Examination Rules
(These rules only apply to examinations held in the formal University examination period.)

Preamble

This document sets out the University's Rules concerning examinations and is applicable to undergraduate and postgraduate students. It should be read in conjunction with Statute No. 20 Examinations and the Code of Practice-Assessment and its appendices (including the University Policy on deferred assessment, special consideration, appeals and dishonesty in assessment); and Statute 23 Student Discipline.

Murdoch University has a two week examination period at the end of each semester, during which all final examinations should normally be held. Responsibility for the organisation of examinations within the scheduled two week examination period lies with the Examinations Office. If requested by the Unit Coordinator trimester examinations are organised by the Examinations Office.
Students must obtain all their information on examinations from the Examinations Office.

Definitions

Assessment:

The means by which progress or achievement in a unit is evaluated. This can include assessment methods such as assignments, examinations, project work, seminar papers and tutorial participation.

Callista: 

The University's student records system.

Examination:

An examination conducted by or within the University or an examination conducted by any other person or body prescribed by the statutes as a person or body authorised to conduct examinations for the University. (Statute No. 8 Interpretation)

Examination Centre:

An Examination Venue outside the Perth metropolitan area approved by the Examinations Office, where off-campus students who live more than a 70km radius from the Murdoch campus are directed to attend their exams.

Examination Period:

The formal examination period during which examinations are held at the end of each standard teaching period, with the examinations co-ordinated by the Examinations Office.

Examination Office:

The office responsible for organization and administering of exams held in the official examination period at the end of each standard teaching period and the follow-up supplementary and deferred exams.

Examination Officer:

The officer responsible for administering the Examinations Office procedures.

Invigilator:

Person who supervises an examination.

Off-Campus Student:

Students enrolled in only external units in the standard teaching period.

On-Campus Student:

Students enrolled in at least one internal unit in the standard teaching period.

Postgraduate Student:

A student enrolled in a doctoral, masters or postgraduate certificate or diploma course.

Semester:

Refers to the organisation of the teaching year. There are two semesters in each academic year. Each semester includes 13 teaching weeks and a final examination period.

Standard Teaching Period:

Teaching conducted on a semester or trimester basis.

Supervisor-in-Charge:

Invigilator responsible for co-ordination and running of an Examination venue.

Trimester:

Refers to the organisation of the teaching year in three 13-week trimesters. This is used by several postgraduate courses.

Undergraduate Student:

A Student enrolled in a unit for a Bachelor's Degree or pre-University bridging/enabling course, certificate, graduate certificate, diploma or graduate diploma.

Unit Co-ordinator:

Academic who is appointed Unit Co-ordinator in accordance with Bachelor Degree Regulation 16(3).

Examinations Timetable

1.

Semester examinations commence on the first Saturday of the examination period, and are held in two daily sessions commencing at 9.30am and 2.00pm.

2.

Trimester examinations are held in Week 13 of the trimester or in the Examination Period and are held at the same time the relevant class was held, or another time as agreed between the examinations officer and the unit Co-ordinator.

3.

Examinations are of either two or three hours duration, preceded by a standard additional 10 minutes reading time at the start of the exam.

4.

The timetable is released in week 10 of the standard teaching period.

5.

It is each student's responsibility to know when and where their examination(s) are being held and to be at the designated venue on time. Examinations must be taken at the timetabled time, in the allocated room.

Examination Attendance

6.

On-campus students are required to sit all their exams on campus, whether enrolled internally or externally.

Alternative Examination Arrangements

7.

Alternative examination arrangements are any variation to the standard form of assessment (examinations and/or assignments) or conditions relating to the assessment that are put in place to accommodate a student's disability or medical condition.

8.

Students with a disability or medical condition who want to apply for Alternative Examination Arrangements should contact the Equity Office to discuss their needs. If the student is able to sit in the main examination venue, the invigilator(s) are notified.

9.

Application for Alternative Examination Arrangements are determined and approved by the Equity Officer (Disabilities).

10.

Students with serious contagious diseases are not allowed to sit examinations with other students. Students must advise the Examinations Officer upon diagnosis of any contagious disease if they will still be infectious during the examination period for appropriate arrangements to be made. In some circumstances the student will be required to apply for Deferred Assessment even if the student wants to sit the examination at the ordinary time. Upper Respiratory Tract Infections such as the common cold are not covered by this rule.

Examination Supervision

11.

The coordination and running of the examination is the responsibility of the Supervisor in Charge of the venue. There are at least two supervisors per on-campus Examination Venue to ensure one is always present should the other be required to leave the venue. Supervisors are to follow the instructions of the Supervisor in Charge.

12.

The Unit Coordinator is required to attend the first 10 minutes of the examination (reading time) and at their discretion may answer queries from the students about the paper. They should remain contactable for the remainder of the examination.

Student Identification

13.

For all examinations organised by the Examinations Office students are required to provide photographic identification at the examination venue.

14.

Acceptable identification which must be shown at each examination is listed in the table below:

15.

