/Institutions/University-of-Dubai/json/2024-2025/Shared-Content-local.json

/Institutions/University-of-Dubai/json/2024-2025/Shared-Content.json

Shared Content > Policies > The Educational Program > Examination Policy

Examination Policy

Policy 

1. Pre-Examination Stage

1.1 Examination Management (Timing & Location)

1. The midterm exams shall take place during class time in the 7th and 8th weeks of studies in a semester/term. If midterms need to take place outside of these 2 weeks it requires prior approval of the Program Director. The registration department should be informed of the change as soon as possible but before the start of the midterm exam window.

2. The Registration Department will coordinate with department heads to allocate exam halls and timings for multi-section courses and for large classes upon request. Such requests must be made at least three (3) weeks before the exam period.

3. Midterm2 exams held during the fall & spring semesters will be scheduled within a maximum period of two (2) weeks. Midterm exam dates have to be communicated to the registrar office at least one week prior to the start of the midterm exam window. 

4. The final exams shall take place in the 16th and 17th weeks. The Registration Department must send the final exam schedule to the Deans and Program Directors at least three (3) weeks before the start of the examination period.

5. The date and location of the final exams will be communicated to all faculty through the faculty portal by the Registration Department at least three (3) weeks prior to the examination period. Faculty will approach the Program Director ahead of time in case of emergency.  Midterm and final exams held during the fall & spring semesters will be scheduled within a maximum period of two (2) weeks.

6. The Colleges maintain a pool of invigilators, which includes faculty members, RA’s and TA’s excluding normally the College Deans.

7. The pool of invigilators, including faculty members, will be asked to invigilate exams as per  the invigilation schedule prepared by the College Deans and Program Directors. The schedule is normally sent to invigilators two (2) weeks prior to the beginning of the examination period. The invigilation schedule will also reflect on the faculty portal page.  

   1. UG Final Exam Invigilation: The registrar is responsible for coordinating the scheduling of all final exams. Program Directors are assigned the duty of distributing invigilators for each UG final exam, ensuring a ratio of 1 invigilator per 15 students, with a minimum of two invigilators per exam. Adequate staffing of invigilators and an exam director for each exam venue is obligatory. A standby invigilator must be designated for each exam room/venue to substitute for any absent original invigilators. Program Directors must collaborate with the IT team portal administrator at least 2 weeks before the exam period begins to finalize all invigilator assignments, which will be accessible on the faculty portal. Additionally, due to GUCR having the highest number of students in their department, the GUCR program director must reach out to program directors from other colleges to request additional invigilators if a shortage arises. It is imperative for program directors to offer assistance in this matter at least 2 weeks before the start of the examination period. 
      
      The exam director bears the responsibility of reporting any irregularities or incidents occurring during the final exam online in their faculty portal under Academic Integrity Forms. This encompasses the use of electronic devices, unauthorized communication, or lapses in invigilation. Invigilators are not permitted to remain seated throughout the entire exam duration. Furthermore, the exam director must document the arrival times of all invigilators and course instructors, ensuring their presence at least 15 minutes prior to the exam start time.
      
      The exam director is also required to record the arrival times of all invigilators and course instructors, ensuring they are present at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the exam.

   2.  Graduate Final Exam Invigilation: The colleges overseeing graduate programs are accountable for both final exam scheduling and invigilator assignment. Maintaining a ratio of 1 invigilator per 15 students, with at least 2 invigilators per exam, is imperative. Program directors must carefully coordinate the final exam and invigilation schedule for graduate programs to avoid any conflicts with UG final exams.

8. No further changes will be allowed to the schedule in the last two (2) weeks prior to the examination period.

9. The Registration Department will share the exam schedule with the security team and Facility Services Department to arrange the exam rooms three (3) weeks prior to the final exam.  At least 24 hours prior to the exam start-time Registration will ask the security staff to tour all the examination rooms and validate the exam set-up including space adequacy. 

1.2 Students’ Eligibility 

Each examination hall/classroom will have a list of students entitled to sit for the exams. The course instructor can obtain the list of students from the CAMS under course/midterm/final exam. A student who has AW status is not allowed to sit for the exam.

