University Registrar

OFFICE OF THE

University Registrar

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Exams Office Services

The Exams Office is responsible for scheduling and administering requested midyear and centrally scheduled final exams in December and April for undergraduate courses. In addition, we administer all accommodated midterm exams for students whose accommodations include the use of a computer, private room and/or extra time exceeding 30 minutes per hour*. We will be taking on all accommodated midterms in the future.

We administer supplemental exams for the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, and we have undertaken a deferred exam pilot in the Faculty of Arts and Science with the goal of undertaking all undergraduate deferred exams.

While we presently administer centrally scheduled undergraduate exams, we are in the process of gathering information from Departments to explore the possibility of taking on graduate course examinations.

Mitchell Hall provides 36 private and 35 semi-private exam spaces equipped with PCs, and two 30-seat classroom venues. Gordon Hall offers 5 Private, 16 semi-private and 9 small classroom-type spaces. These are available for booking exams or other academic activities.

*Note: we do not administer computer-based exams, e.g. using onQ, Examity, ExamSoft or similar, or requiring use of a personal computer.

 Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

In the continuing effort to reduce the global spread of the COVID-19 virus, Queen’s University is taking measures in concert with directives from the Province of Ontario and local public health authorities.

This means that all services of the Office of the University Registrar will be provided remotely until further notice.

These measures will limit our ability to provide specific services where staff are required to be physically on campus to fulfill requests, including production of:

  • Diploma orders
  • Student Photo ID Cards
  • Sending and receipt of hard copy mail (via Canada Post and/or courier services)

As staff within the Office of the University Registrar are working remotely, we would ask that your inquiries be directed via email as follows:

* for emails to solus@queensu.ca, please indicate in the subject line the topic of your inquiry (such as TRANSCRIPTS, FEES, or GRADUATION).
We remain committed to responding to your requests as soon as possible.

Please continue to monitor the university’s COVID-19 webpage for the most up to date information.  We would also recommend following the instructions of your local public health authority.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic - Current Services and 2020-21 Dates and Deadline Adjustments

The Office of the University Registrar (OUR) is here to provide service to you.
We continue to offer online and remote service delivery to help reduce the global spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Our commitment to provide support to you remains our priority during this time and our core operations will continue.  As many staff within the OUR are working remotely, we would ask that your inquiries be directed as follows:
If you need a completed form (e.g. Verification of Enrolment required by an RESP provider to access funds) or letter (e.g.  degree certificate) from us, go to our Document Request page for easy instructions.
We are regularly updating our website and will be adding “how-to” videos to help you get what you need as quickly as possible.
Please continue to monitor the Queen’s University’s COVID-19 webpage (https://www.queensu.ca/covidinfo/) for the most up to date information.
 
Mid Year (December) and Final Exams (April)

The Exams Office gathers all undergraduate midyear and final exam requests through an online form. The submission deadline for this information is the final day of add/drop which is on or around September/January 20 each term. A guide to this process is outlined below.

Detailed scheduling criteria have been developed to ensure the exam timetable adheres to Senate policies and minimizes stress for students and instructors while making every effort to create an environment to maximize academic performance.  Unfortunately, individual instructor scheduling requests cannot be accommodated. Refer to the Instructor Exam Request Guide, to provide more detailed information about making an exam request.

Please ensure, when selecting the duration of your exam (1 HR, 1.5 HR, 2 HR OR 3 HR) that you select the duration closest to the amount of time it will take students to write exams. Selecting a longer period (e.g. 3 HR) for an exam that can be completed in less than 1 hour results in:

  • Disruption to other students; exams are roomed according to duration; if your class is scheduled for 3 hours but leaves after 1, other courses in the room are affected
  • Unnecessary costs to the University; proctors are hired based on the number of hours you have requested. If it can be completed in 1 hour, and we’ve hired based on a 3-hour exam, that one exam costs us more than $200 in wasted proctor hours
  • Accommodated venues being affected, as we provide time based on the duration of the exam. If the student does not need the seat for as long as we have it reserved for, we have potentially eliminated a seat we could use for another student

