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SDS Exam Proctoring Policies

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Exam Accommodations Implementation Process

Students should notify their instructors of any approved accommodations by the end of week one or as early in the quarter as possible.Students are encouraged to discuss the use of any testing accommodations with their instructor or instructor’s designee. After sending the electronic Faculty Notification Letter, students should follow up with their instructor to receive additional details about testing arrangements in the course. If the instructor requests that SDS proctor on their behalf, SDS will coordinate all testing arrangements, including scheduling students’ exams on their behalf based on their course schedules and SDS’s availability to proctor. Students will receive information about testing logistics (e.g., date/time of the exam, location) from SDS. During Summer 2024, exams will be administered in person or remotely based on the method of exam administration for the class.

Whenever possible, instructors are encouraged to implement exam accommodations for their students. In cases where SDS is unable to proctor an exam on a requested date/time, SDS may reschedule an exam for a date/time that proctoring arrangements will be available. In some cases, SDS may be unable to proctor an exam due to capacity and will consult with the instructor regarding what options and resources may be available to them. This may include recommending that the instructor contact a departmental assistant or a designee to serve as a proctor. If an instructor requires assistance in identifying rooms that can be used for administering in-person exams, two helpful resources are the department/staff coordinator(s) or the University Registrar.

Alternative Testing Agreement/Contract

Instructors are expected to complete the Alternative Testing Agreement (ATA) Form for their course whenever SDS’s assistance is needed to proctor quizzes/exams on behalf of approved students with testing accommodations in the class. The Alternative Testing Agreement is required as it provides SDS with essential information about the dates of the exam, length, and any other relevant testing details. Instructors who would like SDS to proctor exams for students with testing accommodations must complete the Alternative Testing Agreement at least nine (9) days prior to the first quiz/exam date listed in the agreement.

Instructors may complete the Alternative Testing Agreement for their course in two ways:

  • First, instructors may access the ATA form by using the Alternative Testing Agreement link which can be found near the top of the Faculty Notification Letter that they received from each student. Please read this carefully.
  • Second, instructors may complete the ATA form using the Alternative Testing tool in the AIM Faculty Portal. Please note that only the instructor(s) of record may access the portal. Instructors who would like to request access to the portal for other instructional staff who are assisting with the implementation of students’ approved accommodations should contact proctor@uchicago.edu for next steps

Upon submission of an ATA, instructors will receive a copy of the agreement via e-mail for their records. Incomplete agreement forms may result in an inability for SDS to have adequate time to coordinate and provide proctoring support.

Exam Rescheduling Requests

Instructors who request assistance from SDS with proctoring exams should note that SDS may not be able to proctor an exam at a particular date/time due to capacity. In the event that SDS is unable to proctor an exam at a requested date/time, SDS will contact the instructor(s) to discuss potentially rescheduling the exam at a date/time that resources (e.g., proctors, testing space) are available. Additionally, SDS is available to consult and discuss testing arrangements if an instructor or department has plans to make arrangements for testing with accommodations.

Students who would like to request a different exam date or time should contact both their instructor and SDS to discuss whether or what options may be available. In some cases, a rescheduled exam date or time may not be approved by the instructor due to test security or in cases where it would constitute a fundamental alteration to the core requirements of the class.

Late Notification to Instructors

Any notification submitted less than 10 days prior to the first exam/quiz in the course is considered late. Timely notifications to instructors is highly encouraged to ensure that there is adequate time and resources available to implement the quiz/exam. Late notices frequently result in SDS’s inability to make arrangements for eligible students. In these cases, students must contact SDS immediately to discuss whether SDS has available resources to proctor their exam, or what alternative options may be available. Alternative options such as taking the exam at an alternative date/time due to a late notification must first be approved by the instructor.

If the instructor is unable to make arrangements or does not approve alternative arrangements due to not receiving timely notice, the student may complete the exam under standard testing conditions with the rest of the class.

