Disciplinary rules for written examinations
Introduction
Establishing the rules for written examinations is one of the tasks of the Examining Board of a study programme or faculty. The Examining Board publishes the rules in the Rules and Guidelines or as part of the Course and Examination Regulations (CER).
To ensure that all EUR examinations are administered in a similar way, general agreements have been made with the Examining Boards concerning rules of order during examinations, the so-called Rules of Order for Written Examinations. These are described below.
1. General provisions for examinations
1.1 The invigilators appointed for this purpose are charged with maintaining order on behalf of the Examining Boards during examinations. In the Van der Goot Building, Sports Centre and other large lecture rooms, a senior invigilator will be present during examinations. The senior invigilator coordinates procedures during the examination.
1.2 At the beginning of each examination, at least one examiner (lecturer) will be present in one of the rooms in which the examination is being held.
1.3 Students sitting an examination must comply with the invigilator’s instructions. If a student fails to comply with an invigilator's instructions, the invigilator will prepare a report of the incident. The Examining Board will make a decision later regarding any sanctions.
1.4 If suitable facilities are provided for safe storage of students’ personal belongings outside the room in which the examination is being held, no coats and bags may be taken into the examination room. In other cases, coats and jackets must be placed on the backs of the chairs. Bags and similar items must be closed and remain out of reach. Weekend bags, suitcases and other large objects should be handed to the senior invigilator.
1.5 The examination room must be quiet prior to, during and after the examination. All forms of communication are prohibited during the examination, except for communication with the invigilator and lecturer.
1.6 The examination room in the Van der Goot Building is equipped with camera surveillance.
1.7 Prior to and during toilet visits, the restroom invigilator can use mobile detection equipment to check whether students are in possession of mobile phones.
2. Provisions concerning registration for sitting an examination
2.1 Only students registering in time for an examination are entitled to have the mark they obtain recorded. An exception will be made for students who have received written permission from the Examining Board to be added to the candidate list later. Administration costs and conditions may be connected with this.
2.2 If registration takes place via Osiris Student in accordance with faculty regulations, the registration period will be between 35 days and 7 days prior to the examination. During this period, registration is also possible via the USC Front Office (the ESSC).
2.3 Following the expiry of the registration period, students can still register up to two days prior to the examination by registering at the USC Front Office. A € 20.00 fee will be charged for each examination. It is recommended that students take the receipt of payment to the examination, so that they can show this to the invigilator in the event that their late registration has resulted in their name not being on the candidate list.
2.4 If, in breach of one of the above subsections, the student nevertheless sits the examination, the result achieved will not be valid, unless the Examining Board decides otherwise.
2.5 Important information for students regarding the location, time and any changes to an examination is stated on the SIN channel ‘Examination Locations’. Students should ensure that they subscribe to this channel via SIN-online.
3. Provisions concerning entering and leaving the room where the examination is being held
3.1 Examinations are held in various rooms and halls at the EUR Woudestein building. The most frequently used examination location is the ground floor of the Van der Goot Building. Monitors at the Van der Goot Building entrance will indicate any changes on the day of the examination. This information is also available on the SIN channel “Examination locations” from 9.30 p.m., at least for the morning examinations held the following day.
3.2 Students with dyslexia and certain other functional impairments can use a different room for their examinations. They must have obtained approval for this from their study programme Examining Board prior to the end of the registration period. In the rooms reserved for written examinations, the examinations start 30 minutes before those held in other rooms. In the rooms reserved for PC examinations, the examinations will continue for 30 minutes longer.
3.3 Students with a campus ban issued by the Executive Board may not sit EUR examinations and tests during the period concerned.
3.4 With a view to quiet and orderly proceedings, students must arrive and take their place in the examination room on time. The space on the Van der Goot Building ground floor is divided into sections. Each section can accommodate a maximum of 49 students. The sections are subdivided in advance on the basis of student numbers. The first and last numbers in each section are indicated on signs.
3.5 It is possible to start an examination up until 15 minutes after the commencement of the examination; after this it is no longer possible unless the senior invigilator gives permission to sit the examination late as a consequence of demonstrable serious traffic inconvenience. It is not possible to appeal against the invigilator’s decision to refuse entry to sit the examination due to late arrival.
3.6 Students are not permitted to leave the examination room within the first hour after commencement of the examination. Any student handing in his/her examination papers to the invigilator before the end of the examination must ensure that other students are disturbed as little as possible.
3.7 The end time of the examination is the time at which all examination papers and answers must be handed in. Students must hand all forms to the invigilator, after ensuring that their student numbers, names and signatures are written on all forms in pen. In connection with a quiet end to the examination, students may not stand up and leave the examination during the final 15 minutes. The invigilator will collect all examination papers at the end of the examination.
3.8 Draft paper, examination questions, answers and other examination-related documents may not be removed from the room during and after the examination. Draft paper may only be removed by the student at the end of the examination (after the total examination time has elapsed) if this is clearly stated on the front page of the examination.
