End of Trimester Exams

Before the exam:

Where will scheduled in-person exams take place?
UCD exams take place in classrooms or the following exam centres:

• RDS Simmonscourt for Spring End of Trimester exams and RDS Shelbourne Hall for Autumn End of Trimester exams
• Blackrock Exam Centre
• Newman Building, Belfield

Until when can students be registered to exams?

Assessment will commence scheduling for end of Trimester examinations a month before the start of exams using the module registration data of all students registered up until this date. This means that students registered to modules after this date will not appear in the timetable’s data set, and the following will apply:

• The exam will not appear in a student’s personalised timetable
• Students will not see their details on the seating lists
• Students sitting their exams in the RDS will be seated in the X-section

Please be reassured, students who may be affected by this will never be turned away from the exam halls. However, we would encourage you, in so far as is possible, to ensure your students are registered by the cut off date. 

During the exam:

As a module coordinator can I gain entry to the exam hall when my exam is taking place?
Module coordinators are advised to attend the exam centres when their modules exam is scheduled to answer questions from students. You will need your UCD staff card to gain entry to any exam hall. Where an academic is not a permanent or contract member of UCD academic staff and does not have access to a UCD staff ID card they should complete a No UCD Staff ID Form and bring along a photographic ID for verification. This form will gain you entry into the exam centre to answer questions on the appropriate exam paper or collect exam scripts post-exam (for the appropriate exam paper only.). You should note that if you have an in-person exam taking place in the RDS for example you may also have students sitting in the Newman Building.

What if I cannot attend the exam, can another person attend the exam in my place?
Yes, but the person nominated will need to be a UCD staff member with a UCD staff card which must be presented at the exam centre to gain entry.

If they do not have a UCD staff card you must complete a No UCD staff ID card form. No other forms of ID can be accepted.

What if I am unwell, can I attend the Exam Hall/collect my scripts from the Exam Centres in person?
If you are unwell/displaying Covid symptoms, you should follow HSE guidelines and not attend your exam in person. You can instead name another person to attend in your place. The person nominated will need to be a UCD staff member with a UCD staff card which must be presented at the exam centre to gain entry. You can also nominate an alternative academic contact person for your exam should there be any questions in the hall by emailing their contact details to examlogistics@ucd.ie

Where an academic is not a permanent or contract member of UCD academic staff and does not have access to a UCD staff ID card they should complete a No UCD Staff ID Form and bring along a photographic ID for verification. 

If you have provided a delivery address in Exams Manager, the scripts will be delivered to that location. This will be sent to School offices only, not personal offices. If no one is there at the time of delivery, the scripts will be brought to the Distribution Centre for collection from there.

If you have indicated in Exams Manager that the scripts will be collected from the exam hall and you can no longer collect them in person due to illness, they will be brought to the Distribution Centre. You may notify examlogistics@ucd.ie if you cannot collect the scripts, invigilation staff at the exam centres will be notified accordingly. 

Where are my scripts delivered to post-exam, if I do not wish to collect them?
If you have provided a delivery address in Exams Manager at the point of Exam Paper Creation, the scripts will be delivered to that location. This will be sent to School offices only, not personal offices. If no one is there at the time of delivery, the scripts will be brought to the Distribution Centre for collection from there.

If you have indicated in Exams Manager that the scripts will be collected from the exam hall and you can no longer collect them in person due to illness, they will be brought to the distribution Centre. You may notify examlogistics@ucd.ie if you cannot collect the scripts, invigilation staff at the exam centres will be notified accordingly.

Can I nominate another person to collect the exam scripts post-exam on my behalf?
Yes, but the person nominated will need to be a UCD staff member with a UCD staff card which must be presented at the exam centre to gain entry.

If they do not have a UCD staff card you must complete a No UCD staff ID card form. No other forms of ID can be accepted.

I have noticed an error on my Exam Paper, what do I do?
All Exam Papers are managed through the university’s Exam Paper Management System, ‘Exams Manager’, and are submitted by a particular deadline.  However, in exceptional circumstances, the need arises to substitute an Exam Paper, it is the responsibility of the Module Coordinator to ensure all the substitute Exam Papers are brought to every Exam Centre, including the Newman Centre (which is located in room A105, Newman Building, Belfield Campus) at least 48 hours in advance of the exam start time. When printing the substitute Exam Papers, please print one Exam Paper per student and bring an additional 10% of the total number of students registered to the module.

