Supervised online exams

In supervised online exams, you sit the exam online using your own computer while being supervised via webcam. You and your screen are recorded through automated, recorded supervision.

• At all times you must follow the exam rules and conditions.
• You must follow the directions given by the exam supervision technology.
• You will complete an exam using CloudDeakin Quiz.
• You will be supervised via webcam through Proctorio automated + recorded supervision.
• Open book exams will have some limited restrictions on what you can access.
• It is your responsibility to check your unit site to confirm if your examination is open-book or closed-book.

Open book exam

Students sit an open-book online exam in their own space, using CloudDeakin Quiz, while being supervised by Proctorio. An open-book online exam means you can access reference material or study notes, and your computer is not restricted during the exam.

Refer to "Exam rules" section for open book exam restrictions.

Closed book exam

Students sit a closed-book online exam in their own space, using CloudDeakin Quiz, while being supervised by Proctorio. A closed book online exam means you cannot access any reference material or study notes, and what you can do on your computer is restricted during the exam. Certain functionality such as opening a new app, a new browser or a tab, copying, pasting, printing, downloading a file, and using a right-click may be disabled. You should not attempt to access any unauthorised material during the exam.

Refer to "Exam rules" section for closed book exam restrictions.

Supervision

An exam is supervised when required for accreditation by an external body, or as a requirement of course completion. In these cases, supervision is mandatory. Supervision aims to ensure that the correct student sits the exam, complies with exam rules and conditions, does their own work and is therefore deserving of accreditation.

Exam date

The exam timetable is released via StudentConnect. If your location or time zone is incorrect in StudentConnect, contact Student Central immediately to have it updated. You can also change your exam location via the Nominate or Change of exam location form.

Exam time

The exam begins at the time specified in the exam timetable on StudentConnect. Time is shown in either Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) or Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST). Convert exam times to your local time by using a World Time Zone Converter.

Exam duration

You have a fixed period of time to complete the exam. Time begins after your identity check with Proctorio. An additional 30 minutes is provided to allow time for reading (15 minutes) and for technical support (15 minutes).

Location

To sit an online exam, you will need:

• A quiet, private, and well-lit space in your home or office where you will not be disturbed. Public or shared spaces may not be suitable.
• A desk or table, and a chair. It is not suitable to sit on a couch or bed.

Technology

You will provide your own technology to sit the online exam. You will need:

• A desktop or laptop computer that meets Proctorio system requirements. You will need admin access to download and install a browser extension.
• A single screen. If you have a second monitor it must duplicate your laptop screen. Dual or extended screens are not allowed.
• A working webcam and microphone.
• A power source to plug in your computer.
• A reliable internet connection.
  The minimum internet upload speed requirement is 0.092Mbps - 0.189Mbps.
  Test your internet speed to ensure your internet performance is adequate.
• Microsoft Edge as the recommended internet browser.
• A minimum of 2GB of free Random Access memory (RAM).

China based exams

If you are based in China you must use the Microsoft Edge browser.

Identity check

You must present proof of identity via the webcam before starting the exam. You will need official photographic identification such as your Deakin Student Card, a driver's licence, passport or national identity card. Your identification will be recorded for verification.

You should make yourself ready in your chosen examination location with sufficient time to check your exam environment and equipment. You can help to make your online exam as smooth as possible by preparing early and knowing what to expect. Before the exam period commences, you should:

1. Read the exam rules.
2. Read the how-to guide.
3. Do the Try-It-Out exam to test your setup.
4. Source an alternative internet or location if your internet connectivity is poor or unstable.
5. Check your RAM. You must have 2GB free.
6. Check your browser version is up to date - Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.
7. Know what to do on exam day.
8. Know how to get help during the exam.

Try-It-Out exam

The Try-It-Out exam is a short, compulsory exam that helps you to test the suitability of your internet and computer, check your setup and troubleshoot issues before exams commence. Information about how to access and sit the Try-it-out exam will be made available in your unit site.

You should complete it on the computer you will use for the exam. You can repeat it if you need to change your computer.

Ensure you do this well before the exam period to identify and troubleshoot any issues.

How-to guide

Follow these how-to guides to complete the Try-It-Out exam and the final exam.

• Online Exam Guide (CloudDeakin-Proctorio) for Windows (PDF, 847.4KB)
• Online Exam Guide (CloudDeakin-Proctorio) for Mac (PDF, 796.8KB)

Troubleshooting

Contact IT Service Desk for assistance with technical issues.

If you have added the Proctorio browser extension, you can also use their inbuilt Live-Chat function.

