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Instructions for Invigilators of UHI Examinations
Contents
1. General 2
2. Conduct of Invigilators - General 2
3. Preparation Before Examinations Begin 3
4. Admission to the Exam room 3
5. Candidates’ Personal Possessions and Mobile Phones 4
6. Digital and Electronic Devices 4
7. Permitted/Prohibited Items and Materials 5
8. Instructions to Candidates Prior to the Start of the Exam 5
9. Late Admission of Candidates 6
10. Candidates Under Supervision 6
11. Conduct of Invigilators – During an Exam 7
12. External Noise 7
13. Candidate Misconduct 8
14. Evacuation and Illness During an Exam 8
15. End of the Examination 9
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Instructions for Invigilators of UHI Examinations
Invigilators are responsible for the proper conduct of the exams which must be carried out in accordance with the instructions given below and which form part of the UHI Academic Standards and Quality Regulations issued annually.
1.General
Where a room contains more than 30 candidates, two invigilators will be appointed (with a further invigilator for each additional 30 candidates thereafter).
You should be provided with a suitable method of communication in case of emergencies during the examination. This could include access to a telephone in the exam room, a radio or mobile phone etc. If you have not been provided with a means of summoning assistance please request this from the Exams Officer before the start of the exam. An additional member of staff should be available at all times should you require assistance in any way.
When you reach the exam room, make sure you are aware of the nearest fire exits and meeting points in case of emergency evacuation.
2.Conduct of Invigilators - General
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You should be firm but fair and you are expected to maintain a professional distance between yourself and the candidates.
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You must behave in an appropriate manner at all times and treat everyone with dignity and respect. Remember that someone else might misinterpret your actions, no matter how well intended.
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You must treat people equally and show no favouritism.
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You must not engage candidates in personal discussions, particularly where they are in a one-to-one situation. You must ensure that anything you say cannot be misinterpreted by the candidate(s), colleagues or by centre staff, and in particular avoid statements which may be construed as aggressive, hostile and/or impatient.
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You are responsible for maintaining security over all paperwork from the time it is collected from the Exams Officer until the time it is returned to them.
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You are expected to maintain the highest levels of discretion in dealing with confidential information. You must not divulge any confidential information to any third party. This information must be kept secure at all times and must not be placed in such a way as may give rise to inadvertent disclosure
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You must not make comments that are disparaging of UHI and/or your Partner College or that could cause damage to UHI and/or your Partner College’s reputation.
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Instructions for Invigilators of UHI Examinations
3.Preparation Before Examinations Begin
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You are responsible for collecting the exam pack from the Exams Officer or designated member of staff at least 30 minutes before the start of the exam. Ensure that you are given some spare black and blue pens.
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You should be present in the exam room at least 20 minutes before the exam is due to start.
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Record the title and start & finish times of each examination on a board which is visible to all candidates.
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The answer books, question papers, scrap paper and any other required material, which will all be contained in the exam pack, should be laid out on each desk before candidates are allowed to enter the room. Question papers should be laid out face downwards.
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Even if you have been advised by the Exams Officer, you should still read the rubric of each exam paper to check for any specific instructions pertaining to the exam(s). In particular you should note if candidates are permitted to bring additional materials for use during the exam, eg. books, notes etc
If a candidate insists that they are permitted to use notes during the examination, but this has not been recorded on the exam paper coversheet, contact the Exams Officer immediately.
You must not make the decision on whether or not to allow students to use additional materials during the exam unless it is recorded on the exam paper cover sheet.
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Admission to the Exam room
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Candidates should normally be admitted to the exam room 10-15 minutes before the start of the examination, or whenever you are happy that your preparations are complete.
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You must ensure that candidates sign the attendance register on admission to the exam room, otherwise they may be marked as absent from the exam. If a student arrives late they must sign the register even if this has to be done as they leave.
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If you have candidates who require additional time it is advisable (where possible) to seat them furthest from the exit and the front of the room to ensure the minimum disruption when the scheduled exam time has ended.
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Instructions for Invigilators of UHI Examinations
5.Candidates’ Personal Possessions and Mobile Phones
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After they have signed the Attendance Register you must direct candidates to leave all personal possessions (bags etc) at either the front or the back of the exam room prior to the start of the exam as appropriate (taking into account Health & Safety requirements).
You must also ask the candidates to ensure that they have switched off their mobile phones. These must be left on your desk until the end of the exam. Candidates must not leave their mobile phones in their bags.
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Where a candidate may need to be contacted in an emergency he or she will have made arrangements with the Exams Officer, and you will have been informed of this possibility.
