Testing Center Policy and Procedures
The Office of Medical Informatics manages the online Testing Center (TC) consisting of 92 seats in room CG-28 and an additional 75 temporary seats in the adjoining room CG-22 for a total of 167 seats. The TC is used extensively by the Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, and others throughout the academic year. In order to ensure comfort, safety, and security all users must abide by the following policies and procedures:
Food and drink are NOT allowed in the TC at any time!
This rule applies equally to students, proctors, faculty, and staff.
Scheduling
The schedule is finalized toward the end of each semester for the following semester. Contact Nancy Hendricks (hendricks@ufl.edu or 392-3690) to schedule the room(s). The TC calendar is available at: http://medinfo.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/ecal.cgi?testing. The two TC rooms may be scheduled independently or together depending on need.
Special Needs
Course directors should notify the TC staff if a student requires special accommodations such as extra time to take the exam. Students requesting accommodations must contact both the ADA Office and the course director(s) involved prior to each exam.
Test Materials
Contact Gene Cornwall (cornwall@ufl.edu or 273-5116) for instructions on how to submit your test materials. To ensure adequate time to preview and correct your exam, you must submit your materials AT LEAST TWO FULL BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR to the scheduled test date! Graphics and other media are welcome, but please be aware that these may require additional preparation time. Scratch paper and pencils are provided by the proctors. It is the course director's responsibility to provide adequate copies of any additional handout materials.
Preview and Confirmation
Once your materials are online, Mr. Cornwall or another staff member will contact you with instructions to preview your exam. This is your opportunity to check for errors and give final confirmation. We strongly recommend you preview your test before it is presented to students in the TC!
Time Allotment
We recommend that you plan 75 to 90 seconds per multiple choice question (a maximum of 60 questions in 90 minutes). This is similar to the time allotted for national licensure exams. No testing session will last more than 90 minutes. Exams with more than 60-70 questions must be subdivided into "books" for testing in two or more sessions (with 15 minute breaks in between).
Proctors
The Head Proctor is in control of the facility and exam administration. There will typically be at least two additional proctors in each room. Faculty and departmental staff may also be present, but cannot substitute for the proctors.
Assistance During Exams
Once an examination session begins, all personnel should refrain from conversing with examinees. This includes clarification or interpretation of exam questions. Students who have specific issues or challenges should write these down on their scratch paper and notify the head proctor when they leave the center. The head proctor has the discretion to provide critical information over the public address system when this is necessary for smooth exam administration.
Secure Review Sessions
Course directors may wish to schedule secure review sessions after their tests have been scored. During a secure review, students may view the test form(s) and compare their answers with the preferred responses. We recommend limiting reviews to incorrect answers only for increased security. A course representative should be present to answer questions about specific items. Rules for admission to the room, seating and conversation are at at the proctor's discretion during review sessions. All other procedures listed here are in force just as they would be during an actual test.
Room Access
The Head Proctor will open the room(s) and allow students to enter a few minutes before the start of each session. A proctor must be present when students are in the facility. The rooms are to remain locked when not in use.
Hallway Noise
At times students will congregate in the hallway outside the TC. Medical and dental students are strongly encouraged to wait in their respective MDLs. In any case, anyone outside the TC should refrain from loud conversation and other disruptive behavior. Be courteous to those who may be taking exams nearby!
Seating Chart
Students are assigned to specific numbered stations at random. The seating chart is given to the proctor and posted near the doors for each test. Upon entering, students should quickly find their station number and be seated.
Start and Stop Times
Each exam session (aka "book") has a prearranged start time and duration. For example, an exam might be scheduled to start at 8am and last for 60 minutes. The stop time is adjusted dynamically based on the actual start time. In the example above, if the first student logs in at 8:05, the stop time is automatically set to 9:05. A verbal or computerized warning is given when five minutes remain.
Disruptions
From time to time a testing session is disrupted by unforeseen events (power failure, fire drill). If this occurs, students are encouraged to click on the Pause button near the top of the screen. This locks their station until testing can resume. The Head Proctor will also lock the entire exam to prevent submissions during the disruption.
No Reentry
Students are generally NOT allowed to reenter the TC once they leave a session. The proctor has the discretion to allow reentry on a case by case basis for personal emergencies or illness. If a student does leave prematurely, they should click Pause to lock their station.
Late Arrivals
Under normal circumstances, there is NO provision to give extra time to students who arrive late. Extensions or alternate testing times are possible for special situations. Contact the Head Proctor.
Absences
All absences (whether excused or unexcused) will be noted and reported to the course director and other appropriate staff.
Handouts
Students are routinely given scratch paper and two pencils during a testing session. Scratch paper is imprinted with the student's name and station number for tracking. All materials and scratch paper must be turned in to the proctors at the end of the test. Students are not allowed to retain written notes or remove test materials.
Personal Electronics
We strongly discourage bringing electronic devices into the TC. Mobile phones and pagers must be turned OFF for the duration of each test session. PDAs, iPods and similar devices, including "databank" watches, are not allowed at any time. Calculators may be allowed at the discretion of the course director or proctor. An on-screen, software calculator is available at every station. Use of ANY other electronic device during an exam will be considered evidence of cheating!
Book Bags and Purses
Students are not allowed to have bags or other materials at their stations. We strongly encourage students with personal lockers to leave book bags, backpacks, and purses there. All bags brought into the TC must be left on the shelves provided near the doors.
Noise
No talking or other communication is allowed once a testing session begins. Devices that make noise, such as watches, must be silenced or left outside the room.
