Test proctoring guidelines

Test administration policy

The Learning Center proctors exams for SMU students in the Disability Support Services program. All exams are proctored in O'Grady Library, lower level, by LWC staff. Students may request test proctoring at the front desk or by email at least one week in advance.

Before the exam

• Students who may qualify for disability-related accommodations need to register with Geoffrey Brown, Disability Support Services Coordinator.
• Students who are approved for test proctoring are required to schedule one week in advance of the upcoming exam. Be sure to let us know if you need your exam in an alternate format (audio, computer assisted, enlarged print, a scribe, etc.)
• Upon scheduling the exam, the student will pick up an Exam Approval Form. This form must be completed and signed by the instructor in order to have the LWC proctor the exam. It is the student's responsibility to get this form to the instructor and returned to the LWC. We will not proctor the exam without the instructor's permission.
• To maximize the use of the DSS testing rooms, exams will be scheduled at specific times each day. Tests can be scheduled on the hour at the following times:

• Final exams will be proctored at 8 a.m. or 1 p.m. The LWC closes at 5 p.m. If there are exceptions where a student needs support after 5 p.m. please get that approved with the LWC staff 24 hours ahead of time.
• All exams are scheduled through the administrative assistant at the front reception desk in the LWC or through the graduate student test proctoring aide. Students may also schedule their exams by using the DSS testing e-mail: dss.testing@stmartin.edu. If two person are unavailable, ask a student office assistant to refer you to the DSS coordinator or the LWC director for assistance.
• When scheduling exams, you will need to give your first and last name, student ID, the name of the course and the name of the instructor. It is important that you remind your professor of your exam down in the LWC before each scheduled testing date.
• Exams must be delivered by the professor ahead of the scheduled exam. If the test is not here 24 hours before the exam time, the front desk will send a reminder to the faculty member and student. The student needs to take an active role in getting the test delivered to the LWC. In the event the student is permitted to deliver the exam, it MUST BE IN A SEALED ENVELOPE.
• Like in a classroom, students taking exams at the LWC will be held to the same academic dishonesty policies as described in the university catalogue (pgs 74-75). This includes things such as cheating, falsifying instructor's permission for things such as the testing time, date, or exceptions like open note/book, and soliciting information from other students. Any violations will be reported to the instructor.

Taking the exam

• On test day, students should come to the DSS coordinator for assistance. If he is not in, please check in with the front desk for proctoring assistance.
• Students must show up on time for all exams. If you are over thirty minutes late for a scheduled exam, you will be asked to meet with your professor to reschedule your exam time.
• Students can arrange with the proctor to have a verbal prompt of the remaining time to work on their exam.
• Unless otherwise indicated by your professor, no books, backpacks, scratch paper, notebooks, electronic devices, etc. are allowed in the testing rooms. You will be asked to leave all personal belongings behind the front reception desk during your exam. Scrap paper, blue books, and blank discs for computer assisted testing will be provided by the LWC. A beverage and small snack is permitted.
• Students are not allowed to leave the LWC during a test without first checking in with the test proctor. Students are encouraged to take care of visits to the restroom before starting the test. If there is a circumstance that warrants a short break during longer exams, students need to arrange this with the proctor ahead of starting the exam.
• To help us monitor the integrity of the testing environment, surveillance cameras are located in all testing rooms.

After the exam

• Take your completed exam back to the proctor. Be sure to hand over any scratch paper that was permitted during the exam.
• Exams are kept in a secure location at the front desk until the professor picks it up.
• Faculty will receive a reminder e-mail from the front desk if the exam hasn't been picked up within 24 hours.
• If a student "no shows" for an exam, blank exams will be returned to the professor and/or shredded per the professor's approval.