Examination masters are uploaded as PDF files directly to the system. The system will perform two stamping processes before printing the actual examination papers.

The first stamping process overwrites the top of the cover page and the bottom of every page of the examination master with a standard header and footer.

The second stamping process fills in a sequence number and room/seat information in a label space in the header on the cover page. If assigned seating is in use, the student name, userid, and UW ID are also filled in. This is illustrated in a ems-sample.pdf , which contains three pages, as follows:

  1. The first page of the initially-uploaded PDF;
  2. The first page as stamped with the standard header and footer;
  3. The first page with student-specific information filled in.

Authorization

Examination masters can only be uploaded by the “Authorized Uploader”. For midterms, this defaults to the person creating the examination in the system; for finals, there is no default. If you are already the “Authorized Uploader” for an examination, you should find an “Upload Masters” link on the main page for the examination. Otherwise, somebody authorized as an Instructional Support Coordinator for the course will need to use “Edit Details” to set you as the “Authorized Uploader”. See Access & Roles for more information about authorization.

Examination Master Requirements

Examination masters must be uploaded in PDF format. An early draft should be uploaded as early as possible in the process to ensure that any software compatibility problems can be worked out well in advance of production. Once a PDF is uploaded, the stamped version will be made available for download by the person who uploaded it. This allows them to ensure that the examination document is compatible with the header and footer stamping process.

The examination cannot be printed until the uploaded PDF is “approved” by the uploader using a control on the upload form. Once it is approved the PDF master will be made available for download by other course staff, and may be printed by the system at any time, assuming that seat assignments have been finalized.

Header

The top 4" (10.2cm), at a minimum, of the cover page is reserved for the standard header, which contains the following information:

  • University of Waterloo shield and wordmark;
  • Examination identification, including term, course, and which examination this is;
  • Examination times (primary sitting), including date, start time, and duration;
  • Class sections;
  • Instructors;
  • Permitted aids (including closed book/special materials/open book indication);
  • Student/seat identification label for assigned seating, or boxes for the student to write their UW ID and userid if not using assigned seating.

In the event that a class consists of many sections or if there is more than the minimum information on permitted aids, the header will take up more space.

The submitted master may contain information in this area; it will be covered up by the stamping process and will not be visible on the printed papers. For draft identification purposes we suggest that the above information be present on the draft, in the header area (top 4” or 10.2cm only), in whatever format is convenient for examination preparers.

For examinations using Crowdmark the header on the cover will take up an additional 1 3/16" on the cover to allow space for the QR code. On all other pages some space will also be used at the top for the QR code. These areas will be visible as grey areas with the word “Crowdmark” when the stamped version is downloaded.

Footer

The bottom 5/8” (1.6cm) of every page is reserved for the standard footer, which contains the following information:

  • University of Waterloo copyright notice (in accordance with Policy 73; see section 6B);
  • Examination identification, including term, course, and which examination this is;
  • Page number and total number of pages;
  • Sequence number to allow re-assembling copies if needed, or blank “Please Initial” box for examination candidates to fill in.

The submitted master may contain information in this area; it will be covered up by the stamping process and will not be visible on the printed papers. For draft identification purposes we suggest that the above information be present on the draft, in the footer area, in whatever format is convenient for examination preparers.

Additional Information

The standard header and footer provide all of the information required by the final examination cover page specified by the Registrar’s Office.

Examination preparers are encouraged to use the remaining space between the header and footer for a marking grid, any instructions for candidates, and space for candidates to sign the examination paper for verification of identity and acceptance of instructions.