1.3 Exam Preparation by The Course Instructor 

1. The exam papers must be confidentially written, printed and photocopied under the full supervision and the direct responsibility of the faculty member(s) teaching the course. Faculty teaching multiple sections must prepare one exam, and must coordinate this work among each other. 

2. The questions in the exam must address the CLOs defined and approved in the course syllabus.

3. The questions shall be long enough to cover the entire period allocated to the exams, e.g., one hour and twenty minutes (1 hour 20 minutes) for the mid-term exam and two (2) hours for the final exam.

4. The questions in the exam must be varied and diverse in order to assess the student’s cognitive abilities in understanding, applying, analyzing, synthesis and evaluation. 

5. The questions are to be clearly written and marks must be assigned for each question.

6. Exam questions must be new, i.e., not the same as the ones asked in the class work, homework or quizzes.

7. Exams must not be repeated for three years. Exam questions on the same concepts must be rephrased and numbers in quantitative questions changed from previous versions. 

8. The faculty member must submit a copy of the Final exam along with the model answer to the Program Director at least one week before the exam date. 

9. The faculty member must adhere to the assessment scheme as reflected in the course syllabus.

10. The faculty member must deposit exam papers in a sealed envelope with the Program Director one (1) week before the exam. The faculty member will collect the exam papers on the exam day. This arrangement is to ensure exams are conducted as scheduled in the event of unforeseen absence of the faculty member.  

11. The Program Director will safeguard the sealed envelope under lock and key.

For more details, refer to  EP 3.7 Grading and Course Assessment Policy. 

2. Examination Stage

2.1 General Guidelines 

1. Classes will run as scheduled during the mid-term exams and the second session of the lecture should run as scheduled. 

2. Faculty members must inform students ahead of time of what material (e.g. calculators) can be brought into the exam to avoid disturbance during the exam time. 

3. An Exam Director is assigned to each final exam room. Along with the invigilators, the Exam Director will ensure the implementation of exam guidelines and the smooth running of the examination. 

4. The invigilator/student ratio for finals must be 1 to 15. However, there must always be at least two (2) invigilators in the exam room, even if the number of students drops below the said ratio. 

5. Program Directors must enforce the implementation of the Examination Policy guidelines for all faculty members (full and part-time). 

6. No exam is allowed outside the approved exam schedule. Exceptions need the prior approval of the respective Dean and the Registrar. 

7. The Registration Department will arrange students’ seating during the exam, ensuring a random distribution and sufficient space between students. 

2.2 Examination Hall Guidelines 

1. Exam Directors and invigilators must be present in the assigned exam hall at least 15 minutes prior to the exam start time. 

2. Late arrival of the Exam Director or invigilators to the exam hall will be reported to the College Dean and the Registration Department. Failure to show up will subject the invigilator to a warning letter issued by the College Dean, which will be reflected in the faculty file.

3. A faculty member who is unable to invigilate an exam as scheduled due to an emergency must arrange for a substitute invigilator in advance. The Registrar and Program Director shall be timely informed of the name of the substitute. An e-mail confirmation must be obtained from the substitute in advance. 

4. The exam halls, whether classrooms or labs, should be kept locked on exam days. They shall be opened by the security staff in the presence of the Exam Director/invigilator 15 minutes before the start of the exam. 

5. All formalities of getting students ready for the exam (including the distribution of exam papers) should be completed in all exam halls five (5) minutes before the scheduled exam time to ensure that students start their exams on time.  

6. The invigilators should be evenly spread throughout the exam room. They should not be stationary in one place or gather as a group in one area for too long.

7. Invigilators should remain attentive throughout the exam. They are not allowed to eat, drink, use their mobile phones, read or undertake any kind of work during invigilation. Their mobile phones should be switched off throughout the exam session. 

8. The Exam Director & invigilator must maintain discipline in the exam hall. There is no need to refer to the Deans, VPAA or to the President for any deviating cases during the exam. The course instructor and invigilator are empowered to strictly enforce the exam rules and procedures without exception. 

