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

  • Review your exam timetable once published. If you have any concerns, please contact exams@jcu.edu.au.
  • Arrive on time for your examination.
  • Have your approved Photo ID ready.
    This is required to be shown when sitting online or on-campus exams. (Approved Photo IDs are Student ID cards, Passports, Drivers Licences, and Adult proof of age cards)
  • Only bring materials that are permitted in your exam.
    These will be listed on your exam timetable. Standard items permitted in all exams are pencils, pens, highlighters, erasers, whiteouts, rulers, and a water bottle.
  • Electronic devices are prohibited in your exam.
    This includes smartwatches, tablets, headphones, and phones unless explicitly authorised (e.g., for MFA Respondus exams). For on-campus exams, please ensure any devices left with your belongings are off or on silent (no vibration).
  • Dress appropriately for all exams including online at-home exams.
    Be reminded that at home Respondus Monitor exams are reviewed for academic misconduct. Hat, cap or hoods are not permitted to be worn.
  • All exams are to be taken in a quiet space under exam conditions.
    This includes no eating, vaping, talking to others, singing, or reading out loud.
  • Deferred exams can not be requested for Factors such as misreading your timetable, personal travel, holiday plans or social or leisure events. See the Special Consideration page for further details.
  • All exams are to be taken with integrity. Failure to comply with exam rules and expectations may result in an investigation via the Academic Misconduct Procedure.

Note: the only exceptions to the above expectations are for students with approved exam adjustments through an AccessAbility Access Plan

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 Study Period, formal exams, will be scheduled between 8am and 8pm excluding Sundays and public holidays.

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

Hard copy & Online on-campus exams - You may enter the exam room up to 30 minutes after the published start time; however, any time missed will be deducted from your exam duration. If you arrive more than 30 minutes after the start time, you will not be permitted to enter and will receive a DNS (did not submit).

Online at-home exams - You may commence the exam up to 30 minutes after the exam start time and will not lose any duration from your exam. After 30 minutes you will not be permitted entry into the exam and will receive a DNS (did not submit).

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

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 (for on-campus exams)

You must follow all instructions provided to you.

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 for the purpose of MFA. You will be instructed to switch off your phone once access has been approved.

Announcements: 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.

Belongings: You will be directed where to put your bags/purse/wallet or any other belongings when entering the exam room. There is limited space for storage of personal belongings, so only bring what is required for your exam.

Rough paper: This is available from the supervisor on request. 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.

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. You will not be permitted to leave the room during the last 10 minutes of the examination.

Communication: Students are not permitted to communicate with other students during any exam.

Belongings: Ensure your workspace is free of any items not required for the exam. Phones, bags, purses, wallets, and other unauthorised materials must not be on your desk during the online exam. Remove wall coverings/posters and place all phones or devices on silent or off and behind you, away from your desk.

Communication: Students are not permitted to communicate with other students or with anyone in their surroundings during their exams. Talking is not permitted during examinations.

Generative AI: Students are not permitted to use Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) tools or voice to text for any elements of the examination task/s including the generation of any materials or content in relation to the exam.

Rough paper: Students can use rough paper but for Respondus Monitor Exams both sides of the page must be shown to the camera at the beginning of the exam, further details are noted below.

Respondus Monitor Exams: 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 environment check showing a side-to-side view of your desk, the space/wall directly in front of you and a full view of your desk/workspace. If you are unable to complete a 360-degree webcam rotation, we recommend you use an alternative device, or external webcam or use a mirror to show your full surroundings.
  • Show your desk and lap ensuring your workspace is clear of any belongings not permitted in the exam. It must be clear in the video that there are no unauthorised notes or devices in the vicinity.
  • Show all permitted materials to the camera, including both sides of formula sheets, notes and rough paper.
  • Stay in a well-lit area with your face clearly visible to the camera for the entire exam.

The following exam types will ask you to provide a 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 a digital or physical version of your JCU Student ID, Driver’s Licence, Passport or a proof of age ID Card.

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 is $15).  Refer to the Arriving / Starting  an Exam Late information within the drop-down tab above.

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

Academic Misconduct

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

Please note: Respondus Monitor recordings for online at home exams are reviewed for academic misconduct, including but not limited to:

  • Insufficient environment checks
  • Failure to show photo ID
  • The use of AI / Voice to Text or
  • Accessing unpermitted materials/devices
  • Breaches of exam rules such as talking, vaping or eating

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