Testing Information for Students

Schedule Exams

Table of Contents

• Testing Center Overview
• Student Policies
  • 3 Business Day Scheduling Deadline
• Testing Accommodation Information
• Exam Types (Online, LPE, Incompletes, Prelims, Takehome)
• Health and Safety
• Testing Center Cameras
• St. Paul Testing Center
• AIM Student Portal How-To Guides

Testing Center Overview

The DRC Testing Center provides spaces and facilitates exams for students with testing accommodations when a proctored exam space is needed. 

The main DRC Testing Center front desk is located in McNamara, suite 180. During busy times , we rely on additional satellite locations to proctor exams (such as Johnston and Folwell Hall). We also have a St. Paul Testing Center in Coffey Hall room 50, which operates with limited hours. 

Before scheduling an exam, students should: 

• Register with the DRC to establish accommodations.
• Request accommodations for each class in AIM Student Portal (note: students must have Testing accommodations to use the DRC Testing Center).
• Contact their instructor(s) to discuss accommodations, as some instructors proctor exams in their department.
• Schedule exams in the DRC if an instructor is unable to administer exams in the department.
• Review the Testing Centers hours of operation.
• Review the DRC Testing Center Student Policies.

Student Policies

Scheduling

Students must schedule their exams at least 3 business days in advance of the exam date, to ensure adequate staffing and preparation of exams. Our scheduling platform will not allow students to schedule less than 3 business days before the exam.

University closures for breaks impact the 3-business-day deadline. If the University is closed on a business day, that is not considered one of the 3 business days in advance. 

The deadlines, depending on the day of the week, are as follows: 

Exams should be scheduled at the same time as the class, unless:

• Students have made arrangements with their instructor.
• Students have an accommodation to test at a specific time of day.
• Students have a night class, in which case the exam must be scheduled within the Testing Center’s business hours.

There is a different deadline for exams that occur during finals week (typically 3-4 weeks before the last day of instruction). 

Missed Deadline Policy

To ensure we have proper staffing and necessary time to prepare exams, we cannot offer flexibility if a student misses a scheduling deadline (3-business-day or finals week), unless the student falls into one of our outlined exceptions: 

• Temporary disabilities (e.g., concussion, broken wrist, etc)
• Recently registered with the DRC less than 3 business days before the exam date
• Rescheduled for disability flare-up or an excused absence

When a student misses the Testing Center scheduling deadline, we ask that the student connect with their instructor to explore one of the following options:

• If their instructor can proctor their exam within their department with their accommodations.
• If their instructor will approve the student to schedule on the next available date in compliance with our scheduling deadline in the Testing Center.

Please note: Changes to exam date/time must be approved by the instructor. We cannot guarantee a student will be allowed to test at a later date or that their instructor will be able to provide their accommodations within their department. If a student misses the scheduling deadline, they may need to take their exam in the classroom without their full accommodations. 

Rescheduling Policy

Students may need to reschedule their exams for many reasons, including but not limited to: 

• Illness
• Disability related flare-up
• Weather impacts

AIM will not allow students to reschedule exams within the 3-business-day deadline. If a student needs to reschedule their exam, they should: 

• Contact instructors via email to request the reschedule. We will not move forward with rescheduling the exam until an instructor approves.
• CC [email protected] to keep our staff updated. 
• Confirm details about the reschedule with [email protected] or by phone at a minimum of 24 hours before the rescheduled test time. The 24-hour window does not include weekends (Saturday/Sunday) or anticipated holiday closures. 
• Contact us at [email protected] if they need assistance with rescheduling less than 3 business days.

Updating Exam Requests Policy

When a student needs to update an existing exam request, students must: 

• Update the request in the AIM Student Portal (within the 3 business day deadline)
• Forward [email protected] an email approval from their instructor. 

Any modifications after the 3 business day deadline need to be emailed to [email protected], and completed 24 hours before their exam for the DRC to process them. The 24-hour window does not include weekends (Saturday/Sunday) or anticipated holiday closures.

Instructor Approval Policy

Instructor approval is needed for every exam that is outside of the parameters that an instructor has outlined in their Testing Accommodation Form. Instructors approve exam requests through our online accommodation management system, AIM.

If a student experiences any issues with instructors not approving their exam requests, which impact them receiving their accommodations, they should contact their Access Consultant and/or [email protected] immediately.

At Capacity Process 

DRC Testing Center seats are reserved on a first come, first served basis. If a student encounters a situation where they have attempted to schedule their exam ahead of a scheduling deadline, but the Testing Center is at capacity for that time, students will receive an error message in the AIM student portal. If a student receives this error message, they should contact [email protected] for further guidance.

Student Late Arrival for an Exam Policy

Students will not be able to take their scheduled exam in the DRC if they are 30 minutes or more late. If a student arrives less than 30 minutes after their scheduled start time, they will be allowed to take the exam, but they will not receive any of their missed time back.

