Alternative testing

Students are required to schedule their term tests, midterms and quizzes through their AccessAbility Services online account at least 14 days in advance. The final exam booking deadlines each term are November 1 (Fall Term), March 1 (Winter Term), and July 1 (Spring Term). Step-by-step instructions on how to book exams can be found in the Scheduling Tests and Examinations video. 

Please double check that the dates/times entered are accurate and contact us immediately if an exam date is moved or added.

Exams are written at the same time that the class is writing unless alternate arrangements have been negotiated in advance and approved by the professor.  All evening exams start at 6:00 PM so that all exams can be completed by 10:00 PM.  If you need to schedule the test/exam at a different time or date from the class, AccessAbility Services will require written confirmation of the date and time from the instructor.

Once written, exams will be returned to your instructor the next business day. 

When you register for accommodations each term a letter will be emailed to your instructor with information on how to adjust the timing for online quizzes and tests. In-person final exams for students in online courses who need accommodations can be written on campus with AccessAbility Services or with a proctor.  Follow the instructions in the Booking Exams section above to schedule your final exam on-campus.

If you are taking an online course and live more than 100 KM from the University of Waterloo, or have a disability-based need that prevents you from travelling to campus, you may be eligible for individual proctoring support. Please visit the Centre for Extended Learning – Writing with a Proctor webpage for more information.

Regular business hours are Monday to Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Exams may run outside of these hours as required for scheduled tests.  Deferred exams cannot be booked outside of regular M-F office hours.

The latest time an exam may start is 6:00 PM and all exams must be finished by 10:00 PM.

The Exam Centre will open on Saturdays to accommodate exams only when they are being written at the same time as the class. 

The AccessAbility Services Exam Centre is not open on Sundays or University Holidays.

Checking Time and Location

Prior to your exam please confirm the time and writing location by checking the schedule on AccessAbility Online.  It is your responsibility to report any error or omission in the schedule to AccessAbility Services’ staff immediately.

Arriving for the Exam

Please come to the Exam Centre reception 15 minutes prior to the start of your exam.  Be prepared to present your WatCard or photo identification to the proctor on duty.  Once your identification has been confirmed you will be admitted in to the Exam Centre.   Please note that students are not allowed to leave (even for a washroom break) until the exam has started and they can be escorted by an AAS Proctor.

Fifteen minutes before the start of the exam, students are authorized to enter the exam room.

Students Who Arrive Late  

After the examination has begun, students must remain in the proctored area one hour beyond the class start time.  Students who arrive more than one hour after the class has started may be barred from writing the examination if students have already completed the examination and have left the examination room.  The decision to allow a late candidate to write the examination is at the discretion of the instructor.  A candidate who arrives more than an hour late will be directed to the class exam location to speak with their instructor.  If the candidate is allowed to write the exam, the AAS Proctor will mark the time of entry clearly on all of the student’s answer booklets.  There shall be no extension of time for candidates who arrive late. 

Student Questions

If a student has a question for their instructor, the proctor will call and leave a voicemail for the instructor asking them to call us back.  Please note that AccessAbility Services cannot guarantee that you will be able ask questions during an exam.   If we are not able to contact the instructor, the student will be asked to state an assumption and follow up with the instructor afterwards.

Student Illness

If you are ill the day of an exam please contact AAS and inform us that you will not be writing the exam.  Please follow your department’s procedures to obtain the appropriate medical documentation required to rebook a test.

Cheating

Cheating includes, but is not limited to, use of unauthorized aids, copying from another student’s work or allowing another student to copy from them, submitting another person’s work as their own, and/or fabrication of data.

If an AAS Proctor has reasonable grounds to believe that a violation of academic regulations has occurred , they will immediately collect all evidence and give it to the Exam Coordinator and explain to the alleged offender that the status of his/her exam paper is in question.  The Exam Coordinator will record the details of the incident, making note of the time and details and will inform the course instructor of the circumstances and turn over all of the available evidence to him/her.  This report will be forwarded to the Associate Dean.

Washroom Arrangements

Students who need to use the washroom must be accompanied by a proctor or staff member who will wait in the hallway at the entrance to the washroom. 

Smoking, Eating and Drinking

Smoking is not permitted in University of Waterloo buildings.  Under no circumstances will smoke breaks be permitted during exams.

Students are prohibited from consuming food and drinks (with the exception of water in a clear bottle with no label) during their final examinations.  Students can however make arrangements for a short nutrition break with an AAS Proctor outside of the exam venue during the final exam.  If a student requests a nutrition break, the student will be allowed access to his/her bag to get the snack/drink and be accompanied by a staff member into the hallway for a brief break (about the same amount of time taken for washroom break).  Food/drinks must be unwrapped and consumed outside the exam venue and must not disturb the students who are writing the exam in any way.  Repeated requests for nutrition breaks from any one student may be denied.

Students who are medically required to consume food/drinks regularly during a final exam may be writing through AccessAbility Services.  Please inform your accommodation consultant if you have a documented medical need to consume food and drink during an exam.

The examination must end at the specified time unless extra time has been added due to exceptional circumstances.  The student may need to wait until the class is one hour into the exam before leaving.  The student will be instructed to remain seated and quiet until the time they are permitted to leave.

All materials present during the writing of the exam, including crib sheets, must be returned to the proctor. Please ensure that you have recorded your name and ID on scantrons, booklets, and exam papers.

If the exam has been completed on the computer, the proctor will print out the answers and have the student review and confirm that the exam is complete.  The student will be asked to sign the front page if possible.