Exams

In-person exams

You might sit your exams entirely online, entirely in-person, or a mixture of both.

Ensure you have checked your exam timetable carefully.

The following information explains what to expect at in-person venues, whether for desk-based or practical exams.

Arriving at the exam hall

Finding the correct venue

• Your exam venues will be included in the exam timetables published by the Registry, so familiarise yourself with this information before the date of your exams.
• Invigilators aim to have you seated at your desk 10 minutes before the scheduled start time, so make plans to arrive at least a further 10 minutes before this.
• For exams based at the Kelvin Hall or the Scottish Event Campus (SEC), pay extra attention, as these are not part of the University campus although they are nearby.

More information about in-person, off-campus exams

• The campus room finder is available to help you navigate between (and inside) UofG buildings.
• Each exam venue will be clearly signposted outside the door. This notice will include details of exam title(s), timings, and desk number allocations.
• Multiple exams may be taking place inside each venue at the same time, especially in large halls. A sign outside will advise which exams are taking place in which rows. Follow invigilator instructions to help you find the correct desks. All students will be asked to confirm they have the correct paper in front of them before the exam begins.
• Large classes may be hosted across more than one exam venue. If this is the case, you will be allocated to a venue based on your surname initial. Notices will say, for example, 'Surnames A-M' outside the first venue, and 'Surnames N-Z' outside the second venue.
• If you arrive late, you may be refused entry.
• Translation dictionaries are no longer permitted during exams, except in a small number of specific circumstances - read more about the use of dictionaries by students in examinations

Setting up at your desk

• Invigilators will show you where to put your bags at the side of the hall.
• Some items, including watches which are not simply basic watches, are prohibited at your desk. The University publishes a list of what you can bring (section 3). All other items are not allowed.
• Guidance on whether to use a pen or a pencil may vary by subject, according to the specific requirements of different exam formats.

Question papers and answer booklets / sheets

• You will receive at least one question paper and at least one answer booklet / sheet.
• You may complete your personal details on the front of any answer booklets / sheets while waiting for the exam to start. Ensure this is the only writing that you do.
• Any specific instructions that apply only to your exam will be printed on the front cover of the exam paper.
• At the scheduled start time, an invigilator will tell you when you are permitted to turn over the question paper.
• Do not attempt to read the questions before this point; this is exam misconduct and is unfair to other students..

Etiquette during the exam

Any communication between students during an exam period, whether in-person or via electronic device, will be regarded as attempted collusion. Severe penalties apply, and you may endanger your ability to progress in your degree. Familiarise yourself with the guidance relating to misconduct in exams.

Desk exams

• Listen to the invigilators' instructions. You must not talk during the exam. You must not turn over the paper until told to do so. When the invigilator announces 'pens down', all writing must stop. Any attempt to continue writing beyond the time limit of the exam may be treated as academic misconduct (cheating).
• An exam may consist of multiple papers, sections, and individual questions. Think about how to allocate your time appropriately for each component.
• Answer booklets are typically grouped and distributed back to the staff for marking on the basis of their specialisms and the questions they contributed to the exam paper. Therefore, if you are given multiple answer booklets in which to answer different questions, make sure that you answer each question in its own, separate answer booklet. There will be a space on the front where you should write the number of the question you have answered within.
  
  • If your exam paper asks you to write short answers in the boxes below the questions, these pages may also be separated so they can be grouped and delivered to the relevant markers. For this reason, avoid writing answers that continue across pages intended for answers to other questions. If required, invigilators will be able to supply extra answer sheets.
• You must not communicate with other students inside the exam venue in any way.
• If you have a question, or if you need to go to the toilet, raise your hand to draw the attention of an invigilator. Do not attract the invigilator's attention by making unnecessary noise, as this will disturb other students.
• If writing by hand, write carefully and legibly. The marker's ability to award you credit for your work is dependent on their ability to read and understand your handwriting.

Practical exams

• Follow the instructions of the invigilator and/or examiner.
• Exam conditions apply throughout the published duration for an exam, regardless of whether you have finished. You may be be rotating through multiple exam stations, and other students in your class may complete the stations in a different sequence from you. In some circumstances, you might see other candidates between rooms, or you may complete your whole exam and be ready to leave before other students are scheduled to begin. Any attempts to communicate with other students may be regarded as evidence of collusion, which constitutes exam misconduct.