PURPOSE / SCOPE:
Provide guidelines for the standards of behavior for exams.
POLICY:
Exams will be given as specified in the course schedule. Student doctors who have a certified disability and are registered with Student Services will be given appropriate accommodations for exams, which may include additional time and/or a separate exam room. Any student doctor with accommodations will be notified of the exam start time and location by the Educational Course Coordinator.
Examinations, quizzes, and assessments at ICOM may be administered in a written format including, but not limited to, paper hard copy, Scantron, essay, short answer, or electronic format including fully online delivery formats that may include online proctoring and monitoring. Student doctors must have access to an electronic device and a stable, secure internet connection that meets the requirements for assigned assessments. ICOM is not responsible for the failure of any communications network, Internet connection, hardware, or software, whether or not provided by ICOM, that prevents or delays the administration of any examination, quiz or assessment.
For all forms of examination and assessment, student doctors will be expected to display the highest standards of ethical behavior to avoid cheating or otherwise gaining an unfair advantage over their classmates. See procedure document for details.
The student doctor's expectations follow:
- Student doctors are expected to arrive prior to the start of the exam and with the exam downloaded onto their iPad.
- Student doctors are expected to have their iPad with them with appropriate software installed which will allow the examination to be completed.
- No bags, purses, or electronic devices EXCEPT the student doctor's iPad and Apple Pencil are allowed in the exam room. The use of headphones or earbuds is prohibited during exams. Earplugs will be provided and made available at the beginning of all exams.
- Students are expected to ensure there is adequate battery power on the iPad to last the entire examination and/or have a power source that will plug into the outlets provided on the lecture hall desktops. Not all exam spaces may have power availability.
- Students are expected to enter the code provided to begin their exam when so instructed.
Please note, student doctors who arrive more than 10 minutes after the scheduled exam start time will not be permitted to take the exam. It is incumbent upon the late or tardy student doctor to contact the Course Director; the Course Director will determine if the failure to appear at the appropriate time is excused. If the tardiness is excused, the Course Director will determine when a make-up exam will be administered. If the tardiness is not excused, the student doctor will receive a score of zero for the exam.
When completing the exam, student doctors are expected to thoroughly read each question and select the best answer. Student doctors are expected to appropriately pace themselves to complete the exam in the allotted time; student doctors are also responsible for ensuring they have answered each question and that their exam has been submitted prior to leaving the exam room.
All exams will be proctored by members of the ICOM faculty or staff. Should an issue arise during an exam, student doctors are expected to raise their hand to speak to a proctor. Please note, that proctors will not answer questions related to the exam content. Any concerns about exam questions must be submitted during the exam as described below. The exam proctors are the final arbiters of the exam time. When it is announced that time is up, student doctors are expected to submit their exams.
Any student doctor observed cheating on an exam will earn a grade of zero (0) and will be remanded to the PAR Committee for disciplinary action. Any incident reported will be investigated as per the policy outlined in the Academic Bulletin prior to being remanded to the PAR Committee. Since these rules are strictly enforced, please avoid all appearance of academic dishonesty.
Exam proctors will have the final say regarding restroom usage during an exam. In general, only one male and one female student may use the restroom at any time. Any student caught cheating during a restroom break (i.e. looking up answers in a textbook or other source) will be remanded to the PAR Committee.
Students are not allowed to wear hats or hoods during the exam. An exception will be made for religious headwear. In addition, all watches, phones, Google Glasses, or other electronic devices; with the exception of their iPads, are not permitted in the exam room and should be left in the student doctor’s locker or car.
Food is not allowed in the exam room; drinks are allowed only when in closed containers.
“Hacking” into any examinations prior to the designated exam date and time will result in an automatic failure of the examination and referral to PAR Committee for appropriate disciplinary action.
Once a student doctor has started an exam, he/she must submit their exam, whether complete or not, prior to leaving the exam area. In cases of a family emergency that takes place during an exam, student doctors may appeal to the Course Director to be awarded a make-up exam. The course director will have the final say in this decision.
Student concerns about exam questions:
Student doctors who have a concern about an exam question must comment on the question during the exam by entering their comments in the notes field. To access the notes field student doctors should click on the “Tool Kit” menu, then the “Notes” option. Student doctors must click the “Request Feedback” option to submit their comments. Following completion of the exam, the Course Director will review the exam statistics; and comments submitted by student doctors will be reviewed by the appropriate faculty and the Course Director. Following the exam review by the Course Director and faculty and any exam corrections final exam scores will be posted within five business days after the exam. All exam grades are considered preliminary until the exam review process has been completed.
Missed Exams
If a student doctor must miss an exam due to illness or unexpected emergency, they are expected to contact the Course Director as soon as possible and preferably prior to the start of the exam. At the discretion of the Course Director, in consultation with Student Services, student doctors may be given an excused absence and will be allowed to take a makeup exam. To be considered for an excused absence, the student doctor must follow the procedures specified in the College Catalog A student doctor who misses an exam due to an unexcused absence will be given a grade of zero (0) for that exam.
Make-up Exams
The Course Director will schedule make-up exams for student doctors with an excused absence as soon as possible after the original exam date. Special circumstances will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The content, format, and scheduling of the make-up exam will be at the discretion of the Course Director. The Course Director will work with the Educational Course Coordinator to ensure the make-up exam is scheduled and proctored.
POLICY OWNER:
Associate/Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs
BOARD APPROVAL:
Effective: 7/10/19
Last Reviewed: 2/7/24
Review Requirement: 3 Years