Office of Central Student Administration

Exams: Advice to Students

This information will help you prepare for your exams.

Exams are generally two or three hours long, with an additional 10 minutes reading time. The exam timetable will be posted at various noticeboards on campus and on the web.

Exam Attendance

Internal Students, and External Students within a 70km radius of campus

Students must sit each exam at their enrolled campus for that unit, in the allocated room, at the timetabled date and time.

External Students within a 70km radius of an Exam Centre

Students must sit their exams at a University Exam Centre located throughout WA, in capital cities and Singapore. See the list of External Exam Centres.

External Students outside a 70km radius of any Exam Centre

Students must sit their exams with an individual supervisor who they nominate. The supervisor must not be a friend or family member, and should hold a responsible public position such as a Justice of the Peace, Police Officer, Minister of Religion or Teacher. The University will pay the supervisor and postage costs. A nomination form is available online.

External students will be sent an Exams Notice, which provides all relevant details.

If you are in a different time zone to Perth, and to sit the exam at the time the exam is taken in Perth would be impractical, the exam should be taken at a time as close to the time the exam is being taken in Perth.

You can apply for permission to sit an exam at another location or time due to extenuating circumstances beyond your control. If approved, a fee of $150 (within Australia) or $250 (overseas) per exam is payable. Going on holiday and/or returning to home countries for the inter-semester break is not considered sufficient grounds for approval. If approved you must complete a Supervisor Nomination Form indicating a suitable person or organisation to supervise your exam.

Student Identification

Students must show photographic identification at each exam with a Murdoch University Student Card, Driver's Licence, or Passport. On-campus students without ID must stay until the end of the exam to have their identification verified. Off-campus students without ID will be recorded on the attendance sheet.

Exam Aids

Writing materials of pens, pencils, eraser, and ruler (without notes), are permitted in all exams. Open Book exams allow the use of textbooks, notes, files, or a calculator. Laptops, palm computers, iPods and other electronic devices are NOT allowed. Some exams allow the use of limited specific aids. Closed Book exams do not allow any aids. If your native language is not English you may usually use an English/Foreign language print dictionary, without annotations. Internal students will be advised of allowed aids in class during the semester. External students will be advised in their External Exams Advice.

Dishonesty in Assessment

The University regards most seriously any acts of dishonesty relating to assessment. Students with materials not allowed in an exam will have them confiscated, and sometimes handed in with their exam scripts. All incidents will be reported to the Unit Coordinator and may lead to action under the Discipline Statute. See http://www.murdoch.edu.au/admin/discipline/

During Exams

• You can enter the exam room 5 minutes before the start time.

• Only writing materials, allowed aids and a water bottle may be taken into the exam room.

• All bags and belongings must be left outside or at the front of the room, but you may use your bag to carry allowed items to your exam desk and then place it at the front of the room.

• Smoking, and eating are not permitted in the exam room.

• Mobile phones must be turned off and left with your belongings.

• The Unit Coordinator will attend the reading time and may answer queries about the paper.

• To speak to a supervisor during the exam, raise your hand.

• Talking with other students is not permitted once the supervisor commences reading the exam instructions or during the exam until all exam booklets and papers have been collected.

• You are not allowed to leave the room during the first 30 minutes of working time, or the last 10 minutes of the exam.

• If you leave the exam room during an exam you must be accompanied by a supervisor or will not be readmitted to the exam.

Late Arrivals

If you arrive up to 30 minutes late you can still sit the exam but won't be given any extra working time. If you arrive more than 30 minutes late, you cannot be admitted to the exam and should go to the Exams Office/, Student Service Centre for advice.

Alternative Exam Arrangements

If you have a disability or medical condition you can apply for alternative exam arrangements to ensure that you are able to sit exams on an equitable basis. You should contact the Disability Support Officer on 9360 6152 or see further information online.

Deferred Assessment

If you are unable to sit exams or submit assignments (due in Week 12 or later) because of a serious illness or other exceptional personal circumstances, you can apply through the Exams Office to defer sitting an exam or submitting the assignments. You must be up to date with other assessment in the unit at the time the circumstances arose and it must be possible for you to pass the unit. Detailed information is available online.

For assignments due earlier in the semester you must apply to the Unit Coordinator for an extension of the due date.

Illness

Students with serious contagious diseases are not allowed to sit exams with other students and must advise the Exams Office if they will be infectious during the exam period for appropriate arrangements to be made. Usually the student will be advised to apply for Deferred Assessment. If you commence but cannot complete the exam due to illness or other factors, you can apply for deferred assessment if less than two thirds of the exam time has elapsed.

If you are sick or affected by other extenuating circumstances on the day of the exam, you must advise the Exams Office (08 9360 2544), <exams@murdoch.edu.au> and obtain a medical certificate on that day. A Deferred Assessment Application must be submitted within three (3) working days.

Supplementary Exams

You might be permitted to sit a supplementary exam if you get a borderline fail grade (45-49%), to give you a further opportunity to demonstrate achievement of the unit objectives. The Unit Coordinator has the sole discretion in determining whether a supplementary assessment is to be given, it is not an automatic right of the student. Only those students notified that they have been approved for supplementary assessment can sit for these exams. Details of deferred and supplementary assessment are available online.

Support Services

The University provides a number of services and options to help you through unanticipated difficulties and problems that might arise during your studies.

Teaching and Learning Centre

The Student Learning staff of the Teaching and Learning Centre can assist you in a variety of ways. There are practical classes and workshops available free to Murdoch students on essay writing, English skills, reading skills, mathematics, exam preparation and time management held either during semester teaching weeks or in the non-teaching breaks. Individual consultations are also available by appointment to work in depth on your individual learning needs. There are also many useful resources including handouts, and books and videos available for loan, at the Student Learning Resource Centre in the Library.

Contact Student Learning reception in the Murdoch Library (north wing, fourth level, room 4.007), phone 9360 2142 or email <slearn@central.murdoch.edu.au> or contact Liana Christensen in the Rockingham Library (LL 2.08; ph: 9360 7085).

Full details are available online.

University Counselling Service

The University Counselling Service provides free and confidential support to assist students address academic and personal difficulties impacting upon their ability to study. Counselling appointments at Murdoch and Rockingham campuses can be made by telephoning 9360 2293 or at the Health and Counselling Service located near the Library in Bush Court. Peel Campus students should contact Dr. Rosemary German-Belmont on 9586 8033. Full details are available online.

For further information please access the web addresses given above or contact the Exams Office.

Good Luck!

	Document Author: Office of Central Student Administration Document Contact: Webmaster Authorised by: Darren Munday, Director <d.munday@murdoch.edu.au> Disclaimer & Copyright Notice © 2005 Murdoch University	Document creation: 7 October, 1999 Expiry date: NA Last Modified: 08:57, 18 July, 2007.
	URL: http://www.murdoch.edu.au/oss/exams/advice.html