Exams
Conduct of Examinations
a term by term guide (please also read the University guidelines)
Michaelmas Term
The majority of undergraduates (and some graduates) enrol online for the bulk of examinations via CamSIS Self-Service. Any queries regarding this please contact Naomi or Tobias in the Tutorial Office.
Prior to any exam enrolment you must discuss your choice of papers with your Director of Studies (DoS) to ensure that your DoS approves of your choices.
Some students will be required to enrol on-line via their CamSIS self-service page. Other students (who do not have any choice in their exam papers) will be automatically enrolled by the University. You will receive an email notification from the Tutorial Office if you are required to self-enrol – this will include detailed instructions on what you need to do.
Your DoS is required to approve your exam entry before it moves to the next stage of processing.
If you wish to change your choice of papers then you must speak to your DoS immediately. If your DoS approves the change then you must contact the Tutorial Office (tutorial@st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk) and the change will be processed for you.
Changes can be processed until you verify your exam entry in the Lent Term. Once the verification deadline has passed, no further changes can be made.
From November onwards the examination first and final lists of candidates are published
Some examinations are held (mostly for graduate courses).
If you require any special conditions for your examinations, please contact the Tutorial Office.
Lent Term
All first year undergraduate Students are expected to sit the College Collections. This academic year they are scheduled for Monday 14th January 2019.
Most undergraduates will be required to verify their examination entries via CamSIS (an email will be sent by the Tutorial Office). You should check this carefully and if you do need to make any amendments to it, speak to your Director of Studies and Tutorial Office. First year undergraduates are expected to attend the Senior Tutor’s talk in the penultimate week of Lent Full Term about exam procedure.
It is not possible to make any changes once the final list of candidates has been published unless there is a mistake on the ECF (Entry confirmation form) so please check this carefully.
Some examinations are held.
Easter Term
You will receive an Examination Entry Confirmation Form (ECF) at the start of Easter Term – this will be sent to your pigeon-hole. The ECF is your exam timetable (and includes the times and venues of each exam) and should be taken with you to all exams as it confirms your individual candidate number, which you are required to enter on each cover sheet.
You can also view your exam timetable via your CamSIS self-service page, but please be aware that your candidate number is not shown in CamSIS, it is only available on the hardcopy of the ECF.
If you have not received an ECF by the end of April please contact the Tutorial Office (tutorial@st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk) to request a copy.
If your entry is incorrect you must advise the Tutorial Office (tutorial@st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk) immediately.
The main exam period starts – there are early examinations, usually beginning at the start of April and the main undergraduate exams take place from early May through to mid June.
Examination access arrangements
The Tutorial Office sends out an email towards the end of the Michaelmas term reminding students to let the Office know if there are any adjustments required for your examinations. The deadline for submitting applications to the Board of Examinations is 31 January for the main Easter examination period and the Tutorial Office has an earlier deadline to ensure that paperwork can be submitted. If you have exams at the end of Michaelmas and require any adjustments please contact the Office as soon as is practical. No applications can be made without the appropriate documentation being received.
Exams in College
Most adjustments fall within the provision of the University Centres, however occasionally the adjustments recommended by the DRC or medical specialist indicate that these venues are not appropriate and it is suggested that the examinations take place in College or Department depending on what is required and can be provided.
The approved venues (including College) are in all other respects, identical to having an examination in the main venues. You must start your examination at the same time and will lose the time if you do not arrive promptly /before the start of the exam, the venues are invigilated and subject to inspection by a Proctor at any given time.
What to do if….
You suffer from illness or something serious happens
Any candidate who finds that:
- Their preparation for the examination is seriously hindered
- Withdraws from the examination or is absent from part of the examination
- Completes it under a disability
Should inform the Tutorial Office and their Tutor and advise of the full circumstances of the situation at the earliest possible moment. If you are sick, you must provide contemporary medical evidence.
If you are absent from the whole (or part) of an examination as an undergraduate, it may be possible to put in an appeal for an examination allowance to the University. These are dealt with by the University Standing Committee on Applications. You should speak to your Tutor as soon as possible. The University pages are very helpful in clarifying the procedure but if you have any queries please contact either your Tutor or the Tutorial Office.
There was a problem with the exam
If there was a technical problem with the way the exam was held – such as an error in the question paper or a disturbance in the examination room – you should report the matter to your Tutor (with a copy to the Tutorial Office, in case your Tutor is examining and unable to read emails) who will ask the Tutorial office to submit the case to the Registry. This must be within 3 days following the final examination paper. The Examiners will inform the College of the action taken by the Examiners.
You think an error might have arisen in the examination process or a complaint against the conduct of the examination once the class list has been published. The case must be submitted via your Tutor within one month of the publication of the Class list.
Appealing against the outcome of an examination review p 245-248 of Statutes and Ordinances (2015), or online at Chapter 3, section 8.
Withholding names from Class lists
There is provision for students to have their name withheld from the Class list. However, applications will only be considered where there is demonstrable evidence of medical or other exceptional extenuating circumstances showing that publication would be likely to seriously endanger a student’s health or well-being. Applications must be submitted as soon as possible and no late than 10 days before the publication of the Class list. Contact your Tutor as soon as possible and if this is very close to the 10 days, copy the Tutorial Office in in case your Tutor is examining.
Good Sense for Exams
View the revision period and the actual exams as a marathon, not a sprint
Make sure you eat sensibly and practise good sleep hygiene
Know where your exams are
Turn up at least 10 minutes early (making sure you take advantage of reading time if you have it – this is indicated on your Entry Confirmation Form)
Turn up with the right equipment, your candidate number and University ID badge
Read the rubric carefully – it is worth taking additional time at the start of the examination to do this
An Examiner will be present for the first 20 minutes of an examination. If you believe there is an error (at any point) raise your hand to attract the attention of the invigilator.
Complete your candidate details on the front of each script booklet (candidate number, exam and paper)
Cross through your rough notes
Listen to the instructions given by the invigilator at the end of the examination (you may not be allowed to remove the question paper for example).
You can do this – you have spent the year working towards this and the work you have done in supervisions and practice exams will stand you in good stead.
If you have any queries or wonder where your candidate number is – contact the Tutorial Office