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Frequently Asked Questions - Faculty
- Why do I have to submit my exams so early in the semester?
- I moved since the beginning of the semester. Where will my exams be shipped?
- Why do I have to submit two versions of my exam?
- What should I do if I find a mistake with my exam after I’ve submitted it?
- I accidentally submitted my exam as closed (open) book and it should have been open (closed) book. What should I do now?
- I want my students to be able to use notes (their textbook) but not their textbook (notes). Should I label it a closed- or open-book exam?
- Can I ask my students to submit other coursework with their exam?
- Can I waive the requirement for a final exam in my class?
- Will my students be able to use a computer to take their final exam?
- When can I expect to get the completed exams back?
Q: Why do I have to submit my exams so early in the semester?
A: We process more than 80,000 exams a year and as many as 20,000 in a single semester. To ensure that all those exams reach students’ proctors by exam week, we must start shipping them shortly after the submission deadline passes. We download the exams from the database to which you submitted them, proofread them, copy them, and ship them all over the world. We need all that time to complete this process.
Q: I moved since the beginning of the semester. Where will my exams be shipped?
A: Your exams will be shipped to the address you gave us when you submitted your final exams. Exams shipped to alternate-site proctors have a U.S. Postal Service postage-paid envelope included that the proctors use to ship your students’ completed exams directly back to you. Because we begin shipping exams almost immediately after you submit them, we cannot make changes to your address. If you move during the semester, please make arrangements to have your exams forwarded to your new address.
Q: Why do I have to submit two versions of my exam?
A: Students are randomly assigned a version of your exam. The two versions should be different to discourage plagiarism and academic dishonesty.
Q: What should I do if I find a mistake with my exam after I’ve submitted it?
A: First, check to see whether you can edit your exam submission (via MyUMUC, the same way you submitted it originally). Faculty can edit their submissions until shortly before the submission deadline. If you cannot edit your submission, contact Exams and Testing immediately at exams@umuc.edu or 240-582-2600. In most cases, we cannot correct errors after the submission deadline has passed; you should make appropriate adjustments when you grade the exam.
A: First, check to see whether you can edit your exam submission (via MyUMUC, the same way you submitted it originally). Faculty can edit their submissions until shortly before the submission deadline. If you cannot edit your submission, contact Exams and Testing immediately at exams@umuc.edu or 240-582-2600. In most cases, we cannot correct errors after the submission deadline has passed and your exam will be administered the way you submitted it. In those cases, you should make appropriate adjustments when you grade the exam.
A: Open-book means that all books and notes can be used. Closed-book means that no books or notes can be used. We cannot offer a hybrid of closed- and open-book exams. Exams are sent all over the world, and at some regional sites more than 800 students are tested at a time; therefore, it is impossible for us to allow some students to use only notes and no books and others to use books and no notes. If you would like your students to be able to use formula sheets or other aids, please include them as part of your exam.
Q: Can I ask my students to submit other coursework with their exam?
A: No. Exams are sent all over the world, and at some regional sites more than 800 students are tested at a time; therefore, it is impossible for us to collect any materials other than exams.
Q: Can I waive the requirement for a final exam in my class?
A: Only the Dean in the School of Undergraduate Studies may waive the required final exam in any class.
Q: Will my students be able to use a computer to take their final exam?
A: No. UMUC is moving to computer-based, proctored final exams. However, the majority of exams are still paper-and-pencil. Unless you have been told that your exam will be administered via computer-based testing, your students will not have access to a computer. Even students taking a computer-based exam do not have access to anything on the computer except the exam. And, even if your exam is offered in computer-based format, not all of your students will elect to take it that way. You should prepare your exam as if your students will not have access to a computer.
Q: When can I expect to get the completed exams back?
A: The exams taken by students at alternate sites will come back to you via U.S. Postal Service. Therefore, we cannot track them and we cannot guarantee that they will arrive at by a particular date. We strive to mail the exams taken at regional sites within one week of the end of exam weekend. They are sent to you via UPS overnight and are therefore able to be tracked. You will receive email notification with tracking information when your exams are shipped. If you are located outside of the U.S., your alternate-site exams will come back to our office rather than directly to you. We therefore hold your package of exams and send it approx 2 weeks after regional exams end so that we can include as many exams as possible. (We will continue to forward any exams that arrive in our office after that package is sent.) In the package of exams from regional sites, you will find a letter with instructions about how to handle grades for students whose exams you do not have. In general, if you are missing an exam, contact the student to find out whether, when, and where he or she took it. If 30 days after the end of the semester, you do not have the exam, calculate the student’s final grade, assuming a zero for the exam and change the grade once you receive the exam.