For questions or to discuss SDS’s upcoming availability, please contact proctor@uchicago.edu or 773-702-6000.

Exam Scheduling

If an instructor has requested SDS assistance with proctoring on their behalf, students will receive an e-mail notification confirming the details of their proctoring appointment with SDS at least seven (7) days in advance of the date of the exam. Students should note that exams may not be scheduled at the date/time of the exam for the class, and are encouraged to carefully review any testing details communicated by SDS. Students are also able to view a list of the exams scheduled with SDS and the status of each exam request in the AIM Student Portal, under “Alternative Testing”. Students are also able to view the location of their exams in the AIM Student Portal two (2) calendar days before the exam.

Students who have not received confirmation of their proctoring appointment with SDS at least seven (7) days in advance of their exam/quiz, or who have questions about the testing arrangements for their upcoming exam/quiz should contact proctor@uchicago.edu for assistance.

Exam Administration

SDS must administer exams based on the exam administration instructions provided to SDS by the instructor.

Remote exams

  • Prior to starting an exam, students should check the allotted time listed, particularly within Canvas. If they believe there is an error or that it does not reflect the accommodation, students should email their instructor and CC proctor@uchicago.edu. SDS will follow up with the instructor to clarify the testing details. In the event that a student starts or completes an exam and there was an error in the implementation of testing accommodations, students should email their instructor and CC proctor@uchicago.edu. SDS will discuss what options may be appropriate to address the discrepancy with the instructor and student. This may or may not include the following options, pending instructor approval: allowing the student to complete the remaining questions with extended time, providing additional questions to earn points, or altering the grading of the exam.

Remote exams with live proctoring (i.e. Zoom monitoring)

Students testing remotely with SDS will test in a self-selected location and will be monitored by an SDS proctor via the video feed in Zoom. Students are encouraged to select a quiet and distraction free location suitable for testing.

  • Students will receive an e-mail by 5:00 PM CST on the business day prior to the exam with a Zoom link and the proctoring appointment details.
  • Students are encouraged to access the Zoom meeting approximately 5 minutes prior to the start time of the exam to allow for check-in. The SDS proctor will admit students from the Zoom Waiting Room and will provide exam instructions per the information provided by the instructor in the Alternative Testing Agreement.
  • Students will need to turn on their video feed for the duration of the exam. Students will also need to mute their microphone for the duration of the exam.
  • Students should access the exam via the instructions provided by their instructor for the class (i.e. logging in to Canvas, etc.). Students will provide their responses using the same method as their peers unless an approved accommodation permits for an alternative method to be used.
  • Students are encouraged to communicate exam administration questions or concerns with the proctor via the Zoom Chat feature in a private message. This may also be applicable to students who may be taking breaks during the exam.
  • Once students have completed the exam they should alert the proctor using the Chat feature in Zoom. Alternatively, at the end time of the exam, the proctor will inform the student that the exam time has ended using the Chat feature and may follow up with a verbal announcement regarding the end of the exam. In those cases, students should follow the exam submission instructions provided by their instructor. Instructors will receive written notice from SDS regarding the conclusion of the exam.
  • In cases where a student experiences technical difficulties during testing, they may request that SDS reach out to their instructor to share information about their testing session and to discuss available options. Any options made available to the student are at the discretion of the instructor.
  • Testing will start and end at the approved times listed in the exam request confirmation. SDS cannot authorize additional time outside of the length of the scheduled exam. Students that arrive late to an exam will not be provided additional time to compensate for tardiness. Students that arrive late to an exam and would like to request the exam to be rescheduled should contact their instructor for permission, as SDS cannot authorize the rescheduling of an exam without the instructor’s approval. Please note that the approval of an exam rescheduling request is at the discretion of the instructor and instructors may choose to not approve a request to reschedule an exam.

In-Person Exams

Exam Proctoring Check-In Process

An SDS proctor will complete the exam check-in process and monitor testing.