When can I drop my substitute exam paper 48 hours in advance?
When dropping off an exam paper please ensure you bring your UCD staff ID card. Our exam centres will be open at the following times in May 2023 to accept deliveries (these times may change so please refer to this webpage before delivering):

RDS: 

• Friday, 05 May- 2.30 pm-5 pm (Enter through Shrewsbury Road)
• Monday, 08 May- 8 am-6.30 pm (enter through Simmonscourt Road)
• Tuesday, 09 May- 8 am-12 pm (enter through Simmonscourt Road)
• Wednesday, 10 May - Friday, 19 May (except Sunday, 14 May)  - 8 am-6.30 pm (enter through Simmonscourt Road)

Please note on Friday, 05 May, and Tuesday, 09 May due to a concert occurring in the RDS traffic diversions may be in place.

Newman Building, room A105 and Blackrock Exam Centre- at least 48 hours in advance of the exam.

Where are AEADS (Alternative Exam Arrangements– Disability Support) students accommodated for their exam?
Students registered for disability or temporary exam support with the Access and Lifelong Learning Centre will take their exam in either the Newman Building, office A105 (for all RDS scheduled exams) or on the Blackrock Exam Campus, office located in the Blackrock Exam Hall (for the majority of Blackrock Exam Centre scheduled exams).

How do I know who is registered as an AEADS Student?
Each Module Coordinator has access to Infohub class lists which highlight each student’s disability supports/temporary exam requirements for in-person exams.

When visiting the exam centre do I wear a facemask? 
Face coverings are no longer mandatory in the exam centres; however, we encourage you to wear one if it makes you more comfortable.

Post exam:

Where are the completed exam materials delivered?
Exam materials can be collected from the exam centre once packaged and immediately following the exam provided you have your UCD staff ID card.

Exam materials are delivered as quickly as possible, we will aim to deliver within 2 days to the address you have indicated in Exams Manager when completing your exam cover sheet. This will be sent to School offices only, not personal offices. Please ensure your office is staffed to sign for the scripts when delivered. For large exams, an attempt will be made at delivery the next morning following your exam. If you have not completed an address they will be available for collection (Minimum within 2 working days) from the exam distribution room LG20, located in the basement of the Newman building. You will need a UCD staff card to collect any exam materials. Scheduled delivery to addresses at precise times or days across campus will not be possible to organise.  Given many staff may be working remotely, if you would prefer that scripts are delivered directly to the exam distribution room LG20 so you can locally organise the collection, please ensure to email examlogistics@ucd.ie to update the delivery address.  You can contact the Exams Distribution Room on ext.8430 to check on the expected delivery times. 

When can I collect my exam materials? 
Your exam materials can be collected during the distribution room opening hours (see below for opening hours)  and should be collected within 2 days of the exam. Please note, as there is limited space in the distribution room (located in the basement of the Newman building, room LG20), an early collection is appreciated. The distribution room will close permanently at 17.00 pm on Tuesday, 23 May so all scripts must be collected before this time/date.

What are the distribution room opening hours?

Please note after the 23rd of May your scripts will be available by appointment only from the Tierney Building. Appointments can be made by emailing examlogistics@ucd.ie and we will get back to you as soon as possible. 

What will I need to collect my exam materials?
You will need a UCD staff card to collect any exam materials. 

What will be contained in my exam materials package?
Your package will contain all answer books, used or unused along with all exam question papers, used or unused. You will also receive an Assessment checklist giving contact details and useful dates.

What do I do if my exam materials package does not contain the correct number of exam question papers?
UCD Exam Regulations state all exam materials, used or unused must be returned by the student. Each student must sign the number of answer booklets returned in the exam hall at the conclusion of the examination. We recommend that each School should have a protocol in place to double-check exam materials when they are delivered. If the numbers expected are not returned, contact examlogistics@ucd.ie for this record. Please note that scripts for students sitting in the Newman Building, if requiring additional supports, will be sent separately.

