Computers for exams

We can provide use of a personal computer during the exam provided you have made the necessary arrangements.

• What we will do
• What you need to do

What we will do

• Our IT Services department will ensure that the equipment is at the venue specified by the Examinations & Assessment Office.
• All computer examinations will be completed using Microsoft Word.
• If you require specialist hardware that cannot easily be moved, we will make arrangements for you to sit the exam in the room where the equipment is permanently located.
• Your own equipment will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances. If it is required, we will ensure that no unauthorised material is contained in the hard drive.
• We will appoint invigilators who are sufficiently qualified to assist the candidate with any difficulties they may experience with the operation of the PC.
• You may be allocated to a room with several other candidates using  computer facilities for their examinations. If you believe that you may be distracted by this background noise, you may want to use non-electronic earplugs (widely available from chemists). If this is the case, you must supply your own earplugs.
• Your exam will begin at the same time as the published time for that exam, although it may finish later if extra time has been agreed as part of your special provision.

What you need to do

Before the exam

• You will need to confirm that you need special exam arrangements when you register online for your exams during the module confirmation process.

During the exam

• Ensure that your candidate number, module title and code are the header of every page of your examination document.
• You will be saving your work to a networked drive that only the Examinations & Assessment Office can access.
• You should save your work frequently during the examination. Computers can fail and it is your responsibility to ensure that your work is backed up regularly throughout the examination. We recommend that you save your work at least once every 10 minutes to prevent significant loss of work in the event of computer/network failure.
• There will be no printing facilities in the examination venue. Your work will be printed out by Examinations & Assessment Office and securely attached to your answer book (which may contain rough work/answer planning, or any diagrams or calculations).
• As a failsafe measure, your invigilator will also save your work to a USB drive at the end of your examination.