9. If a student attempts to cheat or was caught cheating, the invigilator must report the incident to the Exam Director, who will ask the student to leave the exam room. The online Academic Integrity Violation form, which can be found in the portal,  must be submitted as documentation. 

10. The invigilators are expected to remain in the exam room until the end of the exam period.

11. The exam doors will be kept shut during exams.

2.3 Students Conduct 
Instructors must ensure that the following student conduct guidelines are followed:

1. Students must not bring any course material into the exam hall unless the exam was scheduled as an open book.

2. Students must present a UD ID card to be allowed entry into the exam room. A student without a UD ID card may present an EID if his/her name is shown on the attendance list. 

3. Course instructors must remind students to bring their own stationery items for the exams to avoid disturbance to other students. 

4. Students must follow the seating arrangement allocated by the Registration Department. The invigilator may ask a student to change his/her seating for a valid reason.

5. Students cannot bring any mobile phones or other electronic devices (i.e. laptops, smart phones, smart watches, iPads or ear buds) into the exam rooms. These must be left at the designated location. Any device seen with the students during the exams will be confiscated and will result in grade ‘F’ in the course, with no question, reason or even investigation.

6. Students are not allowed to wear hats or sunglasses during the exam. Failure to remove it may result in dismissal from the exam room.

7. Students are normally not permitted to go to the bathroom during exams unless they produce a medical report stating a valid medical reason. An invigilator or security of the same gender must accompany a student who needs to leave the exam room to visit the washroom. The student will not be allowed to communicate with anyone while out of the exam room. The student should then be accompanied back to his/her desk by the invigilator. 

8. The students must place their ID cards on their respective desks during the entire exam period.

9. Students are not allowed to consume food or drinks (except water) in the exam room during the exam period.

10. The exam papers must be kept closed until the official start of the exam announced by the invigilator.

2.4 Exam Late Arrival 

1. The exam room door closes precisely  at the start of the exam. It opens for the first time after 15  minutes to allow late students to enter. Students will not be allowed to enter the exam hall after that.

 

2.5 Student Credentials 

1. Each invigilator should check the student photo identification card for its authenticity. 

2. The course invigilator should make sure not to allow students with a grade of AW (Administrative Withdrawal) to sit for the exam. 

3. The course invigilator must make sure that all the students attending the exam sign the attendance sheet. 

2.6 Exam Time Limits 

1. No extra time will be allocated to students, unless it is approved by the Exam Director. Upon the Director’s approval, all the course students present in the exam hall will get an extension of exam time.

2. Students are allowed to leave the exam hall only 40 minutes after the exam start time. 

 

2.7 Exam Collection
Answer Sheets are to be collected from students by the course instructor at the end of the exam time. The exam invigilator is responsible to make sure that the collected answer sheets match the number of students attending the exam and the number of signatures on the attendance sheets. 

2.8 Computer Based Exam

1. It is within the discretion of the course instructor only to determine whether computers are required for a given exam.

2. If exams are held in labs, then each lab should have an invigilator in addition to the IT technician. Labs should be thoroughly checked for proper functioning of the PCs and locked 10 minutes before any exam scheduled in a particular lab. 

3. Students must be aware that they are solely responsible for safeguarding all files they create during an exam in the lab.

4. Before leaving the exam room, each student must cross check with the instructor the list of saved files, using the checklist form provided.

 2.9 Exams Requiring the Use of Calculators

1. Faculty members should advise students in advance to bring their own calculators for the examination(s). 

2. Students are not allowed to exchange calculators (whether it is scientific or financial calculators) during the examinations. Students caught borrowing or lending a calculator will fail the course.  Faculty must not allow exchange of calculators under any circumstances.

3. The use of programmable calculators/electronic diaries or other devices, which can save text or other related information, is prohibited. 

2.10 Exam Director Duties 

1. For the final exams, a faculty member is assigned the duties of Exam Director by the Dean.

2. The Exam Director must be present during the full exam time as he/she is counted as an invigilator as well.

3. The Exam Director oversees the overall administration of exams and ensures that this is done in a smooth and orderly manner and that all examinations are running under the utmost academic environment. 