(a)

On-campus students without ID, cannot leave the Examination Venue until the end of the examination and must accompany the Supervisor-in-Charge to the Office of Student Services, Marketing and International Affairs to have their identification verified by the Examinations Officer by receipt of suitable identification or by checking the student's image on Callista.

(b)

Off - campus students must sign an attendance form. Off-campus students without ID may sit the exam as normal. The supervisor shall mark on the attendance sheet that they had no acceptable photo ID.

(c)

The examination paper will not be forwarded to the Unit Coordinator until the Examinations Officer is satisfied that the person who sat the examination is the person whose name appears on the examination paper.

16.

If suitable ID cannot be provided to the Examinations Officer on the day of the examination it must be provided by the end of the examination period. For examinations held in the last two days of the examination period, the deadline is instead two working days after the examination.

The Examinations Officer shall advise the Unit Coordinator if suitable identification is not provided.

Where suitable ID is not provided the Unit Coordinator shall award zero marks to the student for that examination.

Starting Times

17.

Students are permitted to enter the examination room 5 minutes before the start time.

18.

Examinations taken off-campus must be taken at the same time as the examination is being held at Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia (Australian Western Standard time). Students must check local starting times with off-campus centres.

Examinations taken offshore in the same time zone as Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia (Australian Western Standard time) must be taken at the same time as the examination is being held at Murdoch University. If it is impractical due to difference in the time zone, the Examinations Office must contact the Unit Co-ordinator to discuss alternative arrangements that will ensure the integrity of the examination is not compromised. Students must check local starting times with off-campus centres.

Where the exam is taken in a different time zone, the examination must also be taken at the Perth time (Australian Western Standard time) unless this is impractical and satisfactory arrangements can be made that do not compromise the integrity of the examination.

Late Arrivals

19.

If less than 30 minutes late students can sit the examination but will not be given any extra time. If more than 30 minutes late for an examination, the student will not be allowed to sit the exam.

Examination Aids

20.

All Examinations
The only items students can take into the examination room are writing materials (pens, pencils, eraser, ruler). Writing materials are not permitted to have any annotations relevant to the content of the unit. Students whose native language is not English may also take in an English/Foreign language print dictionary, providing it does not contain notes. (Students must contact the Examinations Office two weeks before the examination period, for approval to do this). All bags, textbooks and notes must be left outside or at the front of the room.

21.

Where particular examinations state that candidates are allowed to bring and use specific aids, any candidate bringing items that exceed or contradict that statement will have such items either confiscated for the duration of the examination or, in marginal cases, handed in with their examination script(s). All instances will be reported to the Unit Coordinator.

22.

Closed Book Examinations
No aids are permitted including calculators.

23.

Open Book Examinations:
In addition to writing materials, students may take textbooks, notes, files, or a calculator into the examination room. Laptops, palm computers and other electronic devices are NOT permitted. Students enrolled internally will be advised during semester of any specific items or limits. Students enrolled externally will be notified with their External Examinations Advice.

During Examinations

24.

Students wishing to obtain the supervisor's attention during the examination should raise their hand.

25.

Smoking, food, drink and mobile phones are not permitted in examination rooms. If mobile phones are left in bags they must be turned off as a courtesy to other students.

Students are not allowed to leave the room during the first 30 minutes (after the initial 10 minutes reading time) or the last 10 minutes of the examination.

26.

A student who commences but is unable to complete an exam due to illness may apply for deferred assessment if less than two thirds of the exam duration has elapsed.

Supplementary and Deferred Examinations

27.

Only those students who have been officially notified that they have been approved for deferred or supplementary assessment, can sit for these examinations. Details of deferred and supplementary assessment are contained in the Code of Practice Assessment Appendix 2: University Policy on Deferred Assessment, Special Consideration, Appeals and Dishonesty in Assessment.

External Examinations Advice

28.

Off campus students are sent an Examinations Notice, which details the date and time of their examinations for external units.

29.

If the student lives within 70 kilometres of a Centre the notice will advice the Centre at which the student is to sit their exams. Otherwise the notice will advise that the student is to nominate a supervisor.

30.

Students who live outside a 70 kilometre radius of a Centre are responsible for nominating a suitable supervisor by the date advised in the notice. Nominated examination supervisors must hold a responsible public position such as (but not limited to) a Justice of the Peace, Police Officer, Minister of Religion or Teacher. These people cannot be a friend or family member.

31.

Students enrolled internally, or who would normally sit examinations on campus, and are making arrangements to sit off-campus, are required to pay a fee, per examination. This should be paid in person or by credit card or cheque at the Cashier's office, prior to the examination period to ensure despatch of the paper.

32.

The University will pay the supervisor for examination supervision. Students should advise the nominated supervisor of the rates of pay which are available from the Examinations Office. If any other costs are incurred in the supervision (such as venue hire and administration fees) these will not be met by the University and are the student's responsibility.

33.

Students who live outside the 70 kilometre radius from any Centre can nominate to attend a Centre rather than have their own supervisor, if this is more convenient.