See our tips (PDF, 157.7KB) for improving online exam performance.

On exam day

Access the exam

You must start your exam during the approved commencement period or according to your allocated schedule. The examination system will show the exam duration and a timer counting down the time left in an exam. It is your responsibility to keep track of the time left as a time warning is not provided.

1. Prepare a copy of the Troubleshooting FAQs for easy access during the exam.
2. Start at the time shown in your exam timetable.
3. Turn off other internet connected devices to improve your internet connectivity.
4. Restart your computer. To maintain an adequate RAM level:
   • For closed book exams, close any other files or applications (if opened) except for the browser you are going to use to sit the exam.
   • For open book exams, keep the opened files, applications and tabs to a minimum.
5. Use Microsoft Edge as your browser (recommended).Open CloudDeakin and go to your unit site.
   • If you don't already have the Microsoft Edge browser installed, you can install it via: Download Microsoft Edge.
   • Then add Proctorio for Edge.
   • You may use Google Chrome as an alternative browser.
6. Open CloudDeakin and go to your unit site.
7. If you are using Google Chrome and have not yet installed the Proctorio browser extension:
   • Click Content in the menu.
   • From Table of Contents, open Exams at the end of the list.
   • Click Secure Exam Proctor to download the Proctorio browser extension.
8. To access your exam, click Assessment in the menu, and then Quizzes.
9. Select the exam to start.

System check

Proctorio will conduct a system check to make sure your system is working. If you have problems, contact Proctorio Support via Live-Chat for assistance.

Identity check

You must present official photographic identification such as your Deakin Card (student ID card), a drivers licence, passport or national identity card, at every examination you sit. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your identity check.

• Present your photo identification to the webcam, ensuring it is close enough to fill the on-screen frame. Make sure your details and photo are clearly captured and readable. If the image is too small or too blurry to read, retake it.
• Take a snapshot of your face. Make sure your face is clearly shown. Retake if necessary.

During exam

• Save your written responses regularly and at least every 2 minutes.
• DO NOT close the exam window or the Stop Sharing button unless you have been disconnected from the exam.
• For open book exams:
  • Close tabs, files and applications once you have finished using them during the exam.
  • Close all tabs, files and applications before submitting the exam.

Submission

You must submit your exam within the allowed time.

• You will see a countdown timer in CloudDeakin Quiz.
• Once the time is over, you cannot answer further questions.
• An on-screen message will confirm your exam submission. Email confirmation will not be sent to you.
• If you are unable to submit your exam due to technical issues, the University will submit it on your behalf.

For help with technical issues during the exam:

• Contact Proctorio Support via Live-Chat for assistance with access or authentication.
• Call Deakin IT Service Desk - Australia 1800 463 888 | International +61 3 5227 8888.
• Keep your support ticket number as evidence of technical issues.
• Refer to the Troubleshooting FAQs (PDF, 192.0KB) for common issues.

Disconnection from the exam

If you have low RAM on the computer, or if your internet fluctuates or drops out, you may be disconnected from the exam. You will see a black error screen.

Proctorio Exam Disconnection error screen:

• While you are disconnected, the exam timer keeps ticking.
• If your internet connection is restored, you can reconnect to the exam and continue. You will need to repeat the system and identity checks.
• For further information on how to avoid being disconnected, refer to the Tips.

Request for a password - not required

When sitting a Proctorio supervised examination, a password is not required to access the exam. A request for a password means the Proctorio browser extension is not installed, or needs removing and re-installing. To resolve this request, try these options:

• Check whether you have installed the Proctorio extension on your current browser. If not, install Proctorio
• Uninstall/remove the Proctorio extension then re-install it to your browser
• Check whether your browser is the latest version and update if necessary
• Clear the cache (Refer to Tips)
• If issues persist, try using an alternative browser (both Chrome and MS Edge work with Proctorio)
• If all options are unsuccessful, try using an alternative computer

Technical issues impacting your exam

If you experience technical issues during the exam that you believe impacted your performance, you can consider applying for special consideration. You must apply within 3 days of your exam. Attach screenshots of your issue, your IT support request and number.

Please note if you apply for special consideration, where successful, you only have the option to re-sit the exam in the following Supplementary exam period. Your current exam will not be marked (even if you might pass it).

