University of Western Australia
Before and during your exams
We're here to support you with important information on preparing for and attending your exams. You can find information below on:
You can also find an exam planner and study guides on the Studying for exams page.
Exam timetable
Your personal exam timetable is published on studentConnect at least five weeks before the exams for semester and trimester exams, and at least 5 days before the exams for supplementary and deferred exams. It will display the date, time, and mode for each of your exams.
Two weeks before the exams for semester and trimester exams, and 5 days before the exams for supplementary and deferred exams, your personal timetable in studentConnect will show the items your unit coordinator has permitted you to bring into the exam, and the exam venue and show the seat number for the exam.
The exam start times are 9am and 2pm Australian Western Standard Time (AWST).
We are unable to provide timetable information over the phone.
-
What can i Bring?
Two weeks before the exams for semester and trimester exams, and 5 days before the exams for supplementary and deferred exams, your personal timetable in studentConnect will show the items your unit coordinator has permitted you to bring into the exam, and the exam venue and show the seat number for the exam.
Please bring a pencil in case you need to complete a multiple-choice answer sheet.
Unauthorised material cannot be in your pocket, on your person or on your desk in the exam.
Instead, turn your phone off and place unauthorised items in your bag and place your bag under your chair. If you do not have a bag, turn off your phone and place it face up on the floor under your chair along with any other unauthorised items.If you have an analogue watch, remove it and place it on the desk in front of you. All other watches must be placed in your bag or under your desk. If you’re unsure about an item, check with an Exam Supervisor before the exam starts.
IN YOUR BAG
-
APPROVED Calculators
Your calculator:
- must not be programmable, display graphics or have any connectivity capability such as Bluetooth
- must have a UWA-approved calculator sticker. Get one from studentCentral, any Student Advising Office or at any of our six university libraries (which have extended opening hours during exams)
If your calculator is not approved, it will be confiscated for the exam with no exceptions. No spare calculators are provided in the exam venue. Calculator cases must be left in your bag or placed under your chair.
-
What if I'm late?
You should arrive 15 minutes before written exams and 20 minutes before practical exams.
If you're up to 60 minutes late for your 2 hour exam, you can still sit the exam but you will not be granted extra time.
If you’re more than 60 minutes late for your exam you will not be permitted to enter the exam venue and sit the exam.
If you have arrived to late to enter the exam venue or have misread your timetable and miss your scheduled exam, you’ll be unable to sit the exam in the next session. Eligibility for special consideration is based on the guidelines outlined in the University Policy on Special Consideration and is assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Visit your Student Advising Office for advice on your options.
-
COVID-19 Mask requirements for attending on campus exams
Please follow the State Government requirements relating to the wearing of masks at the time of your exams. If there is no requirement to wear masks and you choose to wear a mask during your exam, this is permitted.
Other important rules for on-campus exams
-
Emergency
In the event of an emergency, follow the instructions given by the Exam Supervisors who will direct you to the exit point, and the evacuation assembly point for the venue. During an evacuation, you can’t talk or communicate in any way to anyone except an Exam Supervisor.
-
Student ID
You can’t sit your face to face exam without your Campus Card or a government ID such as a drivers licence or passport. If you need a new or replacement Campus Card, visit Student Central. Place your ID on the right-hand corner of your desk facing away from you.
-
Falling ill
If you’re feeling unwell during your exam, raise your hand. An Exam Supervisor will assist you. Consult a medical practitioner as soon as you can to apply for special consideration - your application must include a current and relevant medical certificate.
-
Questions about your exam paper
If you have a question or comment about the exam paper or would like to alert your unit coordinator to a perceived error, raise your hand and wait for an Exam Supervisor. The Exam Supervisor will give you an Exam Content Query Form to complete. Include a comment, if appropriate, to indicate how you interpreted the question. If applicable, your comments may be taken into account when marking. No action can be taken during the exam. You are advised to answer to the best of your ability and are assured that you will not be disadvantaged if there is an error on the question paper.
You may also choose to instead email the Unit Coordinator after the exam instead of completing the Exam Content Query form. -
Toilet breaks
Students are not permitted to leave an examination venue until after the end of the duration of the examination (2 hours). Toilet breaks are not permitted in the first 30 minutes or the last hour of any two-hour examination.
