You should review the Covid 19-midterm and final exam scheduling principles on the Registrar's website (login required) when making decisions about your assessments. Please consider one of the following options:
Speak to your department chair and/or associate dean for direction if none of the above is an option for your class.
Visit our Tools and Technologies page for information about tools to help assess student learning. If you plan to use an online system such as Mobius, Akindi or Crowdmark, please consider holding a mock or practice exam in advance to allow yourself and your students to become familiar with the requirements.
Synchronous online examinations are not recommended at this time. Waterloo students are located in different time zones, might have intermittent internet access, and/or might be relying on smartphone and data plans, resulting in a highly stressful testing situation. If you must administer an online final exam, provide a minimum 24-hour window for completion so that students can write the exam at a time that is feasible for them.
If you have concerns about academic integrity, consider creating multiple versions of your final examination, have students sign an academic integrity agreement prior to taking the exams, and/or lower the weight of the exam.
Please note that you are still responsible to provide academic accommodations for students with disabilities.
Examinations and assessments can be timed or untimed.
University Policies and Guidelines
Exam alternatives can be due during the last 5 days of the formal lecture period if they are worth no more than 25% of the final grade.
Alternatives can also be due during the exam period, but cannot be due during the period between the end of the lectures and the start of the exams. See University Policies, Guidelines, and Academic Regulations for complete details.
Remote Online Proctoring
Waterloo has a contract for online proctoring with ProctorU. Online proctoring will NOT be available in unlimited or large volumes, and priority will be given to required exams or other situations where there are no viable alternatives, so we encourage you to consider it only as a last resort.
Alternatives to final exams are encouraged, and students must be provided an alternative to an online proctored exam if they require one.
Online proctoring does not necessarily mean a synchronous test. Don't forget students are located in different time zones and have other time commitments.
The ProctorU system records the student via webcam as well as activities on their computer. The ProctorU AI system reviews and flags potential incidents which can be emailed to designated people in real-time. Videos are also available immediately. Instructors and/or TAs can also watch the exam live (but not intervene). ProctorU is a pay-per-use system and a limited number of seats can be covered by CEL or the faculty exam budget. ProctorU has been reviewed for privacy and security considerations.
Instructors interested in using ProctorU should speak to their associate dean. If you have questions about online proctoring, please email extendedlearning@uwaterloo.ca.
