only be opened in the presence of an invigilator.
• Candidates are not allowed to leave the room during the first 45 minutes of the examination. Candidates who leave the room while the examination is in progress are not allowed to return.
• Candidates who arrive after the appointed start time must wait outside the examination room until 25 minutes after the appointed start time. Before they are allowed in and shown to their place in the room, they must be informed of the code of conduct during the examination. Candidates who arrive more than 30 minutes after the appointed start time are not permitted to take the examination.
• Candidates may only use the rough paper and answer sheets handed out by the invigilators. Only aids explicitly allowed for the examination papers may be used. In digital examinations, the computers provided in the examination room must be used.
• There must be order and silence in the examination room. Any candidate who fails to comply with the invigilator’s reminders regarding order may be moved by the chief invigilator or asked to withdraw from the examination and leave the room. In that case the candidate must hand in any answer sheets with their anonymous examination code, show valid photo ID, sign the list of registered candidates and have their name ticked off on it.
• If a candidate leaves their desk while the examination is in progress, they must conceal their answers in an appropriate manner so that it is not possible for anyone else to read them.
• Candidates are not allowed to pass aids to one another while the examination is in progress. Candidates must present papers or aids for inspection during the examination if asked to do so. Any candidate who refuses will be deemed to be obstructing the examination and will therefore be ordered to leave the examination room. Any decision to order a candidate to leave will be made by the chief invigilator.
• At the end of the examination, all candidates taking the examination must present valid photo ID and sign the attendance record. This also applies to candidates who hand in a blank answer sheet. When candidates hand in answer sheets, they must have written their anonymous examination code on each sheet. Once the invigilator has counted the number of answer sheets, candidates sign to confirm the number of answer sheets as instructed by the invigilator.
• Under Chapter 10, Section 1 of the Higher Education Ordinance, disciplinary measures, namely, a warning or suspension for up to six months, may be taken against students who:
  • use prohibited aids or other methods to attempt to deceive during examinations or other forms of assessment of study performance;
  • disrupt or obstruct teaching, tests or other activities within the framework of courses and study programmes at the higher education institution.
    Chapter 10, Section 9 of the Higher Education Ordinance states that if there is cause to suspect such offences, the Vice-Chancellor is to be notified. The ViceChancellor will decide whether the matter will be referred to the disciplinary board for a hearing.

4 Instructions for departments/course coordinators

Departments/course coordinators are responsible for organising and conducting written examinations, which means that they must:

• appoint teachers responsible for the written examination;
• book examination places;
• inform students how, when and in what manner they are to register for examinations;
• inform students how the examination will be conducted (digitally or on paper);
• inform candidates for an examination about their duties and responsibilities during the examination;
• inform candidates for an examination about the regulations concerning disciplinary measures in Chapter 10 of the Higher Education Ordinance (see above, Section 3);
• take the same responsibility for external examinees as for their own students.

The responsible department/course coordinator(s) determine whether a written examination will be conducted in an examination room timetabled by the Buildings Division’s Examinations Coordination Office. If the department/course coordinator(s) book examination places through the Examinations Coordination Office, the instructions apply that are set out in Appendix 1, “Booking of examination places”. If the department/course coordinator(s) book examination places and invigilators in some other way, the department/course coordinator(s) have responsibilities equivalent to those set out in Appendix 1.

4.1 Responsible teacher

The teacher must inform the candidates well in advance of the written examination what form the examination will take and what aids are permitted during the examination.

The teacher is responsible for ensuring that a person with knowledge of the examination is available by telephone for the invigilators to consult 30 minutes before the start of the examination and for a period of 90 minutes from that point.

Any teacher appearing in the examination room while the examination is in progress must present identification to the invigilators.

4.2 Secrecy of examination papers

Under Chapter 17, Section 4 of the Public Access to Information and Secrecy Act, information that is included in, or forms the basis of, an examination is subject to secrecy if it may be assumed to be contrary to the purpose of the examination if the information is disclosed. The examination papers (whatever their format) are therefore secret documents up until the time the examination takes place.

