Exam Policies

Group Midterm Examination Policy

(Policy as reviewed and modified by the Committee on Examinations 1987–88 and approved by Academic Affairs with the concurrence of the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate.)

  1. Group midterm examinations exist in order to facilitate the administration of courses with multiple sections (where the midterm examination is common to all sections).

  2. A course qualifies for a group midterm if it consists of three or more sections or two sections of an anticipated enrollment of 150 or more students. All sections of the course constitute the group.

  3. Requests for group midterms should be addressed to the Office of the Registrar. Departments originating such requests should obtain a forwarding endorsement from the appropriate Dean. The request should include the date, time, and the number of students and sections. Requests must be received not later than the second Friday of the term. Requests will normally be granted assuming space is available and no conflicts exist. Requests will be scheduled on a first-come-first-serve basis.

  4. Group midterm examinations will be scheduled at 1900 for one regular class period. No group midterm examinations will be scheduled before 1900.

  5. In the case of group midterm examinations, provisions must be made to administer an equivalent make-up examination to students who for a good reason cannot attend a specially-scheduled group midterm examination. The following exemplify reasons that could justifiably prevent a student from taking a group midterm examination: a schedule conflict, job, lengthy commuting distance, etc. Classes required to take a group midterm examination will have one designated class period canceled. These policies also apply to midterms in all courses administered outside regular class meeting times.

Group Final Exam Policy

(Policy as reviewed and modified by the Committee on Examinations 1987–88 and approved by Academic Affairs with the concurrence of the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate.)

  1. Group final examinations exist in order to facilitate the administration of courses with multiple sections (where the final examination is common to all sections).
  2. A course qualifies for a group final if it consists of three or more sections, or two sections and an anticipated enrollment of 150 or more students. Normally all sections of the course constitute the group.
  3. Group final examinations will be the same length of time (110 minutes) as other examinations.
  4. Requests for group final examinations should be addressed to the Office of the Registrar. Departments originating such requests should obtain a forwarding endorsement from the appropriate Dean. Normally these requests should be submitted in order to meet publication dates for the forthcoming Schedule of Classes.
  5. In the case of group final examinations, provisions must be made to administer separate examinations to students with conflicts (examinations in two or more courses scheduled on the same day and time). Conflicts between two group final exams will be resolved in accordance with the instructions in Exam Conflict Resolution section below. For conflicts between regular and group final exams, the group final course must provide the alternate examination.

Final Examination Policy

(Policy as reviewed and modified by the Committee on Examinations 1987–88 and approved by Academic Affairs with the concurrence of the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate.)

  1. Final examinations are administered during the final class meeting, in accordance with the "Final Week Schedule" as published in the Schedule of Classes. Final examinations shall not be given during "dead week." (See Academic Regulation #16).
  2. Final examinations will be 110 minutes (1 hour 50 minutes) long.
  3. Requests for a change in the time of a final examination should be submitted by the instructor to the Office of the Registrar prior to the end of the fifth week of the term in which the examination is scheduled. The request must contain the supporting endorsements of the department chair and dean.
  4. If a final examination is rescheduled, provisions must be made to administer the examination on the originally scheduled date/time to those students unable to accommodate the rescheduled examination.

Exam Conflict Resolution

  • Conflicts should be resolved Friday 1200 or Friday 1400, or at the mutual convenience of the instructor and student. Order of priority in determining which class takes precedence in the event of conflicts: Institution-required courses, major courses, minor courses, electives.
  • Examinations are given in regular classrooms unless different rooms are requested through the deans and assigned by the scheduling coordinator, Office of the Registrar.
  • Examination periods are 110 min. (1 hour, 50 min.)

Student Petitions to Change the Time of a Final Examination:
Policies and Procedures

(Policy as reviewed and modified by the Committee on Examinations 1987–88 and approved by Academic Affairs with the concurrence of the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate.)

  1. A student request to change the time of a final examination is made on a Petition for Change in Time of an Examination During Final Week form available at the Office of the Registrar. (A Summary of University Final Examination policy and AR 16 is printed on the form.)

  2. Petitions for changing a final examination are submitted directly to the appropriate instructor. Oregon State University instructors are committed to helping students achieve their personal and academic goals. However, rescheduling a final examination may not be possible even for the most meritorious reasons. For example, there may not be time to design and prepare an equivalent make-up examination for individual students.

  3. In June 1988, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee recommended that instructors who can make arrangements for a rescheduled final examination may approve student petitions for any reasons they feel are appropriate. No further approval is required.

  4. Students may forward disapproved petitions through the dean of the college to the university registrar for review. Approvals are normally limited to the following reasons:

    1. Conflict with working hours on a job that has been held during the term, and for which working schedules cannot be readily adjusted. Example: driving a school bus.
    2. Religious reasons.
    3. Four finals in one day. Where amicable agreement cannot be reached by the student and the instructors, a solution following the rules on schedule conflicts in the Registration Information Handbook or online will be used.
    4. Military obligations verified in writing. Example: military orders, preinduction physicals.
    5. Other exceptional hardship cases.

    Petitions for reasons of personal convenience are generally not approved.

  5. A request to change the assigned final examination time for an entire class must be forwarded via the instructor, department chair, and dean to the Office of the Registrar. A request to change a final examination to dead week must be addressed to the Academic Requirements Committee. Appropriate forms are available in the Office of the Registrar.

Ecampus Testing Policies

Ecampus follows the same examination policies set by the university. Some of your distance courses will require you to take proctored exams. Your instructor will indicate this requirement via the course catalog, course syllabus, a classroom announcement, or an email. Not all of your courses will require proctored exams. Ecampus recommends completing the required proctoring forms at least 1 to 2 weeks prior to your exam. The Ecampus Testing Coordinator is available if you have questions or problems and can be contacted at 1-541-737-9281. Additional information on Ecampus testing, including a step-by-step guide for scheduling, can be found at http://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/services/proctoring