If a student arrives late for an exam due to disability related impacts, they should discuss the situation with their Access Consultant to determine whether or not it is reasonable to reschedule the exam.

Student Missing During the Exam Policy

DRC Testing Center staff care about the well-being of students who test in our space. If a student is gone from the Testing Center for 20 minutes or more, a Testing Center staff will consider their absence to be concerning from a safety perspective. If Testing Center staff are unaware of a reason a student would be gone longer than 20 minutes or more, we will: 

• Do a sweep of the restrooms, the hallway, and the basement. 
• Notify the instructor and the student’s Access Consultant via email for safety and academic integrity reasons.

Academic Integrity and Incident Reporting Policy 

Phones, watches, calculator lids, wearable smart technology and other materials not allowed during an exam. These items:

• Must be put away.
• Cannot be on the student’s person. 
• Cannot be accessed during an exam. 

If we witness a student accessing unauthorized devices or materials during an exam, we will:

• Ask them to remove any items from their pockets.
• End their exam in the DRC.
• Notify their instructor, their DRC Access Consultant, and the Assistant Director of Testing & Access Assistance. 
• Provide students with a resource document following the incident.

It is the instructor’s decision whether or not to categorize a DRC incident report as an academic integrity violation.

We have a limited number of lockers in which to lock valuables. There are hooks to hang coats and backpacks at each testing station.

If students have an accommodation that has been discussed with their Access Consultant involving their phone or other smart technology during an exam, the device must be visible to a proctor at all times. 

Student Conduct Policy

Students should be respectful of the Testing Center, including but not limited to being quiet and not wearing perfume/cologne. Students are expected to follow the Student Code of Conduct. Misconduct may be reported to the Office for Community Standards.

DRC Computer Policy

The DRC Testing Center has computers available for accommodation purposes. The DRC expects all students to arrive for their exam fully prepared, which includes having a laptop with exam-specific software installed if the instructor indicates one as a required material.

Testing Accommodation Information

Memory Aids

If a student has a memory aid as an accommodation, students are responsible for working together with the instructor and their Access Consultant on setting clear parameters for length and content of the memory aid. Memory aids need to be approved by the instructor before each exam.

Waived Accommodations

Students can waive an accommodation either during the exam scheduling process if they know they won’t need the accommodation for the exam or after they have completed an exam if the accommodation was not needed.

Reduced Distraction Testing Spaces

Many students with disabilities take tests in a reduced distraction testing space to facilitate meaningful access to classroom quizzes, mid-term tests, and final exams. The UMTC Disability Resource Center (DRC) provides reduced auditory and/or visual distraction testing spaces when needed as a testing accommodation.

The DRC follows the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines to provide testing accommodations. Because of the size of the UMTC campus, the DRC makes use of multiple spaces in the DRC office space and elsewhere on campus to provide reduced distraction testing spaces. The DRC continues to partner with academic programs and campus colleagues to develop more distraction-reduced testing spaces.

What is reduced distraction testing?

Along with other reasonable testing accommodations determined on an individual basis (such as extended time), the DRC provides:

• Small group reduced distraction spaces
• Private reduced distraction spaces

What can students expect in this kind of testing environment?

Students using DRC reduced distraction testing space as an accommodation can expect:

• A less distracting environment than the classroom, noting that the DRC is not able to eliminate all environmental distractions
• A proctor in the room or via camera and access to DRC Testing staff for questions
• Individual digital clock for each testing space
• Access to ear-plugs, noise-reducing headphones, and/or white noise machine upon request
• Desk lamp upon request

Exam Types (Online, Take Home, LPE, Incompletes, Prelims,)

Online Exams

Online proctored exams, such as Honorlock exams, may or may not need to be proctored by the DRC. Students should ask their instructor for clarification.

If a student’s exam is administered through Honorlock, and their instructor has approved it to be taken in the DRC on their personal laptop, students will need to create a separate Chrome profile for Honorlock. Further instructions are listed as follows: Canvas for Students: Create a Chrome Profile to Use Honorlock. 

The Testing Center does not allow the use of video recording through online proctoring systems.

Take Home Exams

The DRC Testing Center does not typically proctor take-home exams. Students should work with their instructor to make sure that they have the proper extended time enabled for their remote exam.  If a student has a disability-related reason for completing a take-home exam in the DRC, they should contact their Access Consultant.

Language Proficiency Exams (LPE)

For language proficiency exams (LPE), students should review the LPE website and contact their Access Consultant to get started.  

Incomplete Exams

For incomplete course exams, students should contact their Access Consultant to get started.

Preliminary Exams

For preliminary, placement, qualifying, and programmatic exams, students should contact their Access Consultant to get started.

Health & Safety 

The Disability Resource Center values the health and safety of all students and staff.

If a student is sick with a communicable illness that includes a fever, diarrhea, vomiting, or other symptoms, please do not come to the Testing Center. Instead, students should contact their instructor and let them know that they will need to reschedule their exam in accordance with the University’s Excused Absence and Makeup Work Policy. The policy includes a Self-Reporting of Medical Absence from Class form that students can provide to their instructor.

