Part K – Conduct for Candidates in Live Assessment 

1 Introduction 

  

1.1 University Examinations are conducted either in physical spaces or online; online examinations are sometimes referred to as Time Constrained Assessments. 

  

2 Examinations 

  

2.1 Candidates must comply with examination conditions from the time they enter the exam venue and at all other times as instructed by the Chief Invigilator or other authorised officer.  

  

2.2 Examination conditions are defined as:  

  

2.2.i No interacting with other candidates. 

  

2.2.ii No disrupting of other candidates through unnecessary moving of examination furniture.  

  

2.3 As a University of Lincoln student, you are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity and student behaviour. Integrity means the obligation to be honest and truthful.   

  

2.4 Candidates suspected of committing an academic offence and/or failing to comply with the Code of Conduct during an examination will be warned by an invigilator once only and will be asked to leave the examination room for the remainder of that examination session if the candidate’s behaviour continues to give rise to suspicion of an academic offence. 

  

2.5 Candidates suspected of committing an academic offence and/or failing to comply with the Code of Conduct for Candidates in Live Assessment will be approached by an invigilator and given a formal warning. The invigilator will endorse the candidate’s answer book appropriately including reference to the time of the incident. The endorsed answer book will be withdrawn, and a new book will be issued before the candidate is permitted to continue the examination. The chief invigilator will be notified, and the incident recorded on the Chief invigilator report. If the candidate ignores the formal warning and continues to behave in a manner giving rise to a suspicion of committing an academic offence and/or failing to comply with the Code of Conduct for Candidates in Live Assessment, they will be asked to leave the examination room for the remainder of that examination session.  

  

2.6 Candidates who fail to comply with University Regulations and the Code of Conduct for Candidates in Live Assessment will be dealt with under the disciplinary or academic offences procedures. All Regulations dealing with academic offences, including plagiarism, will apply. 

  

2.7 Candidates must comply with all instructions from invigilators and any additional written instructions pertinent to their examination or award.  

  

2.8 Candidates will be admitted to an examination room no earlier than 15 minutes prior to the start of the examination.  

  

2.9 Candidates must sit in the numbered seats as allocated on the seating plan for the examination they are sitting.  

  

2.10 Candidates must display their Student ID card or alternative photo ID as confirmation of their identity. 

  

2.11 Mobile Phones, smart watches and other similar devices are not permitted in any examination room for the duration of the examination.  

  

2.12 All coats and hats not being worn, and any other similar items must be placed in the designated area set aside for that purpose.  

  

2.13 If a candidate covers/veils their face they will have their identity checked in a private space by an invigilator prior to the start of the examination. 

  

2.14 Candidates may only take to the examination desk the writing implements required to take the examination. Candidates whose first language is not English are permitted to take an unmarked translation dictionary into the examination. 

  

2.15 Non-programmable calculators are permitted in examinations ONLY where specified in the rubric for that examination. Spare calculators are not normally provided. Programmable calculators are not allowed in any examination. 

  

2.16 Candidates may bring to an examination a container of up to 500ml of water/soft drink and/or a small packet of sweets, for example a packet of mints. Alternatives will be permitted subject to approval following assessment by the Student Wellbeing Centre.  

  

2.17 Electronic dictionaries, subject specific dictionaries and English definition dictionaries are not permitted.  

  

2.18 Invigilators will confiscate any items that are not required as part of the examination. Confiscated items will be returned to candidates at the end of the examination. 

  

2.19 Candidates arriving late must report to an invigilator.  

  

2.20 Candidates will not be permitted entry to an examination room 30 minutes following the commencement of an examination.  

  

2.21 Candidates are responsible for checking that they have been issued with the correct examination paper.  

  

2.22 Candidates who wish to attract the attention of an invigilator must raise their hand.  

  

2.23 Candidates who wish to leave the examination room temporarily must be accompanied by an invigilator. 

  

2.24 Candidates will not be permitted to leave the examination permanently in the first 30 minutes or last 30 minutes of an examination. 

