Prepare yourself for a digitally monitored exam
In some programmes, students will be expected to write exams remotely via some digital tool, such as Inspera or Canvas. During a remote exam, it’s possible that you might be monitored by exam supervisors via a video tool. On this page, you will be guided through what a Zoom-supervised exam can look like at Lund University.
Zoom is the tool which is typically used for exam monitoring at Lund University, but other tools might also occur. Ask your teacher or course administrator if something feels unclear in regards to the exam.
Prepare your workspace
For the supervisors to be able to see both you and your screen, you often need two different cameras during an exam, one in your computer and one on another device (your phone, for example) filming you from the side or from behind. This is what it might look like.
You might be asked to have your microphone turned on in order for the exam supervisor to hear if someone starts talking - but the speaker turned off, so that you don’t get disturbed by other students mumbling or coughing. You might also be asked to check the chat at regular intervals so as not to lose contact with the exam supervisor. If you have multiple devices connected to Zoom, you might also get instructions to have your microphone turned off on one of them, in order to avoid audio feedback.
Ensure that you have access to the hardware required to take the exam - for example, two different devices, functioning camera and functioning microphone. Make sure that you also know what you’re allowed to have access to in the room you’re sitting and what you’re allowed to have on your virtual keyboard in the computer.
Prepare to identify yourself
When taking an exam, you must always, in some way, identify yourself so that the university can confirm that it’s really the right person writing the exam. One common way to conduct identification is that you are asked to show your ID in Zoom. This can be done either in a break-out room alone with the supervisor or by being asked to show your ID while covering the last four digits with your finger, so that the other people in the Zoom meeting can’t see your full personal number.
Find out how to submit your answers
If you’re writing the exam in a digital tool like Inspera, there is a button there through which you can hand in. In this case, you are also expected to notify the exam supervisor when you’re finished. There might be specific instructions for when you’re allowed to hand in, so carefully read the instructions that you’re given.
If you’re writing your exam with pen and paper, you will receive instructions on what to do once you’re finished. In some cases, you will be expected to use a phone to take a picture of the paper you’ve written on and then send it in electronically before a certain deadline. There might be requirements for the original paper to be sent in via post. In this case, the exam supervisor takes note of when you notify them that you’re done and compares them with the pictures that you’ve sent. To prepare yourself, you can download a scanner app which helps you convert images to pdf on your phone.
Information about scanner apps
It’s especially important to keep track of the time if you have your speaker turned off, since you risk not hearing reminders that the exam time is running low. Plan your time carefully so that you don’t have to struggle with the technology at the last minute.
Accessibility in Zoom for students with disabilities
If you have learning support and the right to a customised exam format, there are several possibilities in Zoom. You can be allowed extra time or for your exam to be divided into multiple segments with breaks in between. You can get your own room in Zoom or be examined in a smaller group. You can also be allowed the possibility of being examined orally instead of in writing.
In order for your programme to organise customised exam formats, it’s important that you notify your need for them well in advance. It’s always up to the examining teacher to, on the basis of which learning objectives are to be examined, decide if it’s possible to apply the recommended adapted format.
Read more about learning support for students with disabilities
In Zoom, there are a number of functions that make the tool accessible. You can, for example, customise the font size in the chat, use the keyboard to navigate your way through the buttons and use a screen reader. If you want to know more, you can read Zoom’s accessibility guide on the link below.
Accessibility guide for Zoom – zoom.us