If an emergency call is received the Exams Officer will collect the candidate and accompany them at all times during their absence from the Exam Room. If applicable the candidate may then be permitted to return to the room and complete the exam, however, no extra time will be given unless this has been agreed by the ML/PL.
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Under no circumstances are candidates permitted to retain their mobile phones.
6.Digital and Electronic Devices
During the exam, candidates must not have access to any device which can store or access data, or any other file formats including music (unless these are used by students who have additional support needs and approval has been sought and permission given for their use). The list includes, although is not limited to:
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Mobile phones;
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Calculators (other than those specifically permitted);
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MP3/4 players,
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Devices which can store or access data, or any other file formats including
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tablets or similar devices
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Personal electronic aids;
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Smart watches;
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Instructions for Invigilators of UHI Examinations
7.Permitted/Prohibited Items and Materials
During the exam, candidates must only retain permitted items on their desks. These items are:
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Pens and pencils and other appropriate exam stationery;
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Dictionary (if permission has been given for the candidate to use one);
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Additional pages of notes and/or books, articles etc if noted on the exam paper cover sheet that these are permitted;
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Water (or other drink which can be kept in a bottle with a lid);
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Small packet of sweets eg mints, providing they do not cause a disturbance when being taken (eg paper rustling);
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Medication (approval should have been given in advance)
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Defined additional support need (eg batteries for hearing aids)
Candidates must not retain on their desks and/or have access to the following prohibited items during the exam:
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Pencil cases;
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Calculator cases;
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Books, notes or any other papers unless specifically permitted (see above)
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Food
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Drinks which are not contained in a bottle with a lid
8.Instructions to Candidates Prior to the Start of the Exam
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You should always read out the Announcement to Candidates along with any special or specific instructions, prior to the start of each exam. Ensure you emphasise to the candidates that they are not permitted to leave the exam room during either the first 30 minutes or the last 15 minutes of the exam.
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It is advisable to remind Candidates again at this stage that they must ensure that all mobile phones are switched off and have been placed on your desk.
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You should ask that students leave the room as quietly as possible in order to cause the minimum disruption to those remaining, particularly if any of the candidates in your group require extra time,
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The 5 minutes Reading Time is an integral part of the total exam time. This means that the start time for the exams will now be shown on the timetable, exam papers, registers etc as 09.25 am and 13.25 pm (or similar where there are variations on timings).
Exam conditions operate from the start of reading time, Candidates MUST NOT commence writing in the answer books (or question paper if applicable) during reading time, unless if it is specifically mentioned on the front page of the question paper that they are permitted to make rough notes.
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Instructions for Invigilators of UHI Examinations
9.Late Admission of Candidates
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A candidate who arrives late for an exam should be admitted without question during the first 30 minutes (including Reading Time). They are not required to seek permission from the Exams Officer.
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Admission after the first 30 minutes (including Reading Time) may only be permitted with the prior permission of the Exams Officer or another member of the exams office. This will only happen if there are exceptional circumstances.
Requests from other members of staff to allow a candidate entry to the exam room after the first 30 minutes should be refused unless you are satisfied that the Exams Officer has given their approval.
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Extra time will not normally be allowed to a candidate who arrives late for an exam session, unless there are exceptional circumstances. The Exams Officer or another member of the exams office will decide whether or not the reasons for the candidate arriving late are acceptable and they will advise you accordingly.
However, if the candidate arrives during the first 30 minutes, they have not spoken to the Exams Officer first and you think that they may be entitled to extra time, contact the Exams Officer immediately and they will make a decision based on the reasons for the candidate’s late arrival. You must not make this decision.
10.Candidates Under Supervision
Very rarely a candidate may have a clash of exams. Under these circumstances the usual course of action is to permit the candidate to sit both exams on the same day but take one at the scheduled time and the other in either the morning or afternoon as required.
The candidate must be supervised at all times between the end of the first exam and the start of the second exam. This means that they will be required to remain in the exam room until the time their first exam is scheduled to end. The Exams Officer will have made arrangements for the candidate to be `collected’ from the exam room at this point. The candidate must therefore not be permitted to leave the room until the nominated member of staff arrives. The candidate will be aware of this.
The Exams Officer will advise you of the specific arrangements on the day of the exam.
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Instructions for Invigilators of UHI Examinations
11.Conduct of Invigilators – During an Exam
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You should be alert and unobtrusive at all times. Private reading, working on lap tops or any other activity which may prevent your full attention being given to the candidates is not permitted.
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In instances where the room is small and you would be unable to move around without disturbing the candidates you must ensure that you have a good, unobstructed view of all areas of the room.
