Online invigilation

The University is trialling online invigilation on a small number of modules. The information here tells you what you can expect if you're studying a module that has an exam with online invigilation, preparations you should make and what to do if you have any issues during the exam.

Just like invigilation during in-person exams, online invigilation is designed to detect any violations of exam protocols.

Throughout your online exam, an invigilator will supervise you to ensure it's completed fairly without the help from any unauthorised people or materials. This protects the academic integrity of the exam. The invigilator will verify your identity and observe you while you complete the exam.

You'll use other software and hardware, like a camera and microphone, to enable live monitoring, which is how we'll track your screen activity and make an audio-visual recording of your workspace throughout the exam.

System and equipment requirements

To take an exam with online invigilation, you'll need:

• A computer with one of the following operating systems: Windows 8 or later, MacOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later, with 4GB RAM and 5GB hard drive space.
• Internet access with a minimum of 5MB/second upload and download speed.
• A webcam with a minimum resolution of 320 x 240 pixels.
• A microphone.

If your exam requires you to handwrite some of your answers, you may need to use a second camera or another device such as a smart phone to help us monitor your participation in the exam. We'll tell you in advance if this is the case and what the minimum requirements are.

You'll be able to access an online invigilation practice environment ahead of the exam to ensure your equipment is ready and working as expected and find out what the experience is like.

Your workspace

It's important to set yourself up in a quiet room where you can take the exam without interruption. You should remove any materials that relate to the exam and there should be no one in the room with you, unless this has been approved in advance by the University.

On the day of the exam live audio-visual capturing will be used to monitor your workspace.

Drinks should be in clear glass with no labels. You can eat during the exam but food should be unwrapped before the exam starts.

You should tell us in advance if you need any adjustments to your workspace. See Deadlines for changing exam arrangements.

On the day of the exam

Exams will have a fixed start and finish time so you should ensure you're ready when your exam session begins. It's a good idea to make sure your workspace is set up 30 minutes before the start time. If you're late for the exam, you won't receive extra time to make up for the delay and the exam will end at the published finish time. If you finish the exam before the finish time, you can leave the session early.

You'll be told in advance if and how you can take breaks during the exam. If you have additional requirements that mean you need longer or frequent breaks, you'll need to let us know in advance. See Deadlines for changing exam arrangements.

You won't receive any feedback from the invigilator at the end of the exam and your module and exam results will be published on your module record page on StudentHome.

Authentication and identification

Before you begin working on your exam, you'll need to authenticate your access to the exam session and verify your identity. These checks are to ensure your access to the session is secure and to safeguard the integrity of exam. Identification also confirms you are the registered student. The invigilator will make sure you aren't wearing an in-ear or smart device.

If you have specific requirements, such as needing a female invigilator to complete identity checks on religious grounds, you must tell us as soon as possible. See Deadlines for changing exam arrangements.

If we can't verify your identity before you begin your exam, you'll still be able to complete the exam, but you'll need to provide evidence once it's finished. We may review the recording of the session to help verify your identity.

Unauthorised material

You shouldn't attempt to access unauthorised materials during your exam. This might include documents, study materials, websites, software or the use of external hardware like USB devices or mobile phones. During the online invigilation we'll detect whether you're using any unauthorised material and this will be reviewed by the University

Live monitoring

To ensure the physical integrity of your workspace, we'll capture and securely store audio-visual information of you and your environment during your exam. Your on-screen activity will be tracked and recorded to ensure you aren't using any additional resources to help you complete the exam. Live monitoring does not start until the exam session begins and will end at the finish time.

If your invigilator is alerted to any suspicious activity, your exam will continue, and the activity will be reviewed by the University after your exam session. If the University suspects academic misconduct, your exam will be investigated under the Academic Conduct Policy

If you need to handwrite your answers, live monitoring of you answering exam questions on paper will be tracked in real time. You'll be asked to show your completed handwritten answers to the invigilator before scanning or photographing it to submit via the University's system.

You'll receive more information about the retention period for audio-visual recordings for invigilated exams when you start your module. The Student Privacy Notice has more information on how the University treats student privacy generally.

If something goes wrong

If you have a problem during your exam session, you'll be able to alert and communicate with your invigilator. They'll help you and instruct you on what to do next. You'll also be able to access technical support if you encounter any technical issues with the online invigilation.

If you lose connection with your exam session or you have an issue that prevents you from submitting your exam, contact your Student Support Team (SST) as soon as possible.