Upon submission, exam request details are echoed back in an email to the person who entered the request and a copy is sent to the department administrator.  Please save these emails as your request record.  Once the timetable is final, course reports are sent to the instructors summarizing individual exam requirements and the exam schedule.
What are the restrictions?
  • LISTENING component: Any exam with a listening component must be a privately administered exam since multiple exams may be in the same venue, and we cannot disturb the other class.
  • VISUAL SLIDE component: Any exam with a visual component must be a privately administered exam since multiple exams may be in the same venue, and we cannot disturb the other class.
  • COMPUTERS: Any exam to be completed online or with the use of a computer (aside from the use of Word or specialized software as part of student accommodations) must be a privately administered exam as we do not have the resources to administer this type of exam. This includes using a computer as a notes source, or accessing onQ, Examity, ExamSoft or similar for course material or to complete the exam.
What is the deadline?
  • The request deadline is firm: The add/drop deadline in September and January at 4:00 pm.  Failure to complete an exam request on time will result in no final exam being scheduled as part of the exam timetable and can only be considered for private exam administration.
How do I enter a request?
  • Exam requests must be submitted each term for each course section that need a formally scheduled exam to be published to the University’s undergraduate exam timetable.
  • If you do not require an exam, please do not attempt to enter a request.
  • Please review the Instructor Exam Request Guide for assistance in making your exam request.
  • Use the online Exam Request Form (https://www.queensu.ca/registrar/iservices.php). 
    • Sign in using your net id and password. 
    • Department administrators may view all exam requests from their department.  However, only the individual who inputted the exam request may make edits.
  • If entering multiple requests for the same exam (i.e. multiple sections of the same course, e.g. PSYC 100A 001-004 , or jointly run courses, e.g. COMM 111/211/611), once the first request is submitted, you may return to the menu, select the correct request, then use the COPY function. You would then only need to change the course and section information and hit resubmit.
My course isn't listed! What do I do?
  • Contact the Exams Office by email, as we can add additional courses to the drop-down menu.
    • This will need to be done for all section 800 (Graduate) courses that are tied to an undergraduate course (example Math 411 and Math 811)
What is the difference between a centrally administered and privately administered exam?
  • Central Exam Administration:  The Office of the University Registrar schedules the exam AND coordinates proctoring and provision of exam supplies/booklets. This includes scheduling and coordinating accommodated exams; unless the instructor indicates otherwise.
  • Private Exam Administration:  The Office of the University Registrar only schedules the exam; the instructor provides proctoring and necessary exam supplies/booklets, including exam printing. This includes scheduling and coordinating accommodated exams; unless the instructor indicates otherwise OR the exam includes a listening/slide component or access to a computer.
  • It must be indicated on the online form what type of exam administration is required.
  • It is not possible to change the type of exam administration (Central or Private), the exam duration or exam time after the final timetable is published.
My exam is running at a common time with other courses or course sections
  • You MUST submit an exam request for each course and each section.  You may use the DUPLICATE function of the webform to make this easier.
  • In the first field (“If this is a joint exam….”), enter the relevant common sections.  You must also specify whether these courses (or sections) have a common exam time and/or paper.

  • If you are running your exam with another section of the same course (e.g. PSYC 100B, sections 001, 002, 003, 004 and 700), please enter as:
    • Course offered jointly with: PSYC 100A 001-004, 700
    • Common exam time: YES - PSYC 100A 001-004, 700
    • Common exam paper: YES - PSYC 100A 001-004, 700
  • If you are running your exam with another course (e.g. MATH 411 and 811), please enter as:
    • Course offered jointly with: MATH 411/811
    • Common exam time: YES - MATH 411/811
    • Common exam paper: YES - MATH 411/811
  • If you are running your exam at the same time with another course or section, but with a different exam (e.g. DEVS 100B 001-002), please enter as:
    • Course offered jointly with: DEVS 100A 001-002
    • Common exam time: YES - DEVS 100A 001-002
    • Common exam paper: NO (this tells us that 001 and 002 are running at the same time, but with a different exam for each section)
  • NOTE: if you have multiple sections, with multiple exams, (e.g. COMM 104 001-007), please enter as:
    • Course offered jointly with: COMM 104 001-007
    • Common exam time: YES - COMM 104 001-007
    • Common exam paper: YES – COMM 104 006-007 (this tells us that sections 006 and 007 will be writing a different exam)
  • Enter as above for all sections/courses that are running together.
Providing contact information as requested on the form
  • Where it asks for your home phone, please put the number where you would most likely be reached (i.e. cell phone).
  • Where it asks for the secondary instructor, you may also include (please do so if possible) the TA’s name and contact information.  This will assist us during the exam session regarding authorization for pickups and question answering.

