Testing Information for Faculty

Any assessments given by USU Testing Centers, regional campus locations, or certified proctors worldwide, must be submitted to the Materials and Testing Services site (MATS).

To ensure testing centers can provide the best service, exam information and materials must be posted 2 business days before the exam begins. Exams given in USU Testing Centers must also span at least 3 days or more to accomodate students and allow time to distribute exam materials to centers and proctors.

Suggested Exam Scheduling Days

For classes that meet in-person, we encourage faculty to follow the schedule below when selecting their exam dates. Exams given in Testing Centers must span 3 or more days to accommodate all students. This schedule allow for the most efficient use of testing center resources, and limit the number of exams scheduled on a given day. For example: If a class meets on MWF, the first meeting day is Monday and suggested exam days are Mon - Wed.

* It is recommend to avoid Friday due dates to allow online students to test during weekends.
** All course finals are expected to be finished by 5:00 p.m. on the last day of the session/semester, usually Friday of finals week. As a result final exams given in testing centers follow a 3-day window, not including Saturdays. 

Online course exams can be given Monday - Saturday.

Paper Exams

Paper exams will be printed and given to students at the testing center. All paper exams will include a cover sheet, generated by the testing center, and will be printed two sided. Time limits for paper exams will not be enforced by testing center staff. It is up to the students to keep track of their time during the exam. Instructors should set their own penalties for students who go over their exam time.

How do I submit Exams/Materials?

Exams and exam infromation, and course materials are submitted through MATS. Additional instructions can be found under Submit Materials.

Please be very specific when describing what exam materials are allowed during an exam. 

What type of password should I use?

• Passwords for proctored exams should not be intuitive or memorable, but not overly complex for proctors.
• Avoid nonsense strings
• Never give passwords directly to students or proctors. We will retrieve passwords in MATS.
• Passwords should be changed each semester
• Avoid confusing combinations (e.g. O and 0, or lowercase l (L) and capital I (i))
• Exams that are given exclusively in Logan may us an IP restriction instead of a password to speed up the testing process. To use the IP restriction, click the IP restriction box in Canvas (leave the access code button unchecked). Then use the IP range provided in Canvas. 

Where can my students test?

Students who live within 20 miles of a USU campus must use that campus' testing center. Students who do not live near (within 20 miles of) a USU campus can visit https://proctor.usu.edu to view a list of other proctor options. If there are not any certified proctors in the area, students are responsible for finding a proctor and submitting a request to have them certified. (This can be done on the same website.)

Some proctors may charge a fee for their services. Students are responsible for all fees incurred while taking exams.

If students have questions about finding a proctor or proctor requirements, they can call (435) 797-3617.

Messages about exam requirements and passwords should not be emailed directly to site facilitators or proctors. Facilitators/proctors receive posted materials in MATS.

Facilitators and employees at the USU regional campus sites cannot grade materials.

How do students schedule to take their exam?

Students can schedule exams at USU campus testing centers or by going to http://testing.usu.edu/ , selecting "Schedule an Exam", logging in, and selecting "Testing Center" or "Find a Proctor". In some cases students may need to select a certified proctor before scheduling. Students not using a proctor at a USU campus should schedule with that proctor directly. 

What if my exam allows multiple attempts?

Each exam attempt must have a scheduled appointment. Students will not be able to schedule more than one appointment for the same exam onlline so they will need to schedule the extra attempts over the phone or in person. Students will need to leave the testing room and check in again for each attempt.

How are exam exceptions handled?

To allow specific students exceptions (i.e. take an exam early or extra time), faculty must notify Testing Services by sending an email to testingcenter@usu.edu. The email should specify the students' name, A#, course, exam #, and the exception to be made.

How do I give exams for students finishing an incomplete?

Proctors only have access to exam passwords for classes which are active during the current semester. If you have a student who is finishing an incomplete please send all testing information to testingcenter@usu.edu. The email should specify the students' name, A#, course, and exam #. If your tests are in Canvas you can either extend the dates of the prior class or create a new course containing only the incomplete student. Contact an Instructional Designer in CIDI for assistance.