-
Checking your exam paper
When instructed to do so by the Exam Supervisor, check the front of the exam paper. Make sure you have the correct paper and that the paper is complete. The number of pages is on the front page.
-
Time
The clocks in the exam venue are only a guide. A timer is used to time the exam. The Exam Supervisor will let you know when there are 10 minutes left. You are not allowed to stand up or leave the venue until all papers have been collected after the exam has finished. No extra time is permitted to complete information on exam booklets or multiple-choice sheets at the end of the exam.
Online exams
We have developed a comprehensive guide for online exams, including LMS exams and LMS MS Teams exams. You can find more information on these exam modes below.
Online exams are scheduled for no more than two hours in line with University policy. Students who live in a time zone ahead of AWST are required to sit their exam at AWST. If you are unable to sit the exam on the scheduled day or time as you live in a time zone more than two and a half hours behind AWST, you can apply for an exam timetable deviation to sit at a different time during business hours 8am to 5pm AWST by submitting a special consideration form to your Student Advising Office.
Some exams will require students to upload handwritten working to LMS within a defined time window after the exam has been submitted. For information on this, please review your unit’s LMS or messages from your Unit Coordinator.
Online exams may feel different from an exam on campus, but many principles remain the same:
- be ready early
- check you have the right resources
- ensure you can access the exam/log in
Online exam modes
We understand that, for many of you, exams and the platforms used will be a new experience. The Studying for Exams page lists resources and tools to help you prepare for both on-campus and online exams.
Online LMS Exam
The exam is undertaken on the LMS (Blackboard). Your personal timetable in studentConnect will show the venue information as “Online LMS Exam”.
-
Technical requirements
- A computer with stable internet connectivity for the duration of the assessment
- Access to a scanner or camera to upload any handwritten work if required
-
5 Steps to complete your online lms exam
Online LMS MS Teams Exam
The exam is undertaken on the LMS (Blackboard) with invigilation using MS Teams. Your personal timetable in studentConnect will show the venue information as “Online LMS MS Teams Exam”.
-
Technical requirements
- ·A computer with stable internet connectivity to allow live streaming
- Web cam enabled
- Microphone enabled
- Access to a scanner or camera to upload any handwritten work if required
The exam rules below are for online exams and will also appear at the start of each exam.
-
What can I have with me in the exam?
Two weeks before the exams for semester and trimester exams, and 5 days before the exams for deferred and supplementary exams, your personal timetable in studentConnect will show the materials your Unit Coordinator has permitted you to bring into the exam.
Unauthorised material cannot be in your pocket, on your person or on your table/desk in the exam. This includes electronic and smart watches. You must place these items away from your table/desk. If you’re unsure about an item or have a question, email the Exams team via askUWA before your exam day.
On your table or desk
Away from your desk
-
Student IDIf you do not have your UWA Campus Card for your online exams, you can use a government ID such as a drivers licence or passport. You will be asked to show it to the online proctor to verify your identity before the exam starts.
-
What if I'm late?
Be ready early for your exam to ensure you're feeling prepared and can log in to the required platform(s).
If you're up to 60 minutes late for your exam, you can still sit the exam, but you will not be granted extra time.
Students sitting MS Teams exams are required to log on up to 45 minutes before the start of the exam for an ID check and to resolve any technical issues.
If you are more than 60 minutes late for your exam or have misread the timetable and missed your exam, you will not be allowed to sit the exam. If your lateness was due to difficulties beyond your control, you may be eligible to apply for Special Consideration.
-
Using calculators in exam
Some exams will allow students to use:
- a UWA-approved calculator
Approved calculators
You do not need a sticker on your calculator to sit online exams. Your calculator must not be programmable, display graphics or have any connectivity capability such as Bluetooth.
View the list of UWA-approved calculators [PDF, 314.2 KB].
-
Toilet breaksStudents are not permitted to leave an examination venue until after the end of the duration of the examination (2 hours). Toilet breaks are not permitted in the first 30 minutes and the last hour of any two-hour examination.
