Current Students Assessment and results Formal Examinations Exam rules and expectations

Exam rules and expectations

You must be available to attend exams during the entire exam period including the Supplementary/Deferred exam period.

Exam expectations

  • Please be aware, at home Respondus Monitor exams are reviewed for academic misconduct. Dress appropriately and act as you normally would under exam conditions. This includes no eating, vaping, or talking to anyone during the exam.
  • Once your timetable is published, promptly review it to ensure all details are accurate. If you have any concerns, please contact exams@jcu.edu.au.
  • Approved Photo ID is required (Student ID card, Passport, Drivers Licence, Adult proof of age card) to be shown to sit online and on campus exams.
  • Only bring the materials permitted according to your timetable with the exception of pencils, pens, highlighters, erasers, whiteout, rulers, and a water bottle that are permitted in all exams.
  • Arrive on time for your examination.
  • Electronic devices are prohibited in your exam including smart watches, tablets, headphones, and phones unless explicitly authorised (e.g., for MFA Respondus exams). Please ensure any devices left with your belongings are off or on silent (no vibration)
  • Special Consideration takes into account short-term and/or unforeseen circumstances (known as Special Circumstances) that substantially affect a student's ability to complete an assessment item. Factors such as misreading your timetable, personal travel, or holiday plans or social or leisure events are not considered Special Circumstances.
  • Your Semester Residential address must be kept up to date, even if you are on placement.
  • Your timetable will indicate the venue of your exam at a location near your Semester Residential address.
  • If you reside within 100km of JCU Townsville, Bebegu Yumba campus, or JCU Cairns, Nguma-bada campus, Smithfield, you are expected to sit your exam on campus.
  • You are expected to sit your exam at the date, time and venue indicated on your timetable.

Exam rules

The examination timetable for an individual student will conform to the following guidelines unless there are accreditation/ registration requirements which preclude the use of these guidelines.

  • No more than two Examinations in a calendar day.
  • Total examination time in a single day should not exceed seven hours, excluding examinations with approved reasonable adjustments under the Students with Disabilities Policy.
  • No more than five Examinations in six successive calendar days.
  • Where a student has two Examinations on the one day, there must be no examination scheduled to commence after 6pm of the previous day, and no examination scheduled to commence before 8am of the following day.

End of Semester, formal exams, will be scheduled between 8am and 8pm excluding Sundays and public holidays.

The exam timetable will provide a start date, start time and location for your exam.

You can only enter the exam room up to 30 minutes after the published start time, but you will forfeit that time from your exam duration.

You will receive an allocation of DNS (did not submit) If you arrive 30 minutes after the exam time.

NOTE: There is no allowance for late arrival for oral or practical exams. You must be on time for your allocated examination and if you arrive after the published start time you will receive an allocation of DNS (did not submit) for that examination.

If you arrive after the exam start time (within the first 30 minutes) for your online on-campus exams, you will forfeit that time.

You may access your online at home exam up to 30 minutes after the exam start time and will not lose any allocation of time from your exam. After 30 minutes you will not be permitted entry into the exam and will receive an allocation of DNS (did not submit).

No communication is allowed with other students during any exam.

Your exam instructions will be provided to you via any of the following:

  • in your exam paper
  • on your timetable
  • in LearnJCU and/or
  • by your exam supervisor (on campus)

You must follow all instructions provided.

You need to register for Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) prior to your online exam. You can find further information at Multi-Factor Authentication in LearnJCU.
You must bring your mobile phone (on silent)/Yubikey/recovery codes for the purposes of MFA. You will be instructed to switch off your phone once access has been approved.

You will be required to listen to all announcements made by the exam supervisor. Announcements will be made outside before you enter the room, and once you are seated in the exam room.

You will not be permitted to leave the room during the first 60 minutes from the start of the examination, except for toilet breaks.

The following exam types will ask you to provide photo ID:

  • On-campus online Respondus exam
  • On-campus hard copy exam
  • On-campus Oral exam
  • On-campus Practical exam
  • Online Respondus Monitor exam

This can be digital or physical version of JCU Student ID, Driver’s Licence or other.

If you arrive to your on-campus exam with no photo ID, you will not be permitted to take the exam. If time allows, you can go to the Student Centre for a replacement ID (current charge $15). Refer to the 'Arriving / Starting Late for on campus exams' information within the drop-down tab above under the Exam rules heading.

You will be directed where to put your bags/purse/wallet or any other belongings when entering the exam room. If you are completing an online exam, these items should not be located on your desk.

There is limited space for storage of personal belongings, only bring what is required for your exam.

If your exam specifies a reading time, you can refer to any permitted materials and make notes on rough paper during this time.

You cannot start answering questions during reading time. You can only make notes on the exam paper if the answers are to be entered on alternative paperwork e.g., Multi-choice Answer Sheet / Answer booklet

You must complete the full Environment Check, please refer to the Video and further information on this page Respondus Monitor Environment Check

Ensure that the following is included in your environment check:

  • A 360-degree view of the room. If you are unable to complete a 360-degree rotation, we recommend you use an alternative device or external webcam.
  • Show your desk and lap – ensure that you have a clean desk, except for permitted materials.
  • It must be clear in the video that there are no unauthorised notes or devices in the vicinity. It is recommended that you remove wall coverings/posters/notes and place your phone/devices on silent or off and away from your desk.
  • Show all permitted materials to the camera, including both sides of formula sheets, notes and rough paper.

Failure to provide a clear Environment Check video may lead to an Academic Misconduct report.

On Campus Exams

Rough paper is available on request for any on campus exam. All rough paper must be handed in at the end of the exam and will not be included in your exam for marking purposes – all rough paper is destroyed.

Academic Misconduct

Any breach of the exam rules where inappropriate student conduct or academic misconduct is suspected, will be reported by the Exam Supervisor or the Subject Coordinator under the Academic Misconduct Procedure.

Please note: Online at Home Respondus Monitor videos are reviewed for academic misconduct including insufficient environment checks, failure to show photo ID and unpermitted materials/devices. Act and dress appropriately as you would for any exam.

Please make sure you are aware of the exam rules and contact exams@jcu.edu.au if you need any further clarification.