“US Army 52864 Blue ink on the inspection sheet indicates to the students that they are a “go” during the sling load hands-on testing in the Camp Robertson Training Area Oct. 8″ by Mark Heeter (USAG Schweinfurt) – United States Army. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons
The FSD’s proctor procedures for administering written exams vary somewhat based on program area and delivery method (i.e., whether the exam is being offered paper-based or online). The JIBC Manager or Coordinator responsible will guide you to the particular procedures applicable in your evaluative situation. However, there are certain basic principles that always apply when invigilating a written exam. These include:
- Conflict of interest must be avoided. Remember that our Accreditation Operational Guidelines state, “Proctors of written examinations may not be the same person who instructed the course of instruction leading to certification of level.” (JIBC, Fire & Safety Division, 2015, p. 14).
- Acting as an authorized agent of the FSD, proctors must agree not to disclose any information regarding exam content to any person other than authorized FSD personnel. Failure to abide by this agreement may result in disciplinary action.
- Students must present photo identification in order to write an exam in order to confirm their identity.
- Proctors are to explain restroom procedures. Restroom breaks are allowed for exams that exceed three hours in length.
- Proctors are to explain emergency evacuation procedures. Remember that it is safety first! In the unlikely event of a fire or power failure, etc., the exam will need to be rescheduled.
- Students should be seated with sufficient space between them in order to help prevent the risk of cheating. Accreditation Operational Guideline #A-9 dictates, “Scheduling shall endure proper and adequate spacing, equivalent to one empty chair space for all certification testing. All efforts will be made to ensure students shall be afforded the opportunity to test without reasonable delay.” (JIBC, Fire & Safety Division, 2015, p. 15).
- Course materials (e.g., textbooks, notes, etc.) are not permitted in the examination room unless officially authorized by the JIBC Program Manager or Coordinator, as part of the examination process.
- The exam room must be free of posters, bulletin boards, equipment or models that could inadvertently be of assistance to students.
- No food or drinks are permitted in the examination room.
- Mobile devices are not permitted in the testing area.
- The exam start and end times must be communicated to students, and notice should be provided when they have reached the half-way mark for exam completion. Unless specific accommodation has been made, students are not permitted to continue beyond the established exam time limit.
- There is to be no talking during an exam.
- As a proctor, you are not allowed to discuss the exam content or assist students in answering questions in any way.
- FSD students are allowed to challenge test items following exam completion. If a student would like to challenge a particular question they should be instructed to email their challenge or concern to an assigned, program-specific email address (e.g., evaluator@jibc.ca) OR email the responsible Manager or Coordinator/Fire Officer if the program has no email address of this nature.
- In the event a question is successfully challenged, exam results will be adjusted for all students in that particular test group.
- Pursuant to the JIBC Student Code of Conduct, any infractions, such as cheating, must be referred as quickly as possible to the appropriate JIBC Manager or Coordinator.
The following video demonstrates a JIBC evaluator getting prepared to proctor a computer-based written exam.
Note how the evaluator clears the room of any textbook or other materials that could be inadvertently helpful to students. What messages does he convey to test takers? What else would you make sure to address?