  

2.25 At the end of an examination, candidates must not leave an examination room until all examination papers have been collected by the invigilator. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure that all their papers have been collected.  

  

2.26 Pregnant candidates may apply for special examination arrangements, but this is not a requirement. A request to Student Registry Services for special arrangements must be made in writing, accompanied by evidence that the candidate will be pregnant at the time of the examination; a note from the candidate’s midwife or practice nurse would be adequate. The dates and times of all examinations should be included in the written request. Any relevant medical advice relating to the student should also be made known at this point. Student Registry Services will make the necessary arrangements, providing an individual room if required and allowing an additional 10 minutes per hour for every hour of the examination.  

  

2.27 Candidates must ensure that written answers are legible and able to be marked. Poor handwriting will not be an acceptable reason to request the use of a computer in examinations. Where 2 markers are unable to read a substantial part of an examination script due to illegible handwriting, the relevant School may choose to have the script transcribed with any related costs being passed on to the student at the discretion of the School. In such cases, the candidate should be asked to attend the School to enable the transcription of the writing. It must be made clear to the candidate that their role in attending is only to interpret the text as it stands, and that the addition or removal of any material will constitute academic misconduct. Any associated travel costs will need to be paid by the student. Where the candidate refuses to return to transcribe their work, their work will be assessed based on the legible parts only and a mark awarded accordingly.  

  

2.28 Examination papers must not be removed from the Examination venue under any circumstances; papers must be left on desks. Removing an examination paper from the Examination venue could be dealt with under the Student Conduct and Disciplinary Regulations, and the Academic Offences Regulations, if appropriate. 

  

2.29 If the fire alarm sounds during an examination, candidates must follow the Chief Invigilators’ instructions. Candidates will still be under exam conditions and so must not use their mobile phone or any other electronic device, nor speak to other students. It is likely that the exam will continue once they have returned to the building, and they will be given extra time to complete the paper. 

  

2.30 Any item of lost property found in an examination room will, in the first instance, be taken to the Student Support Centre, during their opening hours or alternatively the Security Office, both located in the Minerva Building.  

  

3 Time Constrained Assessments 

  

3.1 Candidates are required to ensure that they have appropriate hardware and connectivity to complete online examination. 

  

3.2 Candidates must ensure that they are online, logged on to the University Virtual Learning Environment and be ready to take an assessment 15 minutes prior to the commencement of the examination. 

  

3.3 Candidates must familiarise themselves with the requirements of their examination and follow the instructions for completion and submission of their examination paper. 

  

3.4 Candidates may submit (upload) and resubmit examination answer papers at any time during the examination period. The last submission will be taken as final. 

  

3.5 Candidates must comply with examination conditions for the duration of the online examination. Examination conditions mean: 

  

3.5.i No collaboration or interaction with other candidates or individuals using any means of communication or device during live examinations. 

  

3.5.ii No posting, sharing, or receiving of exam questions, exam topics or answers using any means during live examinations. 

  

3.5.iii No sharing of information with other students during live examinations by any means of communication or attempting to do so. 

  

3.5.iv No encouraging or persuading others to share examination content or breach this code of conduct. 

  

3.6 Where candidates have queries about examination questions or are facing technical issues, then they should communicate with the point of contact stated on the examination paper.  

  

3.7 Irregularities and suspicions of unfair practices will be investigated and could result in academic offence or misconduct proceedings. 

  

3.8 University of Lincoln examinations are confidential, and students are prohibited from disclosing, publishing, reproducing, or transmitting such assessments, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, written, electronic or mechanical to another person including any other candidates. 

  

3.9 To maintain the integrity of examinations, each candidate has the duty to report any attempt to violate the code of conduct. 

  

3.10 Candidates are expected to allow sufficient time to submit or upload their examination paper. Submission after the specified time will not be accepted and the paper will not be marked. 

  

3.11 Candidates are expected to submit a back-up copy of their examination paper to an identified mailbox, before the end of the online examination.