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Where the size of the exam room permits you to move around discreetly, avoid standing behind a particular candidate for long periods as this can be off-putting.
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While an exam is in progress you may only conduct essential conversation which must be carried out as quietly as possible. If a candidate wishes to leave the exam room early (providing it does not fall within the first 30 minutes), you must not query their decision or engage in any other conversation, apart from providing necessary instruction.
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You are not permitted to leave the exam room unless replaced by another Invigilator, Exams Officer or nominated member of Centre Staff.
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Remember to inform the candidates when there is 30 minutes of the exam remaining and again 15 minutes before the exam is due to end.
12.External Noise
Occasionally noise from external sources may disrupt the candidates during the exam. You may be able to deal with this yourself however, If you are unsure, contact the Exams Officer for advice.
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If the disruption is caused by something which can be easily resolved eg people standing outside the exam room talking, someone working nearby with a radio on etc, if you are happy to do so open the door and politely request that they move away/turn off the source of the noise as there is an exam in progress.
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If, for whatever reason, you are unable to resolve this issue yourself and the disruption continues for longer than a few minutes, (eg grass cutting etc), contact the Exams Officer and advise them that the candidates are being disturbed and ask if there is anything which can be done to resolve it. Under these circumstances you may consider adding time on at the end of the exam to compensate the students.
In all cases remember to make a note on the Invigilator’s Report Form and include the duration of the disruption and the action taken.
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Instructions for Invigilators of UHI Examinations
13.Candidate Misconduct
If you suspect a candidate of cheating or other misconduct (or this is brought to your attention by another candidate), proceed as follows:
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You should remove the candidate’s exam answer book and any unauthorised associated materials (which should then be secured to the book you have removed).
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Provide the candidate with a new answer book and instruct them to continue. However, if the candidate refuses to submit the unauthorised materials or persists with their previous behaviour they should be expelled from the exam room. (Contact the Exams Officer if you require assistance.)
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In the answer book you confiscated record the time you removed it and the reason why, making a note that a new answer book was issued to the candidate from the time the incident occurred.
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If a candidate is causing a disturbance and/or is disrespectful to other Candidates and/or anyone else who has permission to be in the exam room, you must advise them that they will be removed from the exam room if they continue to be disruptive. They should also be advised that if this happens they will not be permitted to re-enter. If necessary, contact the Exams Officer for advice/support.
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In all instances your Report Form must be clearly annotated with the details of the misconduct/disruption and the Exams Officer must be notified of any incident immediately after the exam has ended.
14.Evacuation and Illness During an Exam
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If an exam room has to be evacuated for any reason (such as a fire alarm), you should instruct candidates to leave all exam papers and materials on their desks and proceed to the nearest exit. You should also advise them that they are not permitted to talk to each other.
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You should be the last person to leave the room and you must ensure that the candidates are supervised at all times as far as possible, bearing in mind your safety and the safety of the candidates.
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On re-admittance to the exam room, you should advise candidates of the time you intend to re-start the exam and inform them of the remaining duration. The exam should then proceed as normal.
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If a candidate becomes ill during an examination, you should take any action necessary and contact the Exams Officer as soon as possible.
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Instructions for Invigilators of UHI Examinations
14. Evacuation and Illness During an Exam (cont’d)
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If any other issues arise and you are unsure how to proceed seek guidance from the Exams Officer.
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In all instances you must always record the details clearly on the Invigilator’s Report Form, including the duration of the disruption (if any) and the action taken.
15.End of the Examination
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The examination should be stopped punctually.
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You should remind candidates that their student number must be recorded on the front of their answer book and to secure any additional materials to their book.
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Candidates should follow the instructions issued by you at the start of the exam regarding returning their answer books and any other relevant materials.
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Candidates are permitted to take the exam paper with them when they leave the exam room unless otherwise stated on the exam paper rubric and/or if they leave within the first 30 minutes of the start of the exam (or the first hour if the examination starts early).
Please note however that candidates are NOT permitted to remove the HN Graded Unit or BSc Oral Health exam papers from the exam room under any circumstances
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If any candidates within your group are entitled to extra time, using your discretion, you may allocate an additional few minutes to their time to compensate for any disruption caused at the end of normal exam time.
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You should count the number of answer books collected and compare this to the Attendance Register. Complete and sign your Invigilator’s Report Form, then return all completed scripts, Registers and all other materials to the Exams Officer at the end of the exam.
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Occasionally the marker may collect the scripts directly from the exam room. You will be informed by the Exams Officer if this is to happen. You must ensure that the marker completes and signs the relevant section of the Attendance Register which must then be returned to the Exam Officer.