4.2.1 Digital examination papers

Responsible staff with access to digital examination papers are responsible for guaranteeing the secrecy of this access.

Drafts, manuscripts and examinations in the process of construction must be passwordprotected and never left open on the computer.

Access to a digital examination system is personal and authorisation and passwords for the allocated role (user category) in a digital examination system must be treated so as to guarantee secrecy.

If printouts are made of examination papers during the preparation of a digital examination, the printouts must be handled under conditions of guaranteed secrecy. They may not be disposed of in a waste basket but should be destroyed using a document shredder.

4.2.2 Printed examination papers

The teacher responsible for the written examination is responsible for delivering the examination manuscript under conditions of guaranteed secrecy to the person responsible for printing the papers.

Examination papers must never be left visible during printing and photocopying.

The examination papers must be kept in a sealed envelope in a space with satisfactory locking arrangements. If a self-sealing envelope is used, the seal should be reinforced with staples. The examination papers must be handed over in a manner that guarantees secrecy.

Examination manuscripts, drafts and the like must be handled under conditions of guaranteed secrecy. They may not be disposed of in a waste basket but should be destroyed using a document shredder.

4.2.3 Handling of examination papers and answers

Appendix 2 states the procedures that apply to the handling of examination papers and answers.

4.3 Transportation of examination papers and answers

If the department/course coordinator(s), against payment of a fee, desire assistance with the transportation to and from an examination room timetabled by the Buildings Division’s Examinations Coordination Office of examination papers, answers and other materials needed to conduct the examination, the department/course coordinator(s) must notify the Examinations Coordination Office of this when booking examination places.

Appendix 3 describes the procedures for transporting examination papers and answers to and from the examination room.

4.4 Review of examinations

If, after the answers have been assessed, a teacher goes through an examination with the students, no one should be allowed to take the original answers out of the room. Falsification of documents can be prevented, for example, by only handing out copies of the answers.

4.5 Archiving and disposal of documents

After the examination, one copy of the examination papers must be preserved. When in the keeping of the department, candidates’ answers are public documents and must be available to anyone who wishes to read them.

Under Swedish National Archives regulations (RA-MS 2017:39), provided that grades have been recorded, answers to questions in written examination papers may be:

• returned to the candidate or
• disposed of two years after grading.

5 Responsibility of the Buildings Division’s Examinations Coordination Office

Instructions for the Buildings Division’s Examinations Coordination Office ahead of, and in connection with, examinations are provided in Appendix 4.

5.1 Invigilators

Where invigilators are engaged through the Buildings Division’s Examinations

Coordination Office, working hours are agreed in advance with the Examinations Coordination Office. Where invigilators are engaged by a department/course coordinator(s), the department is responsible for agreeing on working hours.

If the department/course coordinator(s) book examination places via the Buildings Division’s Examinations Coordination Office, the Examinations Coordination Office will allocate duties to the invigilators.

If the department/course coordinator(s) notify the Examinations Coordination Office that an English-speaking invigilator is needed, at least one of the invigilators must be able to communicate with the students in English.

If the department/course coordinator(s) book invigilators and venue outside the central examinations coordination system, the department is responsible for ensuring that the invigilators follow the University’s guidelines and comply with the work procedures for invigilators issued by the Examinations Coordination Office.

No invigilator may ever work alone. At least two invigilators must be engaged for each work session.

A copy of work procedures for invigilators can be obtained from the Examinations Coordination Office if needed.

Appendix

Please find the referred to appendix via the original document.

• Appendix 1 Booking of examination places
• Appendix 2 Responsibility for handling examination papers and answer sheets
• Appendix 3 Transportation of examination papers and answer sheets
• Appendix 4 Instructions for the Buildings Division’s Examinations Coordination Office