Exam accommodations
Your disability or medical condition may impact your ability to take exams in standard exam conditions (e.g., in a classroom or lab setting). Exam accommodations allow students with disabilities to demonstrate their knowledge of the course material. They are determined by the student's documented need. Exam accommodations might include extended exam time, computer use, or a distraction-reduced exam environment.
Determining your eligibility for an exam accommodation
At the outset of the term, contact Access & Diversity to make an appointment with a Diversity Advisor – Disability to determine your eligibility for exam accommodations. The Diversity Advisor – Disability will explain the process of arranging exam accommodations.
Arranging an exam accommodation
You are required to complete all six steps. However, if you are writing your exams directly with the instructor or department, the following steps do not apply.
- Request an Exam Accommodation Form online. Please complete this request well in advance of the exam.
- Come to the Access & Diversity office, in person, to pick up your Exam Accommodation Form during office hours. Verify that all the information on the form is accurate and complete.
- Take the form to your instructor and ask him/her to complete and sign it. Give them enough time to complete the form. (It is your responsibility to ensure that your instructor has entered all the information completely and accurately).
- Return the form to the Access & Diversity office, in person. Do not leave the form under the door or give it to someone else to drop off for you. We need to confirm your exam accommodation reservation in person. Your instructor cannot return the form to our office for you.
- Forms must be returned at least 7 days before the scheduled exam date
for midterms. Forms for formal exams written with Access & Diversity must be returned by November 29, 2011, for W2011 Term 1 examinations and by April 4, 2012, for W2011 Term 2 examinations (one week before the start of the formal examination period). R emember to factor in any statutory holidays when the University is closed. Deadlines are posted in the Academic Calendar. - Instructors are responsible for providing Access & Diversity with the exam. You are not required to do this, nor are you required to return it to your instructor after completion.
Exam guidelines
It is important to note that UBC's Rules Governing Formal Examinations apply to accommodated exams as well.
There are additional guidelines for accommodated exams in place to ensure fair and consistent service to students. These are:
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Bring your UBC student card for identification purposes . - Arrive 10 minutes ahead of time and be fully ready to start the exam at the scheduled time.
- Your Accommodated Exam Form should indicate whether you are allowed to bring in anything other than writing materials (e.g., notes, books, calculators, and formula sheets will not be allowed in without explicit written authorization from the instructor).
- If you are writing the exam in a private space, you are required to store your belongings in a locker. This includes coats, bags, cell phones, MP3 players, and all other electronic devices that are not authorized.
- Be sure that you do not have any unauthorized materials with you prior to entering the exam room. The invigilator will conduct a security check and if unauthorized materials are found, the exam will be halted.
- Students who are not eligible for private exam space will likely write their exam in a room with other students. There will be an invigilator present at all times. When an invigilator is present throughout the exam, a security check is not required. In this case, you may place your bag in the room. However, your cell phone must be turned off.
- Cheating is not tolerated and will be subject to the disciplinary processes outlined by UBC's policies on Student Conduct and Discipline. Access & Diversity may contact your professor and department head to provide them with a written report of such matters.
- Exam start and stop times will be strictly followed. As with all formal UBC exams, students
with disabilities who arrive more than 30 minutes late will not be permitted to start the exam. Students will not be permitted to leave during the first half hour of the exam ination. Students whose evening examination sitting commences at 7:00PM for the class will be scheduled earlier to finish at 7:30PM. In these cases, students must stay until 7:30PM to ensure a half-hour overlap with the class. - Bring your own watch or clock to keep track of time during the exam.
- If you are using a computer, work only in the Word document pertaining to your exam. To use any other function or program requires advance authorization in order not to be considered cheating.
- Remain in the exam room and leave only with the permission of the exam invigilator. There are some exceptions indicated as an accommodation for disability-related reasons.
Hand in all materials (including scrap booklets, formula sheets, and exam question sheets) at the exam stop time. You are not permitted to make notes or copies of the exam. - Please note that all materials brought into the exam room for closed book exams are returned to the professor. If you wish to have a copy of an equation sheet where it is allowed, you should make a copy for yourself prior to the exam sitting; alternatively, you can discuss with your professor about obtaining the equation sheet back from him or her after the exam.
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ou may bring your own stationery and writing supplies, as well as snacks. However, ensure that you leave the space tidy for the next exam writers. - If you write your exam before the class is scheduled to write, do not disclose any information about the exam. You will be required to sign the Undertaking Form to this effect.
- All disability-related accommodations are prescribed in advance by a Diversity Advisor – Disability. Invigilators and exam staff are not authorized to change accommodations during exam sittings.
- If you are unable to attend a scheduled exam, phone the Access & Diversity front desk at 604.822.5844 and inform your instructor. In most cases, you will need to obtain an Exam Accommodation Form to schedule a new sitting.
Distance education or deferred exams
If you are writing distance education or deferred exams through Enrolment Services, you need to specify this when requesting an Exam Accommodation Form.
In these cases, Access & Diversity will submit the form directly to the Enrolment Services exam coordinator. You will have to follow the exam procedures outlined by Enrolment Services for distance education and deferred exams. But you will still have to request an Exam Accommodation Form to schedule the exam with our office.
Real Estate exams
If you are writing Real Estate exams, you should contact your Diversity Advisor – Disability about obtaining the relevant exam forms. You need to be registered with Access & Diversity and be adjudicated for exam accommodations based on your documented disability.
If you are a Real Estate student, you still need to contact the Sauder School of Business Real Estate office to register and pay the necessary fees for writing their exams.