You must not complete and submit the exam until the scheduled end time for the exam, even if you have completed your exam. If you need to temporarily leave the exam while it is in progress due to extenuating circumstances, the exam duration will not change as the exam clock does not stop. You will still only have until the normal exam finish time.
You do not need to email your Student Advising Office to advise of this. If it is a MS Teams exam, the exam supervisor will report this to the University as needed. -
Falling illIf you're feeling sick prior to starting your exam, do not enter the exam folder in LMS, as this will register your intention to sit the exam and you may not be eligible to apply for special consideration.
If you fall ill during your exam and you are not able to continue, please notify your Student Advising Office via askUWA. In all cases - consult a medical practitioner as soon as you can to apply for special consideration – your application must include a current and relevant medical certificate. -
Questions about your exam paperIf you have a question or comment about the exam paper or would like to alert your Unit Coordinator to a perceived error, include a comment in your working, if appropriate, to indicate how you interpreted the question. If you're unable to include a comment in your workings due to the exam format (i.e., multiple choice exams), email your Student Advising Office via askUWA immediately after the exam to notify them of your comments on the exam. If applicable, your comments may be considered when marking. No action can be taken during the exam. You are advised to answer to the best of your ability and are assured that you will not be disadvantaged if there is an error on the question paper.
-
Agreement to abide by exam rules
By entering the exam you certify that:
- You understand that disciplinary action will be taken against you by the University if you do not comply with the University policies relating to examinations. This action may result in your being deprived of any credit for this examination or even, in some cases, for the whole unit;
- You have not sighted the examination paper in this unit before or been in contact with anyone who has already seen the examination paper;
- The answers submitted will be your own original work, and all material drawn from other sources will be fully acknowledged where required;
- For exams WITH NO permitted materials, you will not refer to any sources while completing this exam;
- For exams WITH permitted materials, you will only refer to and rely upon materials permitted by the rules for this exam;
- No part of this assessment will be written for you, provided to you by a third party, or will be completed as a result of a third party assisting you;
- You will take proper and reasonable care to prevent this work from being copied by another student;
- You will not assist other students in the completion of this assessment, except where collaboration is explicitly authorised by the Unit Coordinator;
- You will not reproduce, capture, record or share any questions from this exam;
- You understand that plagiarism is the presentation of the work, ideas or creation of another person as though it is your own, and is a serious academic offence; and
- You have read and understood and agree to abide by the University Policies on Assessment, Academic Conduct, Student Conduct and the University Charter of Student Rights.
-
Unable to sit the exam on the scheduled day or at the scheduled australian western standard time (AWST)
You must submit a special consideration form to your Student Advising Office within 4 working days of the publication of the exam timetable. Students who live in a time zone ahead of Australian Western Standard Time (AWST) are required to sit their exam at AWST. If you are unable to sit the exam on the scheduled day or time as you live in a time zone more than two and a half hours behind AWST, you can apply for an exam timetable deviation to sit your exam at a different time during business hours, (8am to 5pm AWST) by submitting a special consideration form to your Student Advising Office.
-
Unable to sit your exam scheduled on campus as you live outside WA during the semester and have been studying as an online studentYou must submit a special consideration form to your Student Advising Office within 4 working days of the publication of the exam timetable.
Non-Examination Assessments
These are non-exam assessments scheduled during the exam period. Your LMS page for the unit will provide further information on the assessment and duration (please note due to system constraints the timetabling system will only show exams for a 2 hour period – please check your unit information for the accurate duration).
If you have any questions please contact your school.
What support is available?
Phone support for all exams is available on + (61) 8 6488 1212 between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm throughout the exam period.
Technical Support
- If you encounter LMS or IT issues (related to the University system), the Exams Support phone number is + (61) 8 6488 1212. Contact with your Unit Coordinator is not allowed DURING the exam.
- If you encounter technical issues (e.g. your internet drops out), take a screen shot immediately (including the time on your screen), and send it to your Student Advising Office via askUWA. If you are in a MS Teams exam, your supervisor will try to assist you if possible. If you are required to submit handwritten solutions to the LMS, and have trouble submitting them to the LMS submission point, email [email protected] immediately.
Past exam papers
Past exam papers are available to staff and students via OneSearch.
