Examination information

Sitting your exams

• During the exam

  There are important rules you need to follow when sitting exams.

  Before the exam starts:

  • Students must obey instructions given by Exam Invigilators (Exam supervisors) throughout the examination.
  • You’ll be allowed to enter the venue five minutes before the exam starts.
  • All bags, textbooks, notes, etc., must be placed under your chair.
  • Mobile phones or any other communication devices must be turned off and placed in your bag before the exam starts.
  • All hats and caps are to be removed and placed in bags or under your chair.
  • You’ll need to leave your Photo ID on your desk while completing the exam. If you don’t have Photo ID, you’ll need to go to Student Administration before the exam starts and have your identity verified.
  • Wait for the Exam Invigilator to tell you to start the exam.

  If you notice a mistake or omission on the exam or if you’ve got a question, let an Exam Invigilator know by raising your hand.

  During the exam:

  • Write neatly. Handwriting in examinations needs to be legible. When the handwriting in a particular answer is illegible, a mark of "0" may be awarded for that question.
  • Don’t talk to other students during the exam.
  • If you’re running late, you’ve got a 30-minute buffer before you’re no longer allowed to enter the exam room. If you miss this window, you’ll need to report to your School and seek advice on next steps.  If you arrive to the venue outside of the allowed 30-minute buffer without valid extenuating circumstances, you’ll be issued with a Fail grade.
  • You won’t be able to leave the exam venue within the first 30 minutes of the exam, or the last 20 minutes.
  • You’re deemed to have started the exam when the lead Exam Invigilator starts the preamble.

  Leaving the exam venue

  • You’re not allowed to leave the exam venue until advised by the lead Exam Invigilator.
  • Once you’ve left the exam venue, you’re not allowed to come back unless it’s for an approved reason (e.g., coming back from the bathroom).
  • You’re not allowed to take anything with you to the bathroom including bags, mobile phones etc.
  • If you’re found to be in possession of any unauthorised material, you could face disciplinary action, even if this material has not been used. 'In possession' means on, or next to the student's desk or chair, in or on their clothing, on their body (or in their wallet or purse).

  You must hand in your exam script with your Student Identification Number clearly written on it, even if you haven’t completed any of the exam.

• Examination periods

  It’s your responsibility to check when your exams are on to ensure you’re available to sit your exams on time.

  Deferred or Irregularly Scheduled exams won’t be granted if you’ve organised another activity during the exam period.

  Plan ahead. Learn more about when exams are scheduled.

• Duration of examinations

  Exams are usually either two hours and ten minutes or three hours and ten minutes (including reading time).

  The maximum number of exams you can sit in one day is two.

• Exam timetables and venues

  Exam timetables can be found under the relevant campus on the Calendars and Timetables page. Venue information is included on the published timetables.

  Check your exam timetable carefully, taking special note of the start time and venue, as concessions will not be made or deferred exams granted if you’ve misread the timetable.

  Please note that personalised exam timetables are only available for students with alternative exam arrangements or for all deferred/supplementary exams being held in subsequent exam periods. These timetables can be accessed via Student Centre.

  Please continue to check the timetable up to and including the day of your exam, as exam timetables are subject to change.

  If you’ve got any questions about the exam timetable, contact your school.

• Materials permitted in exam venue

  You’ll need to bring the following items with you:

  • Approved photographic identification (as below).
  • Pens, pencils etc in a transparent holder.

  Food and drink aren’t allowed in exam venues, with the exception of water, which must be in a clear container with all labels removed.

  Other materials (textbooks, calculators, notes etc) may be authorised for your particular exam/s. Permitted materials are published with the exam timetable for each unit.

  International students aren’t allowed to use translation dictionaries unless ALL members of the class have been authorised to use dictionaries.

  Note that electronic devices (electronic translation dictionaries, mobile phones, e-book readers etc) aren’t allowed be used in examinations, even in the case of open book exams.

• ID requirements

  You’ll need to bring an accepted and valid form of Photo ID with you to complete your exam.

  Accepted forms of photo ID are:

  • Notre Dame student ID card;
  • Australian drivers’ licence
  • Government proof of age card
  • Passport

  If you don’t have any of these forms of identification, you’ll need to go to Student Administration before your exam so that staff can verify your identity. The identity verification process needs to be completed before every exam you don’t have approved photographic ID for.

  You won’t be permitted to sit your exam if you don’t have an approved form of photo ID or have not had your identity verified by Student Administration.

• Practical exams

  Practical exams are subject to the same rules and procedures as theory exams.

  If you’re completing a practical exam, you’ll need to contact your School for your appointment time.

  If you can’t take the practical exam at the scheduled time, you’ll need to apply for a deferred assessment through your School. If you miss the exam without valid extenuating circumstances, you’ll be issued with a Fail grade.

Online exams

• How online exams are conducted

  Online exams are delivered by the secure exam platform ExamSoft.