Once the student has been free of symptoms for at least 24 hours, including fever free without fever-reducing medication, they can then reschedule a time in the DRC Testing Center with instructor approval. This is to give the student adequate time to recover and help protect other students and staff in the Testing Center from getting sick. 

If the student does not have a fever, but has residual symptoms, such as coughing, sniffling, sneezing, etc., we request that they please wear a mask. The DRC Testing Center has masks available at our front desk.

Testing Center Cameras

The DRC utilizes cameras in many of our testing spaces in the DRC. The cameras:

• Allow us to remotely proctor exams to strengthen academic and exam integrity.
• Improve student safety in testing spaces. 
• Are visible and mounted on the ceiling in the testing spaces. 
• Are accessible only by DRC and UMN Department of Public Safety staff.
• Are monitored by proctors.
• Are stored on a secure server for approximately one month. 

We encourage students to do what they need to do during an exam in the DRC, such as monitoring their health, standing and stretching, or speaking out loud.

If Testing Center Staff send an incident report to an instructor, our staff cannot facilitate sharing of video footage to instructors or students. Only specific departments, such as OGC or OCS, can engage in that facilitation if an official university process occurs (i.e. grievance process, OCS report, student records request, etc.) in accordance with UMN's Access to and Use of Physical Security Data Policy. 

If students have any questions or concerns about the cameras, they should contact the DRC Testing Center staff at [email protected] or their Access Consultant.

St. Paul Testing Center

If a student has a course that is located on the St. Paul campus, they can schedule to take exams for that course in the St. Paul Testing Center through the AIM Student Portal during our St. Paul hours of operation. Students are also welcome to take their exams in the DRC in McNamara if that is their preferred testing location.

Location:

Coffey Hall 50C

1000 1420 Eckles Ave, St Paul, MN 55108

Hours of Operation:

The St. Paul Testing Center is open during the fall and spring semester 3 out of the 5 days in the week. It is closed during finals weeks, the winter break, and the summer semester. The hours of operation are as follows: 

• Monday: 9am-3pm
• Tuesday: 9am-3pm
• Thursday: 9am-3pm

If a student has an exam in St. Paul, that is outside of our hours of operation, they should:

• Consult with their instructor about the best plan. 
• Email our office at [email protected] or contact their access consultant with any additional questions or concerns.  

How-To Guides for Accessible Information Management (AIM) Student Portal

Testing Agreement Form

Students will be asked to review and sign off on the DRC Testing Agreement form once per year to scheduling your exams. This is to ensure that you have received, reviewed, and understood the process and policies. Students will have access to the Testing Agreement Form in their AIM Student Portal.

Submit a New Exam Request

1. Navigate to the AIM Student Portal.

2. Under the tab labeled “Accommodations,” select “Testing Center.” 

   
3. Select your course under “Schedule an Exam.”

4. Select “Schedule an Exam.” 

   
5. This will bring you to the course information page, where you can select from the available exam dates or you can choose an exam date not listed.
6. If you do not choose an available exam date, enter the exam information as directed on the page.
7. Select “Add Exam Request” located at the bottom of the form.
8. You will receive an email notification when your request has been approved by the testing center staff.

Cancelling an Exam

1. Navigate to the AIM Student Portal.
2. Under the tab labeled “Accommodations”, select “Testing Center.”
3. Scroll down to “Upcoming Exams Scheduled.”
4. Select “Cancel Exam Request.”
5. In drop-down menu, select your cancellation reason.

6. Once reason is selected, click “Cancel Exam Request.” 

   

How to Reschedule an Exam

Exams may need to be rescheduled for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to the instructor changing the exam date, accidentally scheduling the wrong date initially, illness, experiencing a disability related flare-up, the weather, etc. All exam reschedules, regardless of the reason, still need to be approved by an instructor in advance and the instructor’s approval needs to be forwarded to [email protected].

If you need assistance navigating the conversation with your instructor, please contact your Access Consultant. The only times you do not need to forward instructor approval is if the instructor changed the date of the exam or if you accidentally scheduled the wrong exam date initially, but you still need to notify [email protected]. Our ability to approve reschedule requests will be contingent on our Testing Center capacity on any given day

If an exam needs to be rescheduled you will need to update your request in AIM and notify [email protected]: 

1. Open the AIM student portal then navigate to the Accommodations tab and select “Testing Center.”
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2. Navigate to the “All Exam Request” at the top ribbon menu.
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3. Select “View” for the specific exam request that needs to be rescheduled. This will allow you to make changes to the request for a different date or time.
4. Notify the Testing Center Staff via email that you need to make a change at [email protected]. 

How to Review Exam Requests

1. Navigate to the AIM Student Portal.
2. Under the tab labeled “Accommodations” select “Testing Center.”
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3. Scroll down to “Upcoming Exams Scheduled.”