  • Students will receive e-mail notification from SDS of their testing location by 5:00 PM on the business day prior to their scheduled exam. This information will also be made available through the AIM Student Portal as early as two (2) calendar days prior to their scheduled exam.
  • Students should arrive approximately ten (10) minutes prior to the exam for check-in.
  • Students should bring their student ID for the check-in process.
  • The proctor will inform the student of any instructions and allowed materials indicated by the instructor in the Alternative Testing Agreement.
  • The SDS proctor will provide students with any green/blue book and scratch paper items for testing. Students may only use the green/blue books and scratch paper provided by SDS.
  • Students will be instructed by the proctor to leave all personal items stored away in their bag and are not to be accessed during the exam.
  • Testing will start and end at the approved times listed in the exam request confirmation. SDS cannot authorize additional time outside of the length of the scheduled exam. Students that arrive late to an exam will not be provided additional time to compensate for tardiness. Students that arrive late to an exam and would like to request the exam to be rescheduled should contact their instructor for permission, as SDS cannot authorize the rescheduling of an exam without the instructor’s approval. Please note that the approval of an exam rescheduling request is at the discretion of the instructor and instructors may choose to not approve a request to reschedule an exam.

Testing Environment Courtesy

Students may not access food during exam administration. Students that may require food during an exam should notify the proctor and will need to exit the testing space to an approved area.

Due to limited availability, SDS may be unable to place students in a preferred testing location. Nevertheless, students will be provided a testing accommodation that meets their accommodation needs as indicated by their accommodation determination letter. During testing, students should avoid behaviors that are disruptive to the testing environment. A proctor may address a student’s disruptive behavior and request that they refrain from repeating the behavior.

Exam Updates or Changes to an Exam

If there may be updates during an exam or changes to an exam, students with accommodations should also receive the updates or changes made to the exam. This may include but is not limited to the ability to ask questions to the instructor/TA during the exam or to receive exam updates/corrections during an exam.

Questions During Exams

At check-in, the proctor will notify the student if the instructor has indicated on the testing agreement whether students may ask questions during exams. Students may also ask the proctor to confirm if the instructor has given approval for students to ask questions during exams. If the instructor has given permission for questions to be asked during exams, the proctor will contact the instructor, or their designee, on behalf of the student. This may be by email, phone call, or other instructed method of contact.

Completed Exam Return Process

Remote exams with monitoring via Zoom

Students will provide their responses using the same method as their peers (e.g., via Canvas/Gradescope) unless an approved accommodation allows for an alternative method to be used.

In-Person Exams

Completed exams will be scanned and returned to the instructor or their designee(s) via UChicago Box within 48 business hours after the conclusion of the exam.

Prior to the first scheduled assessment of the quarter, instructors/their designee(s) will receive an e-mail with the link to the secure UChicago Box folder where they may access the scanned exams. Scanned exams will be made available in the course UChicago Box folder within 48 business hours of the completion of the exam. Instructors/their designees will need to check the UChicago Box folder for their students’ scanned exams. In cases where SDS proctors multiple assessments throughout the quarter for the same course, instructors/their designee(s) will be able to access scans of any subsequently completed assessments at the link shared at the beginning of the quarter. Due to space availability, exams will not be available for in-person pick up from the designated testing space.

Electronics

  • Students may not access unapproved electronic devices in the designated testing rooms. These devices may include cell phones, smart watches, personal laptops, and tablets. All devices must be turned off or silenced.
  • Upon check-in, students may no longer access unapproved devices for the duration of the exam.

Cheating/Academic Dishonesty

Students engaging in behavior and/or accessing unapproved devices or resources during an exam may be notified by the proctor that the instructor will be contacted. Instructors may request that SDS stop testing immediately after being contacted if there may be concerns with academic dishonesty. Written notice from SDS regarding the observed behavior and the exam will be provided to the instructor.

Students should contact their instructor for additional information following the exam if they have any questions regarding the exam, grading, or their status in the class.

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