Supervised online exam rules

• You must stay in view of the webcam at all times.
• You must work alone.
• You must start your exam at the time shown in CloudDeakin. Exams commenced late may not be marked.
• You must not use dual or extended screens. (Duplicate of your laptop screen is allowed).
• You must not use headsets, headphones, earbuds, or ear pods.
• You must not use search engines (Eg Google, Baidu) to search for or to access information on the internet.
• You must not use online translation tools such as Google Translate.
• You must not use artificial intelligence content generation sites (e.g., GPT-3, ChatGPT).
• You must not use Virtual Machines (VMs).
• You must not communicate with any other student or unauthorised person during the exam.
• You must not access tools that allow online collaboration including email, discussion boards, online forums, shared document platforms (OneDrive, Google Docs, OneNote etc) or any other applications that allow real-time information sharing unless explicit approval has been provided for use as part of the exam instructions.
• You must not use any other electronic device other than the computer used to complete the exam.
• You can only use your mobile phone to make a valid support call to authorised Deakin examination support numbers, unless explicit approval has been provided for use as part of the exam instructions. Your phone should be placed out of reach at all other times.
• You must not capture, record, store or share exam content or questions.
• Authorised rest or medical breaks are allowed by prior approval from the Disability Resource Centre.
• You can use applications such as Word, and PowerPoint only for accessing pre-prepared reference material. But you must not use them for any other purpose unless specified in the exam instructions. Applications such as Excel may also be used for calculations.
• You can use a calculator. If using an online calculator it should be bookmarked in your browser.
• Bathroom breaks are allowed, but should be kept to a minimum and any absence kept under 5 minutes.
• If a calculator is allowed you can use a physical calculator. (An online calculator is also available).
• Bathroom breaks are not normally allowed in a closed book exam, however if unavoidable, we recommend that any absence be kept under 5 minutes.

For full details, refer to the Instructions to Online Exam Candidates (PDF, 143.5KB). You are expected to act with academic integrity in accordance with University policy. Exam recordings may be used as evidence if a breach of academic integrity is suspected.

Reference materials allowed (Open book)

Your exam is open book with some restrictions:

• You can access unit content and study material, including lecture notes, slides etc, in your CloudDeakin unit site during your exam. Please note that the discussion board in your unit site will be disabled during your exam.
• You can access pre-prepared reference materials including printed, written or online reference materials. It can include unit resources, files, or study notes prepared by you.
• You can access hard copy or electronic textbooks. Electronic textbooks should be bookmarked in your browser, or stored as a PDF or a document in your computer.
• You can use the Find function to search within online reference materials.
• You should not rely on access to library copies of electronic texts, as these may be unavailable during your exam. You should prepare your own study notes in advance.
• You can use a dictionary and thesaurus. Online copies must be bookmarked in your browser.
• You can use a pen or a pencil and blank A4 sheet of paper for doing your calculations and workings.

Materials allowed (Closed book)

• If your exam is closed book. No reference materials are allowed.
• In certain closed book exams a pen or a pencil and blank A4 sheet of paper for doing your calculations and workings is allowed. (Confirmation will be available in your unit site).

Other items

• You must place bags, purses, wallets and personal belongings out of reach.
• You must remove all watches, including smart watches and fitness trackers, and place them out of reach. All alarms and alerts must be switched off.
• Food and drink are allowed (remove food packaging, and drinks must be in plain or clear containers).

Under Regulation 04.1(2) - Academic Misconduct it is considered an act of academic misconduct to have, possess, access, or use any material or item not allowed under the instructions for that examination, whether or not it is with the intention of using it to gain an advantage.

Unable to sit an online exam

If you are unable to provide a suitable location, or meet conditions necessary to sit an online exam, contact Student Central for advice.

Booking an On-campus space to sit your exam

If you have a compelling reason that will prevent you from completing your exam at your location, submit your request via the Registration Form. Your request will be considered based on your individual case and the availability of space.

• This form is an expression of interest only. On-campus spaces are very limited and allocation cannot be guaranteed. We will contact you in the coming weeks to confirm if a space is available and reserved for you.
• Please be aware that the offered spaces are shared by other students.
• Please only put in a request if it’s absolutely necessary. As spaces are limited, unnecessary bookings may prevent access for other students with significant needs.

Special assistance required to complete an exam

If you require special assistance to sit a supervised online exam, contact the Disability Resource Centre at least 2 weeks before the exam period. If adjustments to your exam are approved, you will be advised via email.

Your data and images will be handled in accordance with Deakin's Privacy Policy. For more information, refer to the Supervised Online Exams Disclosure Statement (PDF, 106.1KB). Recordings will be stored on the third-party servers of our online supervision service provider, Proctorio. These recordings may be viewed by authorised Deakin staff for the purposes of verifying that academic integrity has been maintained, and when investigating suspected or reported instances of academic misconduct. All reports will be stored securely on Deakin systems with access restricted to authorised staff.