What types of Calculators can students use?

If you allow students to use a calculator, please indicate which type of calculator will be allowed. Some calculators allow students to save notes and formulas, so it's important to specify if the memory should be cleared.

Reporting Academic Integrity Violations

Consistent with the expectations of the Student Code of Conduct, individuals caught engaging in behavior which violates the Student Code of Conduct should be reported to the professor as well as student conduct as having committed an Academicy Integrity Violation.

Per the USU student code: SECTION VI-3. Discipline Regarding Academic Integrity Violations an instructor has full autonomy to evaluate a student’s academic performance in a course. If a student commits an academic violation the instructor may sanction the student. Application of this sanction must follow Section VI-4 procedural policy. Such sanctions may include:

• Requiring the student to rewrite a paper/assignment or to retake a test/examination.
• Adjusting the student’s grade - for either an assignment/test or the course.
• Giving the student a failing grade for the course.

Additional disciplinary action beyond instructor sanction shall be determined by the Judicial Officer and the University.

• We have a non-confrontation policy. This means that we will not accuse the student of anything, and we will not force the student to do anything (e.g. stop the exam or leave the testing center).
• If the proctor can do so in a non-confrontational manner, the student will be asked to stop suspicious activity. For example, if they have a google page open they will be sent a message that states something similar to “You are not allowed outside resources on this exam. Please close the webpage.”
• If it will cause too much of a disruption to other students to say anything, we will simply do our best to document what is happening.
• We will inform the instructor of what happened in as much detail as possible. Is is the instructors responsibilty to work with the student conduct office and the student.

No-Test Days Policy

A five-day period designated as "no-test" days precedes final examinations. During this time, no major examinations, including final examinations will be given in order that students may concentrate on classwork, the completion of special assignments, writing projects, and other preparation for duly scheduled final examinations. Approved exceptions include: final papers, weekly chapter quizzes, quizzes, projects, and examinations associated with a lab that does not meet during final examinations.

Finals Week

During finals week there is a high demand placed on the testing centers, especially in Logan. Finals week is reserved for final exams only. All non-final exams, such as chapter or unit quizzes, should be completed before finals week. To ensure students have the opportunity for a positive testing experience, please consider the following:

• Allow multiple days for students to complete their exam. Please don’t only have the exam open for one day. We have a small testing center and it is very difficult to administer and exam to all of the students in a class in one day when we have such a high demand from other classes.
• In Logan, priority is given to large enrollment classes. If your class has less than 50 enrollments, please give your final in the classroom. Canvas exams can be given using Proctorio, our online virtual proctoring system.  
• Please only schedule final exams during finals week. Do not make other types of exams due during the week of finals. If you have a class in which students can turn in exams at any time during the semester, please require that their exams be due at the end of the week prior to finals week.
• Encourage your students to make an appointment early to take the final exam. It would be a good idea for students to schedule their finals two weeks before the exam is due. Students can schedule their exams for most USU centers online at http://proctor.usu.edu/
• Upload your exam information into MATS as soon as possible (http://proctor.usu.edu). If we do not have exam information we cannot administer the test and will not be able to schedule appointments for your students.
• Allow multiple days for students to complete their exam. Please don’t only have the exam open for one day. Most testing centers are small and it is very difficult to administer exams to all of the students in a class in one day when we have such a high demand from other classes.
• Do not allow multiple attempts on final exams. Due to the high demand, students will have greater difficulty reserving multiple exam times. 
• Consider allowing shorter exam times.  Many professors will allow students 3 hours to take an exam when it only takes the student an hour to finish. This means we have a reserved seat in the testing center with no one to fill it. If you know your students don’t need the amount of time you give them to take the exam please consider shortening your exam time so that we have the space to get all of your students in during finals week.