4. The Exam Director must deal with actual fraudulent attempts or exam disturbance according to the university policy; a report on any such incidents must be submitted online via the academic integrity form in the portal.

5. The Exam Directors must be present 15 minutes before the beginning of their supervising schedule. 

6. The Exam Directors must deal with any rising incidents, advise all invigilators and give them breaks when needed; and in case of any emergency, intervene, examine the case and make the necessary decisions.  

7. The Exam Director must ensure a positive and respectful attitude during the exam.

2.11 Invigilator Duties 

1. Arrive 15 minutes before the exam start time.

2. Invigilators must ensure that students adhere to the conduct stated inS 6.11 Student Disciplinary Policy.

3. The course invigilator should ask students before starting the exam to leave all instruction materials outside the examination hall.

4. Obtain the students’ attendance during the exam.

5. Prevent late students from entering the exam hall/classroom.

6. Disseminate the exam papers to the students on time.

7. Support in timely start and finish of the exam.

8. Deal with students’ inquiries and exam irregularities as per the guidelines set below:

2.13 Exam Violations 

1. The Exam Director will submit the online academic integrity form to document the violations observed during the exam period. 

2. The online academic integrity form  is automated and will go through the appropriate person depending on the violation  within the examination period.

3. In case of student cheating, the case will go directly to the VPAA and disciplinary actions are automatically applied. The VPAA has the authority to convene an SIC to investigate any academic integrity violations, should there be a requirement for one.  If an SIC team is required it will consist of members drawn from the DSS, Registrar’s Office and faculty members, within one week. The committee, chaired by the Manager of DSS, shall make a recommendation within one week to the Dean, to be approved by the VPAA.

First cheating Offense:

• Failure in the course.

• Documentation of the incident on the academic record (TC).

• Fine: 1000 AED + VAT.

          D. If no further instances, removal of the incident from academic record (TC).

 

          E. Second Cheating Offense: Dismissal from the university. Multiple cases of cheating can be assigned to different investigation committees. More than one case of cheating will lead                 to university dismissal.

 

          F. The course instructors and exam invigilators who do not enforce exam policy will be reported to the Dean for further action.

 

          G. The College Dean may issue a warning letter to the faculty members as a result of violating UD’s examination policy, in concurrence with the VPAA. 

 

2.14 Make-Up Exams

1. If a student misses a quiz for an excuse that is acceptable by the instructor, the student must arrange with the instructor to re-sit for the quiz at a suitable time before the final exam.  

2. Failing to attend a midterm exam:
   

• The midterm makeup exam will be fully automated. The student will apply and upload the supporting document(s) and before they make the payment a notification will go to the faculty to approve the makeup exam. Once approved the student can make the payment. The course faculty will receive a notification once paid. 

• Mid-term makeup must be done before the final exam period. 

• Students who do not meet the make-up exam application deadline are not allowed to have a make-up exam. 

• Only one make-up exam can be administered per course. 

• Exams must be held in the presence of a supervisor. 

• If the student does not attend the midterm make-up exam on the specified date, he/she will be deprived of any further midterm make-up exams. In such a case, the grade for the midterm exam will be reported as zero. However, the student is still allowed to attend the remainder of the course.

• If a student attends an exam (midterm and/or final), he/she cannot request a make-up exam for it. 

• The financial penalty for conducting a midterm make-up exam is AED 1,000  + VAT. 

• All makeup exams must be substantiated by evidence.

 

       C. Failing to Attend a Final Exam: 

• A student who misses the final exam of any course will normally receive an “F” grade for that course (even if his total grades are above the passing grade). 

• Where there has been a documented UD-valid reason, the student must submit the excuse /report to the RD within three (3) working days of the missed/scheduled exam. In such a case, the student with an accepted excuse will receive an Incomplete “I” grade, adjusted by the Registrar. Requests submitted at a later date will not be considered.

• Make-up final exams will be administered by the respective college as soon as possible and before the completion of  one month from the original exam date. 

