When Entering the Examination Room
Know what is or is not acceptable behaviour in an examination room; know what you can or cannot have on your desk.
Prior to entering the examination room
If you are unable to take your examination due to illness, inform the teaching school as soon as possible and read the Mitigating Circumstances webpage.
Ensure that you have all the materials you require for the examination, such as pens etc, as the Assessment & Progress staff will not be able to provide spares.
Ensure that you have your student ID card. Please note the ID card is an official University document and should not be tampered with in any way (e.g. the printed photo should not be covered or replaced with a different photo, or the published dates on the card should not be amended etc). Tampering with the ID card may be considered cheating.
Visit the toilet before you enter the room, you will not be able to go until the examination has started and only then if an Invigilator is available to escort you to the toilets and back to your seat.
With regard to face coverings, you don’t have to wear a face covering on campus except for in clinical settings where NHS guidance may still apply. Some people might want to carry on using face coverings so please be considerate of other people’s choices.
In the examination room
Listen to the Invigilators instructions, and do as they say. If you have brought a bag or coat with you the Invigilators will specify an area where you can leave them, but please note that the area will not be watched or monitored during the examination so you are advised not to bring them.
Make sure you have put all your study/revision notes in your bag:
- Do not take the notes to your desk
- Do not put them in your pockets
- Do not make notes on your skin, hands, arms or legs
- Do not try to hide notes on your person or in your calculator
These are some of the things other students have done, they were caught and expelled from the University. They did not get the chance to finish their studies and receive an award. Don’t be like them.
Once in the room do not break the rules or even talk to a friend to wish them good luck. In the examination room, you are under examination conditions and talking is regarded as an attempt to cheat.
Once you are in your seat you must not get up and walk around. You must raise your hand and speak with an Invigilator.
The following items are prohibited and you are not permitted to have them during the examination:
- food or drink (however, you may take a clear water bottle with all labels removed)
- coats
- bags
- pencil cases (even transparent ones)
- tip-ex (or any ‘white out’ items of stationery) – if you make a mistake in pen you should cross it out
- unauthorised material of any kind, such as blank or graph paper, revision or study notes
- notes of any kind - including notes on your skin or clothing
- headwear (unless for religious reasons)
- mobile phones (unless needed for DUO authentication)/tablets/bluetooth devices/electronic devices
- personal music players
- calculator covers/lids
If you do bring any of these items to the examination, the invigilator will specify an area where you can leave them in the venue. But please note that the area will not be watched or monitored during the examination so you are advised not to bring them.
Wallets and purses may be kept under your desk or chair during the examination. Mobile phones and other electronic devices must have all pre-set alarms disabled and be switched off. These must be placed in the plastic bag on your desk. If you are wearing a smart watch, this should also be placed in the bag.
On your desk should be the items you need to complete the examination (pen, pencil, calculator – if permitted, text book – if permitted, etc), and your Student ID card (which will be used to verify your identity).
During the examination, the ID card should be placed on your desk.
When you are seated in the examination room, you will see an Examination Regulation reminders card on your desk. Read this thoroughly.
Your examination question paper will be on your desk. Read the front cover only, this will give you information about the examination. Do not turn over the question paper and start reading the questions until you are instructed to do so by an Invigilator. For further guidance on what appears on the front of the examination/assessment question paper refer to Examination and Assessment Question Papers webpage.
If you need a script book, the invigilators will already have placed, what you need, on your desk. Read the front cover of the script book and fill in your details. It is important that you anonymise your script book before it is collected at the end of the examination. Do not open the script book or make any notes on it or on any of the other items on your desk until you are instructed to start the examination. For further information on what is on the front of the script book and how to anonymise the script book, refer to the Script books webpage.
If you need a multiple choice answer card during the examination, this will have been placed on your desk. You will need to fill in your student number and your details at the top of the card. You must only use pencil on this card. Make sure you have a sharpener or spare pencil and an eraser. There are a number of different styles of multiple choice answer cards and schools refer to them in differing ways. For further guidance refer to the Student SES website on the Multiple Choice Answer Cards (MCQ/EMQ) webpage.
Once you have entered the examination room, you will not be able to leave without permission from the Invigilator. If you wish to leave the venue early you must raise your hand and ask permission from the Invigilator, you will not be allowed to leave in the first 60 minutes or the last 10 minutes. If you are permitted to leave, do so as quickly and quietly as possible. Be aware other examinations are still on going in your room and other rooms close by.
Refer to the Examination Preparations and Arrangements webpage for further guidance.