Assessment Policy (Section 7) - Guidelines and Rules for Exam conduct


All the rules regarding online exams are listed in the ICB's Assessment Policy.  Its very important that you have read this document however, here is an extract from the ICB's Assessment Policy - Section 7, which summarises conduct in the exam room.


As a rule of thumb, Online exams must be conducted in the same way that exams are done at a physical exam center.



Guidelines and Rules for Exam Conduct  

(Extract from Section 7 of the Assessment Policy for Online Exams)


Arrival & start of the exam  

  • Access to the online exam is only available to eligible students, i.e. students who completed their PoE before the PoE due date. 
  • Students must start the online exam no later than 30 minutes after the latest time of entry. 
  • Once the exam has started, a timer for 3.5hrs will commence. Students must complete the exam within this timeframe and in one sitting. The exam cannot be paused for any reason. 

Proof of Identity  

  • Students will be required to present a photo identity document during the online exam  

Books & Materials  

  •  Students may not have any book, manual, paper or manuscript in the exam room, except those approved by the ICB.  

Calculator  

  • Students may use basic or scientific pocket calculators (not financial) in the exam as long as the calculators are not used to display information or run programmes that were stored on them before the exam.  

Blank Paper  

/ Workings  

  • Students may use a note sheet to do their rough calculations as long as  
     o The note sheet is a single blank sheet, not an entire notebook  

o The note sheet has no pre-existing notes/ rough work on it  

  • Students must take note that both eye and hand movement will be monitored to detect students flipping through pages or constantly looking down will be flagged  

Writing Pen  

  • All answers are typed online.  

Sharing of items  

  • Students may not pass any information, book, paper or other material to any other person during the exam.  

Late Arrival/ Starting Issues  

  • Students have half an hour to log into the exam after the latest start time of the exam. Thirty minutes after the latest start of the exam, all access is locked, meaning that a student cannot enter the exam more than thirty minutes after the latest time of entry. 
  • In the event of system failure before the start of an examination, which renders it impossible for a student to launch the assessment, the student or a representative from the provider must contact the ICB, who will attempt to resolve the problem.  

Online Exam Technical Issues  

  • Students must ensure that they have met the prescribed technical requirements.  
  • If the connection drops during the assessment, the student must reconnect as quickly as possible as the assessment needs to be completed within the initially allocated timeframe.  
  • The ICB must be contacted through the prescribed method to log any issue during the exam.  
  • If a student's exam is compromised to circumstances beyond their control, a postponement application must be lodged in the prescribed format within 48 hours of the exam.  

Leaving the Room (with Permission)  

  • If a student needs to leave the room for a bathroom break and are writing their online exam alone, away from campus, they must keep such breaks to an absolute minimum as both the duration and frequency of such breaks will be monitored by the camera. (DO NOT close your exam tab or shut down your PC when going on a bathroom break)  
  • If a student is writing online at a campus, the physical exam venue rules apply.  

Leaving the room after the start exam  

  • No permission is required  

Leaving the Room (without Permission)  

  • No permission is required.  

Communication  

  • Students may not communicate with other people during the exam, except for the exam invigilator or the ICB support team.  

Other Prohibited actions  

  • Students may not o tab out of / away from the exam screen  

o close, cover or disconnect the camera at any point during the exam  

o use a second screen  

o copy and paste from outside the exam  

o use a cellular telephone or tablet during the exam   

o use a landline telephone during the exam  

o wear headgear (hats, caps)  

o wear earphones or headphones  

Exam Room  

  • Unless writing at an ICB accredited college, the test-taker must be alone in the room  
  • The room must be quiet  
  • The room must be well lit 

Exam Papers  

  • All pre-exam sections and declarations need to be fully completed to unlock access to the actual exam. If these are not completed, the exam will not unlock.  
  • Students will be asked to review and sign certain declarations and perform certain security activities on exam day. 

Exam Papers  

  • The recording of questions asked and/or sharing of these with anyone, either during or after the exam, is seen as cheating and may result in disqualification from the programme.  

Exam Completion  

  • The online exam will close at the end of the exam session, and your work will automatically be submitted.  

At Exam End  

  • Students must complete the assessment within the allotted time, and after the completion of the allotted time, students are required to finalise and submit the assessment for marking.  
  • The exam will automatically submit after 3.5hrs if not already submitted by the student.