• If the student fails to attend the make-up exam on the specified date, he/she will be deprived from any further make-up even if she/he provides an acceptable excuse. In this case, she/he will receive an “F” for that course.

• The student's final grade for the "Incomplete" course will be considered as part of the result of the academic semester in which the student registered for the course.

• The financial penalty for conducting any final make-up exam is AED 1,000  + VAT. 

 

     D. Valid UD Excuses for Class Absence/ Missing Exams 

• Valid UD-excuses include National Service, death of a first degree relative, or attested hospital admission. In such cases, the student is exempted from paying the makeup exam fees.

• Financial penalties for make-up exams may be waived only by the UD President on a case by case basis. 

• All excuses must be substantiated by evidence. 

• A list of approved makeup exams will be sent to the relevant college, which will be responsible for running makeup exams. All makeup exam results must be sent to the Registrar within 96 hours from the date of the make-up exam, which should be scheduled within one (1) month from the original examination date for the midterm exam and within one (1) month from the beginning of the following regular semester for the final exam.

 

 3. Post-Examination Stage

 3.1 Course Instructor Duties
The faculty member teaching the course shall correct the answer sheets and deliver the exam results and the relevant documents within 96 hours (including weekends) after the end of the exam to the Dean/ Program Director. This should include the answer sheets for the exam, the exam attendance sheet, two copies of the Final Exam and a list of students’ marks in which the mark shall be recorded.  

3.2 Recording Grades on CAMS: 

1. Faculty members should be attentive when entering the grades from Excel sheet into CAMS to avoid typos and minimize student appeals and complaints. 

2. Midterm exam grades must be entered into CAMS within 96 hours of completion of exams. Midterm grades will be locked in CAMS after this period and the grade appeal process will need to be followed for any changes. 

3. Course grades must be reviewed and checked to avoid errors.  Before pursuing “Final Save” of the students’ scores, the instructor should take a print out of:

• Grade Sheet from CAMS

• Statistical Report 

• Grade Percentage Form 

• Exam Attendance sheet 

The above-mentioned documents must be presented to the Program Director. The Program Director will verify the distribution of grades, verify from the attendance sheet the student attendance in the exam and check for any potential discrepancies.  Once Program Director signs (Appendix I) to confirm moderation, then the instructor 

is authorized to upload the signed student attendance sheet on the Faculty Portal page and finalize the grade sheet in CAMS with a "Final Save." Both the student attendance and grade sheets will be securely stored on a designated page for future reference.

This should be implemented within two (2) weeks from the last final exam date. 

 

3.3 College Dean and Program Director Duties

1. The Dean and Program Director prepares a statistical report on the examination process and analyzes the results. The report should include the following: (a) The number of students registered in each course; (b) the number of students allowed attending the exam; (c) the number of students deprived from attending the exam; (d) the number of students absent from the exam; (e) the number within each letter grade category; (f) the percentage of success and failure.

2. The Dean or Program Director will collect the information on exam content and issue a report revealing any discrepancies between and within departments. Any irregular cases identified as unacceptable, the Dean will issue a recommendation to the course instructor. The recommendations should be addressed by the instructor in the improvement plan including comments and recommendations  (in the course-file). Repeated violations can then be easily identified by Deans from course-files. This will automatically lead to lower evaluations of the instructor’s exam assessment included in the course-file and accordingly will receive lower evaluations on teaching (for promotion and in the Faculty Development Plan).

 3.4 Final Course Results

1. Each faculty member must enter his/her student records into the CAMS system. Scores must be verified and approved by the Dean prior to any submission of scores via the “Final Submission.” 

2. The Registration Department is the only authorized party to announce the final course results. Faculty members should not release the course final grades in any form of communication to the students.

3. Following is the timeline for completing grades, submission & informing the students:

If a faculty member fails to meet the above deadline, following is the process for remedial action:

1. Approach Dean for getting permission to open CAMS for another 24 hours.

2. The Dean approves as a special case after marking it as a warning to the concerned faculty member, unless the delay was justified.

3. The Dean requests the Registrar to open the grade section in CAMS.

4. Processes 2-4 above must be completed within 24 hours.
   

 

Appendix 1