4 Specific provisions concerning order during examinations
4.1 Students may only have the following materials on their desks: a valid proof of identity (see Article 4.2), writing materials, food and drink for personal consumption (see Articles 4.4 and 4.5) and, if applicable, proof of registration. A number of examinations also permit the use of a simple or graphics calculator, or the use of certain reference material. The lecturer must indicate this in advance and this must be stated on the examination cover page. Reference material permitted during an examination may not include any personal notes. Equipment and other permitted reference material may be borrowed from another student, on the condition that the transfer takes place before the examination. If this equipment or reference material contains information that would enable fraud to be committed, the owner as well as the borrower will be held responsible.
4.2 All students must be able to identify themselves using one of the following proofs of identity: university student card, driving licence, ID card or passport. Students are not permitted to sit the examination if they cannot show the invigilator one of these identity cards.
4.3 Only paper supplied by the university may be used during the examination. Students are not permitted to use their own paper.
4.4 Students are asked to take functioning pens and, for multiple choice examinations, pencils and erasers with them.
4.5 One cold snack and one bottle/can of drink is permitted, but using this may not cause any disturbance to others; this is to be assessed by the senior invigilator. Alcohol and drugs are prohibited.
4.6 If suitable facilities are provided for the safe storage of personal belongings of students sitting the examination, mobile telephones may not be taken into the examination room. In all other cases, mobile telephones must be switched off as soon as the student enters the examination room. Furthermore, mobile telephones must remain out of reach throughout the entire examination. The use of mobile telephones and other electronic communications equipment during examinations is prohibited. Violation of this provision is considered fraud.
4.7 Watches are not permitted during the examination. Watches must be stored in a coat/jacket or bag.
4.8 Students may not visit the toilet during the first and last half hour of an examination except in extremely exceptional medical or other circumstances; the student must inform the invigilator of these circumstances in advance. Each student may visit the toilets once during an examination, and only one person from each section shall be given permission at any one time. Students must notify the invigilator that they have to use the toilet and the invigilator’s instructions must be complied with fully.
4.9 The invigilators are responsible for enforcing order in their section prior to, during and after the examination. In the event of fraud, the invigilator will complete a fraud form and stamp the examination paper as “own risk”. The involved student(s) is/are nevertheless permitted to continue the examination.
4.10 Students are asked to be silent in the examination rooms and to avoid wearing noisy shoes.
5 Provisions concerning fraud and misbehaviour, and associated sanctions
5.1 The term ‘fraud’ is understood to mean any actions or omissions by a student that make it impossible for the examiner/Examining Board to form a correct judgement of the student's acquired knowledge, insight and skills, or that of fellow students. Cases of fraud will be reported in writing to the Examining Board of the relevant study programme. Each study programme sets its own policy in this regard. For information on this subject, see the Rules and Guidelines of the relevant study programme.
6 Additional regulations for students with a functional impairment
6.1 During the period that a student has permission to sit examinations in special rooms, the student should register for examinations via Osiris Student within the standard examination registration times. The student can check a box to indicate whether he/she wishes to use the special rooms or other facilities, for which permission has already been obtained.
6.2 The examinations in special rooms for written examinations start half an hour earlier than the examinations in the standard examination rooms, thus respectively at 9.00 am, 1.00 pm and 6.00 pm. The end time is the same as the examinations in the standard examination rooms.
For examinations that are taken in the PC room, the start time is the same as those of examinations in the standard examination room, but the end time is half an hour later than the examinations in the standard examination room.
7 Cancellation of examinations in the event of an emergency
7.1 If an emergency (an unintended or unexpected event that can lead to disruptions on the EUR campus) is expected prior to the commencement of an examination, the Examining Board may cancel the examination in consultation with the Student Administration. Any such cancellation will be announced on the EUR website index page, the ESSC and Student Administration news pages and on SIN-online.
7.2 If an emergency occurs or is expected during an examination, those present must leave the examination hall immediately on the instruction of the person bearing responsibility (i.e. the senior or other invigilator or a Student Administration employee), leaving behind their answer sheets.
7.3 As soon as possible after the cancellation of the examination, the examiner will determine whether a final mark for the exam can be reasonably determined on the basis of the answers already completed and/or the answer sheets submitted. If the examiner concludes that a final mark cannot be determined, he/she shall inform the Examining Board.
7.4 Following such an examination cancellation, the Examining Board will consult with the responsible examiners to set a new date for the cancelled examination as soon as possible; the new date preferably being within two weeks of the original examination date. The new examination date shall be published on SIN-online and on the Student Administration website.
8 Complaints about examinations
8.1 All complaints regarding examinations or sitting examinations can be submitted via legal.protection@eur.nl. Detailed information about what to do if you have a complaint can be found on the EUR website legal protection.