Faculty Instructions
What is a proctored exam?
A proctored exam is one that is overseen by an impartial individual (called a proctor) who monitors or supervises a student while he or she is taking an exam. The proctor ensures the security and integrity of the exam process.
What is the required number of proctored eCore exams?
It is possible to provide both a proctored midterm and a proctored final examination. However, eCore faculty can also choose to offer only a proctored midterm or a proctored final. Faculty cannot require additional proctored exams other than the final and/or midterm.
What procedures should I follow to use proctored exams in my course?
- Ensure all students are aware of exam requirements.
- Exam dates must be posted in the course syllabus. Syllabus should clearly state which exams must be proctored, and ensure that this information is available to students no later than the first day of the semester.
- Include student instructions for Proctored Exam Procedures in course.
- Submit the Faculty Exam Request Form for each exam at least fifteen business days prior to each exam window.
- Create exams in Blackboard at least fifteen business days prior to each exam window. For assistance, contact etesting@westga.edu.
- Send proctor instructions to the eCore Testing Coordinator at least five business days prior to each exam window. Instructions should answer at least the following:
- When is the exam window?
- What is the exam length? Please note, proctors must allow full time for the exam; for instance, if the exam length is 2 hours, the proctor must stop seating two hours before they close.
- What materials is the student permitted to use (e.g., books, calculators, notes, scratch paper)?
Give special consideration to the scheduling of final exams and/or projects. Current University policy links final exam dates to course delivery days and times. This does not apply to fully online courses since there are no regularly scheduled class meetings.
Who are the proctors and test sites?
All students must choose a proctor from the List of Approved Testing Centers. If the nearest proctor is 100 miles away, the student should contact the eCore Testing Coordinator as soon as possible (it is in their best interest to do so before Drop/Add is over). In all cases, an acceptable proctor is someone with no conflict of interest in upholding eCore’s Academic Honesty Policy. Relatives, friends, spouses, neighbors, and co-workers of the student are not acceptable proctors. Students and proctors are notified by e-mail stating whether their application for a test site proctor has been approved or denied.
What technology must the proctor have access to at the testing site?
Each proctor must have the ability to use the following:
- A valid and working e-mail address
- Internet access and supported browser for the internet-based exams administered through GeorgiaView Blackboard Vista 8.
What are the student's responsibilities?
- Choose a proctor from the List of Approved Testing Centers and be sure to have access to an approved test site by the end of the drop/add period.
- Submit the eCore Exam Request Form by the end of the first two weeks of class.
- Pay any fees that may be required by the approved proctor or testing center.
- Schedule the exam date and time with the proctor by 15 days prior to the first day of the testing window provided in the syllabus.
- Present required photo ID at the test site in order to take the exam
- Be able to log into their eCore course to take the exam
- Take the exam within the timeframe outlined in your course syllabus.
Note: Fees for proctoring services are the responsibility of the student.
What are the proctor's responsibilities?
- The proctor must ensure the student does not use any unauthorized aides at any time during the exam.
- The proctor must ensure that all necessary technologies are available and working.
- No printing of the exam may be made at any time.
- No person other than the proctor and student may view the exam. (The student may have access to the exam only during the time period allowed by the instructor.)
- The proctor must follow the instructor's requirements for administering the exam. These may include a time limit and inclusion or exclusion of books, calculators, notes, etc.
- The proctor must maintain proximity with the student and be able to observe the student during the entire exam administration.
How do students access their exam(s)?
- Several days prior to the exam window, the eCore Testing Coordinator will inform the proctors of the password and any additional exam information.
- Students log onto their Blackboard GeorgiaView Vista 8 account, go to the course site, and click on the link for the exam.
- When prompted, proctors enter the password (at no time do students receive passwords).
What if it is impossible for me to give exams online through Blackboard GeorgiaView Vista 8?
In an effort to heighten security and reduce costs, eCore is moving away from paper-based exams. Instead, we are encouraging all of our instructors to use GeorgiaView Vista for their exams. There are numerous benefits to using Georgia View Vista 8 (Blackboard):
- Blackboard Vista 8 is significantly more secure than paper-based exams –there is no chance that an exam will be lost or given to the wrong examinee.
- Blackboard Vista 8 can be set to randomly assign questions from a question bank and/or assign questions in a random order (students will not be able to obtain their questions or answers from classmates).
- Instructors do not need to score exams. Depending on exam settings, questions can be automatically graded.
- The instructor does not need to hand-enter grades into the gradebook.
- Rather than waiting a week, or longer, for exams to be returned, instructors receive results in “real time.” Instructors can use this to make immediate adjustments to the course.
- Because there is no waiting for exams to be returned, there is less worry about end of semester deadlines.
- Students can get immediate feedback, depending on exam settings.
- Instructors are in complete control of the exam window and exam length.
- Blackboard GeorgiaView Vista exams incur no additional cost to the universities.
- No paper or time is consumed to return exam results.
If it is impossible to administer your exam on Blackboard this semester, please contact the eCore Testing Coordinator as soon as possible so alternatives can be discussed.
Academic integrity applies to all students at all times. See eCore’s Academic Honesty Policy for violations.