Running exams at a testing center

Exam manual check-in procedure for proctors

Go to the testing center under Testing centers where you are staff from the homepage.
Go to the Sessions tab from the top menu bar.
Select the date that corresponds to the date of the exam you are supposed to proctor.
Select the exam session for the exam that you are supposed to proctor. Note the time of the session to make sure you open the correct exam session.
Click the Check in button next to the student’s name who needs to be checked in.
Click the Start exam button at the start time, so that checked-in students can get access to the exam.

Exam check-in procedure using card scanners

Go to the testing center under Testing centers where you are staff from the homepage.
Go to the Sessions tab from the top menu bar.
Select the date that corresponds to the date of the exam you are supposed to proctor.
Select the exam session for the exam that you are supposed to proctor. Note the time of the session to make sure you open the correct exam session.
Click the Open the ID reader page button. This will open a new page.
On the new page (PrairieTest ID Reader), click the Activate scanner button.
You should now be able to check students into the exam using their cards.
Click the Start exam button at the start time, so that checked-in students can get access to the exam.

Exam check-out procedure

If network filtering is not set up at the testing center, students must be checked out any time they leave the testing center (bathroom break, completed the exam, emergency, etc). If a student is not checked out, they will continue to have access to the exam. There is no need to check out students when the testing center has network filtering set up.

Go to the testing center under Testing centers where you are staff from the homepage.
Go to the Sessions tab from the top menu bar.
Select the date that corresponds to the date of the exam you are supposed to proctor.
Select the exam session for the exam that you are supposed to proctor. Note the time of the session to make sure you open the correct exam session.
Click the Check out button next to the student’s name who needs to be checked-out.

Note: There is no limit to the number of times that you can check in and check out a student. However, checking out a student does not pause the exam time. The exam time continues to run when a student is checked out.

Deleting a reservation

Go to the testing center under Testing centers where you are staff from the homepage.
Go to the Students tab and search for the student by their University ID (UID).
On the student’s page, in the Exams tab, click the exam for which they need a reservation deleted.
Find the reservation, click the drop-down icon, and click Delete reservation.

Best practices when running exams

Improving exam security

Have students empty pockets and place all electronic devices (cell phones, smart watches, fitbits, earbuds, etc.) in their backpacks.
Store backpacks away from the computers where the students will be testing. Do not allow students to keep backpacks near their feet while testing.
Provide students with two pieces of scratch paper. Students are not allowed to bring their own scratch paper.
Provide students with a basic calculator, instead of allowing them to use their personal calculators.
If the testing center firewall does not block all access to the internet from the testing center, the proctor should walk around and make sure students are only accessing permitted websites.
Students are not permitted to take photos or screenshots of the exam.
Collect and dispose of all scratch paper when the students are finished. Students are not allowed to take their scratch paper with them.
Check students out after they have completed their exam.
If a student needs to use the bathroom or leave the room for any reason, they must be checked out of their exam and checked back in when they return. This is not necessary if the testing center has network filtering set up.

Students reporting issues during the exam

If a student experiences a problem during an exam, do your best to accommodate them. Proctors are not expected to have knowledge of exam content or be able to identify if there is a problem with it. The proctor's responsibility is to ensure that students are checked-in and that the technology functions throughout the exam period.

Here are some general recommendations when handling these issues:

Do not put words in the professor’s mouth. (e.g., do not say “Your professor will fix this problem / let you take the exam again").
Do not dismiss a student after they have opened their exam. Once an exam is opened, a student will not be able to access it again without permission from the professor. Encourage the student to do their best and have them file a report when they finish the exam.

1. Student believes there is a problem with a question

Tell student to use the “Report an error in this question” button in PrairieLearn. (This sends a message in PrairieLearn that the professor / course staff can see.)
Tell student to do the best that they can.
Tell the student to follow up with their professor.

Note: In most cases when a student thinks there is a problem with a question (“My answer isn’t listed.” “My code won’t run.”), it is actually student error. But it is not your job to determine that, so have the student report a problem in PrairieLearn. No additional action on your part is necessary unless there was a technical problem with PrairieLearn / PraireTest.

2. Temporary technical issues (e.g., loss of connectivity)

If a student experiences temporary issues with the internet, manually extend the student’s exam time to compensate for the lost time. Follow the steps below to add additional time.

Go to the testing center under Testing centers where you are staff from the homepage.
Go to the Sessions tab from the top menu bar.
Select the date of the exam you are proctoring.
Select the exam session.
Locate the student's name.
Under the column labeled “End”, click the pencil icon.
Manually adjust the end time to include the appropriate additional time.

Note: If the exam has ended, we are not able to re-open / extend the exam. Dismiss the student and email the professor with a description of the incident with as much detail as possible and screenshots of any error messages that appeared.

3. Extended technical issues (e.g., complete loss of connectivity)

If student is not able to open their exam:

Contact the professor to inform them that a student cannot open the exam.
If a response is obtained within a reasonable time, the issue is addressed, and the student is able to stay longer, follow the steps above to give the student additional time.
If no response, delete the student's reservation. Ask them to register for another exam time.
If no other times are available, dismiss the student after deleting the reservation and email the professor with a description of the incident with as much detail as possible and screenshots of any error messages that appeared. The professor will need to give an override before the student can register or more exam sessions will need to be added.

If student has already started their exam:

Do not delete their reservation. Dismiss the student.
Email the professor with a description of the incident with as much detail as possible and screenshots of any error messages that appeared. Work with the professor to decide what to do next. If the student is allowed to take the exam again, they will need to have their reservation deleted in PrairieTest and their exam deleted or re-opened in PrairieLearn.

Documentation for testing center staff