Should I wish for my MCQ examination to be corrected by Assessment, how do I arrange this? 
Please contact grading.support@ucd.ie to arrange a drop off time for your MCQ sheets. Please have a master sheet and cover sheet prepared and include them with the MCQ sheets to be corrected. 

Brightspace Online Assessment Resources 

The following are the IT supports for online scheduled exams which have been agreed with the Registrar and Assessment.  

IT Exam support process for Module Coordinators during the Exam Period:

• Module Coordinator (or nominee) clicks on to the IT Support Hub
• Module Coordinator (or nominee) creates a self service ticket using a new category "Exam Support"
• This will move the query straight to the ETS (Educational Technologies Services, IT Services) call queue, where it will be addressed as a matter of priority
• This call queue will be monitored during normal business hours (Mon - Fri, 9am - 5.30pm).
• The ETS team will be monitoring this call queue when online exams are running during the Exam Period, including on Saturdays, and will contact the MC as a matter of priority to assist with the issue

As with previous exam sessions, please note the following:

• Students should be advised to contact their module coordinator if an issue arises.  Please do not advise students to use the "Exam Support" category for IT Support as this will not be visible to them. Ensure students know how you would prefer they get in touch should the need arise and what type of queries can and cannot be addressed during the exam.
• Students can be directed to the Assessment Exam Arrangements webpage for support information on how to prepare themselves for exams. 
• You may have nominated a stand-in or have assistance planned for during the exam. In case you might suddenly be unavailable during the exam, ensure the stand-in has prior access to the module at least 24 hours before the exam (via the Module Access Management system). A reminder that any relevant contact information should be provided to students.

The following resources may be of assistance to you before and during the examination session:

•  Checklist for Quizzes 
• Checklist for Assignments 

The following resources will be of assistance to your students in preparing for online exams:

• Preparing a device for online exams
• Advantages of using Wired Network VS Wireless networks on campus

• No UCD Staff ID Form
• Blackrock Exam Hall Booking Form
• Student Assessment Website 
• Student Code and Guidelines
• Student Health Service
• UCD Access & Lifelong Learning Disability Support
• UCD Exam Regulations 

What happens if, due to unforeseen circumstances such as adverse weather conditions or power outages, the examinations have to be cancelled?
The university has contingency plans in place to mitigate against such circumstances. As soon as any serious risk to the integrity of the examinations becomes known, a group of key staff will convene to determine what action may be required. Notification of any decisions will be communicated to staff/faculty and students as soon as possible. Students have been advised to pay close attention to their UCD email account for any such notifications. 

My examination is scheduled to take place locally, i.e. not in one of the university’s exam centres. What steps should I take to plan for unforeseen circumstances that may disrupt my exam, such as for example power outages?
Module Coordinators, Schools and Units will need to plan at a local level for managing disruptions to their examinations. The university has provided information and Guidance templates that can be used as a starting point for your planning. 

What should I do if my exam is disrupted?
If your exam is disrupted, first consider and determine whether the integrity of your exam has been compromised. If it has, possible solutions could be to reschedule the examination; provide an alternative assessment(s); or aggregate components already completed. Please contact examlogistics@ucd.ie for further guidance and support. 

What information has been provided to students on examinations?
Information on examinations for students can be found on the Current Students Exam webpage

Where should I direct my student for information on what to do if they have tested positive for Covid-19?
If a student can’t attend an exam due to COVID-19 or another infectious illness, they should be directed to the UCD Exams - Covid Guidelines section on the Current Students website and to the extenuating circumstances process. This applies to all examinations - in-person and online.

Do I have to provide an alternative assessment opportunity in place for students who have missed my exam due to COVID-19 or another infectious illness?
No, students can apply for extenuating circumstances and if approved, the student must complete the component (or components) of the assessment or complete some equivalent assessment(s) set by the School, within two trimesters of the initial attempt in line with the Academic Regulations.

How will I be informed if one of my students misses an exam due to COVID-19 or another infectious illness?
Module Coordinators can see details of students who have missed an exam due to Covid-19 or another infectious illness on the Extenuating Circumstances - Module Coordinator View report in InfoHub.

Programmes Offices will be able to see this information via their Extenuating Circumstances report.