 
When will I see a schedule?
  • The draft exam timetable will be available for review by departments and instructors in early October (Fall)/February (Winter) and any requested changes are due shortly after. The final exam timetable will be published to SOLUS and the Faculty Centre before Thanksgiving (Fall)/Family Day (Winter).

Please contact the Exams Office at extension 32101 or by email at exams@queensu.ca if you have any questions about completing the form, or need to be added to be able to view departmental requests.
Midterm exams, tests and quizzes

Adjusted Service for Winter 2021:

The Exams Office will not be administering any test accommodations in Winter 2021 but will be providing student accommodation information for tests submitted by the deadline.

Please add all scheduled quizzes, tests and midterms to the Exam Accommodation System (EAS) by January 31 and no later than 2 weeks in advance of the test.

Accommodation information will be emailed to the instructor in a password-protected file the week prior to the scheduled test:

  • If the test is on a Monday or Tuesday, the details will be sent the Wednesday prior.
  • If the test is on a Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, the details will be sent the Friday prior.

The instructor is responsible for arranging all accommodations and communicating details to students as necessary.

Due to the special circumstances in Winter 2021, students will not be required to submit a request, regardless of their approved accommodations. Any student who is registered with Student Wellness Services 2 weeks prior to a scheduled test will be included in the accommodation information that is provided to the instructor.

The Exams Office is responsible for in-class accommodated quizzes, tests, or midterms for students whose accommodations include a private room, 35+ mins of extra time per 1-hour exam, or the use of a computer, whether or not the student will actually use the computer (e.g. Multiple Choice questions only).

This is administered through the Exam Accommodation System (EAS). This provides a portal for instructors to enter details of planned midterms/tests/quizzes and a portal for students to request accommodations (as approved by Student Wellness Services) for their midterms/tests/quizzes.

The Exams Office has an EAS admin interface which collates all this data along with students’ accommodation requirements provided by Student Wellness Services. We then schedule all accommodated midterms requiring the use of a private room, 35+ minutes extra time per hour, or use of a computer accordingly.

All scheduled in-class quizzes, tests and midterms must be added to the Exam Accommodation System (EAS), even if the instructor intends to self-administer all tests or doesn’t anticipate having any students with accommodations requiring a private room, 35+ minutes extra time per hour, or use of a computer. Refer to the Exam Accommodations System (EAS) links tab on the Exam Accommodations page for guidance documents and links to the system.

The Exams Office cannot administer computer accommodations for any test that includes the use of internet or personal computers.

Instructors are responsible for all other in-class accommodated exams as well as all deferred midterms and exams (including deferrals for students that were previously accommodated by the Exams Office).

Instructors are responsible for proctoring, or hiring proctors, for in-class accommodated midterms and deferred midterms and exams.

If instructors do not have sufficient proctoring resources (e.g. TAs, Departmental Administrators), they should speak with their department head.
Deferred Exams

The Exams Office is not presently responsible for scheduling and administering deferred exams. We have undertaken a pilot for deferred exams from the December 2019 exam period for four large courses from the Faculty of Arts & Science. The results of this pilot will help inform the potential future expansion of this offering across the University

Facilities

Adjusted Service for Winter 2021:

Accommodated spaces are not available for booking at this time. This includes Mitchell Hall, Rooms 300, 126, and 130, and Gordon Hall, Room 400.

The Examination Centre in Mitchell Hall (located on level 3 – suite 300 – at the front of the building, in the southwest corner) provides 36 private and 35 semi-private spaces equipped with PCs for accommodated exams. In addition, there are 2 30-seat rooms for small classroom accommodated exams on level 1 (rooms 126 and 130, on the northwest side of the building). Gordon Hall – room 400 –has 30 accommodated spaces comprising 5 private rooms, 16 semi-private seats, and 9 small classroom-type seats.

  • Instructors can book accommodated spaces in Mitchell Hall (this can include use of a PC or Mac).  Requests must be submitted 10 business days before the test date. Please submit the Mitchell Hall Room Request Form to exams@queensu.ca.  Instructions on accessing the room will be provided with the confirmation of the room booking.
  • Mitchell Hall is open until 11:00 pm.  Campus Security does not proactively patrol the building.  However, individuals concerned about safety can call Campus Security at 36111.