2023-24

Instructions to Candidates on their Conduct in Written Examinations[1]

17.1 Instructions to candidates on the Conduct of all Examinations held in-person in the University.

  1. Candidates are required to obey the instructions of the invigilator. It is the duty of the invigilator to prevent any behaviour likely to cause disturbance to other candidates or to compromise the integrity of the examination. Candidates needing to leave the room for any purpose must first ask permission of the invigilator, who may accompany the candidate.
  2. Every candidate shall display for the invigilator's inspection a valid Student ID card or other form of photographic identification.
  3. Candidates are permitted to have the following items ONLY in their possession, including in pockets, during examinations (see also 4 below):
    • adequate stationery (pens, pencils, eraser, ruler, correction fluid (but not tape));
    • student ID card;
    • calculator of an approved type, if permitted for the examination, without cover or case;
    • water in a clear bottle, with any label removed;
    • translation dictionary, where prior permission has been obtained from the candidate’s School or the relevant form has been completed confirming that the dictionary is of an approved type and free of annotations;
    • additional materials which have been identified in the Disability Service's assessment of a student's exam support arrangements and noted on their student record.
    All other items are prohibited and must be removed prior to the start of the examination. They must be placed with other personal possessions in a closed bag or container which will be kept under the seat or in a designated location in the exam room for the duration of the examination. This includes ALL electrical devices, such as phones and tablets (which must be SWITCHED OFF - not muted or in flight mode) and headphones and smartwatches. No item which may cause a nuisance to other candidates is permitted in the examination hall.[2]
  4. Other than examination materials provided by the University, candidates shall not have access to any paper or book for the duration of the examination unless with the express written permission of the appropriate Head of School or their nominee (hereinafter referred to as Head of School).[3] Candidates must not write on any paper other than their answer book, including on any material permitted in an open-book examination unless otherwise instructed.
  5. Unless with the express written permission of the appropriate Head of School,[4] candidates shall not give or receive any assistance, or communicate by any means with one another or with any person other than an invigilator at any time during the examination period.[5]
  6. No calculator, nor any other portable electronic device, may be used by a candidate in an examination unless this is expressly authorised by the Head of School responsible for the examination. This authorisation will specify the type of calculator or other device authorised. Candidates shall normally be notified of the terms of this authorisation by the School via Moodle, and by other means as appropriate, confirmed by a statement in the instructions to candidates in the examination concerned. Candidates should note that calculators that are programmable, or have text storage or graphical functionality, are not permitted in any examination.[2]
  7. Candidates must write legibly. If examination scripts are found to be illegible to a substantial degree, candidates will be required to come to the University to dictate their script(s) in the presence of an invigilator and a charge will normally be levied.
  8. Candidates may not begin reading over or writing in script books or on answer sheets before the invigilator announces the start of the examination period and must cease writing immediately when the invigilator announces the end of the period. Candidates may fill in the candidate attendance sheet and front cover of script books, where applicable, prior to the announced start of the examination.
  9. No part of any answer book shall be torn out or removed from the examination room.
  10. In examinations of two hours or longer, no candidate shall ordinarily be allowed to enter the examination room after the first hour has expired, or to leave it within the first hour or the last half-hour. Invigilators will record the details of any instances where candidates enter or leave the examination room outwith the permitted times.
  11. In examinations of less than two hours, no candidate will be permitted to exit during the exam.
  12. In no case shall a candidate leave until an invigilator has collected their scripts or other examinable material.
  13. These arrangements shall apply to all examinations, including those for the purpose of continuous assessment, held in the University.

Any candidate who contravenes any of these instructions will be liable to penalties under the Code of Student Conduct (Regulation 33), which may include expulsion from the University.

[1] Regulations 17, 21, 22 and 25 apply to on campus examinations.

[2] Any change in this regulation requires the prior agreement of the Senate.

[3] This permission will normally be in the form of a set of arrangements for an open-book or other non-traditional style of examination and will form part of the information provided to students at the beginning of the course that is being examined. Details should also be included in the rubric of the exam paper, for the attention of the invigilator(s).

[4] The extent to which collaboration may be allowed will form part of the information provided to students at the beginning of the course.

[5] Note – Exam conditions are in place from the moment the candidate enters the exam room.

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