  You will need to download the exam taking software Examplify to your personal device to complete your exam.

• System requirements

  Examplify works with both Mac and Windows operating systems.

  Examplify will not run on Chromebooks, Android, or Linux operating systems.

  Make sure your personal device meets the current minimum system requirements.

• Preparation for online exams

  It is your responsibility to ensure you are prepared for your online exam. You must:

  • Download and test the Examplify application by completing a mock exam.
  • Review the Examplify exam-taker guide for best practice advice
  • Download the exam paper to your device ahead of exam day (papers are usually available to download 2 days prior to the scheduled date)
  • Check your timetable. Exams are scheduled according to AWST if you are a Fremantle student and AEST/AEDT if you are a Sydney student. You need to take the exam at the scheduled time

• During your online exam

  You should complete your online exam in a quiet venue with no interruptions. You must make sure that your face can be clearly seen. Do not keep any notes, books, documents etc. at your workspace unless your exam is ‘open book’. Allowed materials are published on the exam timetable.

  A detailed guide for exam takers is available or download the exam day guide for quick tips on exam day.

• Technical issues and support

  If you encounter technical issues before or during your exam, contact ExamSoft Support at 03-8594-1209. ExamSoft support will (if required) initiate a remote session and walk you through the resolution.

  If you are forced log out of your ExamSoft/Examplify exam due to technical issues, please contact your school immediately for a resume code to log back in.

  If the technical issue cannot be resolved, you will need to apply for a Deferred Exam. Please take screenshots or photos of the problems encountered. You will need to submit these screenshots/photos as supporting evidence with your application.

• Completing the online exam on campus

  If your home environment or device is not suitable for taking online exams, you may apply to complete your online exam on campus.

  If you fall into this category, contact the Exam Office via email within 5 days from the release of the exam timetable.

  Please note that there are limited spots available. If all places on campus have been filled, you will be required to make alternative plans.

Exam timetable clashes

• What to do if you have a clash

  Our Examinations Policy states that students can’t have more than two exams per day.

  This has included consideration of students who may have both take-home exams (with a longer time to submit) and timed exams (both online and on-campus).

  Take-home exams will have a longer timeframe (24-72 hours). If your take-home exam overlaps with an online timed exam or on-campus examination, you will have the flexibility to arrange your schedule to complete both exams during the allocated time.

  Example: NOT an exam conflict

  • Exam 1 = 04/06/2020 9am: 72 hours timed to complete
  • Exam 2 = 02/06/2020: take home assessment, due Friday 05/06/2020 12pm
  • Exam 3 = 04/06/2020 9am: on-campus examination
  • Exam 4 = 05/06/2020 9am: timed duration 2hr to complete

  Example: Possible exam conflict

  • Exam 1 = 04/06/2020 9am: 12 hours timed to complete
  • Exam 2 = 04/06/2020 9am: 24 hours to complete
  • Exam 3 = 04/06/2020 2pm: On-Campus examination
  • Exam 4 = 05/06/2020 9am: timed duration 2hr to complete

  If you believe you have a clash of your exams, please contact the Timetabling team.

Access exam support

• Deferring an exam

  If you’ve been ill, had an accident or there’s been a life event beyond your control that’s prevented you from completing your exam, you can apply for a deferred or irregularly scheduled examination on medical or compassionate grounds.

  You won’t be granted a deferred or irregularly scheduled examination if you’ve got the date or place of the exam wrong or made arrangements to be elsewhere at that time; for example, have booked plane tickets.

  Applications for deferred or irregularly scheduled examinations must be submitted on an Application For Deferred or Irregularly Scheduled Exam form. The form must be submitted no later than 3 working days after the examination of the relevant unit and must be supported by appropriate documentary evidence.

  In the case of illness, you must include a medical certificate from a doctor or other health professional, specifying that you are unfit for exams, not simply work/university.

  View our Guidelines for Deferred and Irregularly Scheduled Examinations.

• Supplementary exams

  Only the Board of Examiners may grant a supplementary examination in respect of a unit.

  The grade notation of "SP" will be shown against a unit if you have been granted a supplementary examination for that unit. For more information on supplementary examinations see the General Regulations.

  View our Guidelines for Supplementary Examinations.

• Special consideration

  The Dean may grant special consideration in respect of a final examination, where a student satisfies the Dean that his or her personal circumstances warrant such consideration.

  Request for special consideration must be lodged with the relevant School prior to the examination or no later than three working days after the examination.

  Submit an application for Special Consideration

Our exam policy

End of unit examinations are administered through Student Administration, a department within the Registrar’s Office.

The University recognises the value of examinations and has devised the following Examination Policy to ensure that formal examinations are conducted in accordance with University Regulations.

If you have any questions, or need help contact us using the details below:

Medicine students: Please refer to the Assessment Tab on your Blackboard Course site for information regarding Medicine Examinations.