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Student Advice - Examinations

Exam rights & responsibilities

  • Exam time tables
  • Remarking
  • Supplementaries
  • Deferred exams
  • Special Exams

It's difficult to think of anything other than exams around exam time but there are some important points to remember before going into your exam.

Timetabling

Many students have concerns about their examination timetables. If you think your timetable is unfair then consider the following.

The Stats

Monash Examinations branch has consulted with many areas such as student unions, administrators, and academics. They need to administer about 92000 exams for about 33000 students in about 1400 subjects. Each year some students are upset with their timetable due to clashes or too many exams too soon in the exam period.

The computer software that decides on who sits examinations when and where works on the following parameters:

  • Most large subjects come first due to the marking time needed;
  • the program avoids same time exam clashes;
  • then avoids 2 exams in 1 day;
  • then avoids 2 exams in 2 days etc.

Clashes

The Faculties push to have subjects with large student numbers earlier in exams so there is more time for marking. This may seem unfair but think what would happen if 1200 students take an exam on the last day of exams? Students wouldn't get their results on time, and wouldn't know what subjects to enroll in for the next semester, and would miss out on tutorial times. Again some students would not be happy with the result.

Seat numbers

The Exams Branch has reintroduced the 4 th digit in your seat number. It now means that this special number tells you what seat you will be in and also your venue and level. So hopefully less musical chairs.

Ask your lecturer

Your Lecturer would have received a global email asking them to give feedback to the Examinations branch about the provisional examination timetable. It is important for departments and not just individual lecturers to consider the examination times and how they affect students in the course. In the past some students have had 2 core subjects on the same day, if this is happening to 50 students or more, the department should intervene for the benefit of these students.

What's the answer?

There is no quick fix to a complicated examination timetable. If we have four weeks of exams, or night exams, or shorter exams, or more seats, or 12-week semesters, or more exam opportunities, then someone will lose out. If Monash student numbers are growing then things will get worse. In the long run the University needs to look in more detail about why we need to focus so many marks on such a short time. Although exams are fully supervised, they are not infallible so we must come up with new assessment techniques. If Monash is a flexible learning student centred organisation then the main assessment program has not responded to this change.

Monash is weakening it's student ability to compete with other graduates by not allowing them sufficient time to prepare for exams. If you don't understand this affect ask a student who starts their exams on Monday and sits three before lunch on Tuesday.

Things to remember

  • You'll need to bring your seat number with you to your exam. Your seat number is listed on your exam timetable at the Monash Website. Type in your Student ID and then your AuthCate password.
  • You'll also need to bring your student ID card with you, pens, pencils, rulers, erasers and for some exams you are permitted to take in a calculator. You can take your bag, wallet and keys into the examination centre but you'll be asked to place them underneath your seat during the exam.
  • Other authorised material is identified on the examination paper, and in individual cases by a signed authority from the Chief Examiner, which has been delivered to the Examinations Manager. You should ascertain from your lecturer in advance what material is authorised (ie. calculators, dictionaries, texts). Do not rely on a friends knowledge for this information.
  • If something happens on the way to the exam such as you have a car accident or something equally as stressful, remember you can apply for Special Consideration. Application forms are available at your Faculty.
  • Look out for the exam help staff who will be patrolling the exam centres. If you realise you're in the wrong place - stay put - ask for assistance - and you will probably be able to sit the exam anyway.

Exam Rules and Procedures

  • At the beginning of each examination students are required to complete an attendance slip which will be collected by the supervisors during the examination.
  • Spot checks of ID or papers may be made at any time within an examination.
  • There must be no communication of any kind among students in the examination centre. You are strongly advised not to draw attention to yourself by looking at other students or by looking around the room.
  • If during an exam a student is found in possession of unauthorised material the student will be reported to the Exams Manager. The student will be initially be interviewed about the unauthorised material by the Exams Manager. The Student Rights Office on your campus should be contacted before the interview begins. If the Exams Manager believes that the student has committed an offence, the case will be reported to the Faculty Disciplinary Committee. A Faculty Discipline Committee can impose various penalties from a warning to an exclusion from the University.
  • Toilet breaks are permitted.

If Accused of Cheating

If accused of cheating in an examination by an exam supervisor, you will be asked at the end of the exam to attend an immediate interview. The interview will involve yourself, a supervisor or the Manager from the Examinations Branch and the Student Rights Manager.

  • Be aware of your rights throughout this process: the right to finish the examination before being accused of cheating
  • you are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the Discipline Committee
  • the right not to comment when asked about your conduct.
  • the right to be told about the Student Rights Manager who can act as advocate/observer during the interview and if necessary represent you before the University Discipline Committee
  • the right not to be strip searched or to have to comply with orders to show parts of the body or to have pockets searched
  • the right to be informed of the reason for being interviewed
  • the right to independent legal counsel if desired or you can elect to use the Student Rights office as your advocate
  • the interview can be taped for the protection of all parties and a transcript made available to you

If after the interview it is decided that cheating has occurred, your details will be passed on to the Faculty Discipline Committee for further action.