Guide for Students - Online Exams and Alternative Assessments
Guide for Students - Online Exams and Alternative Assessments

Guide for Students

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In the majority of cases, students will be able to complete their exams online with little or no difficulty. If, however, you do experience difficulties, please contact the exam support centre via the exam support form (here), by phone at 01-7006151 or email at examsupport@dcu.ie

Include your name, student ID #, a module code, contact phone number and the nature of your problem in the email to help resolve the issue quickly

The exam support centre will be open for the duration of the examination weeks as follows:

Monday 17th August 2020 to Thursday 27th August 2020 from  8.30am to 5.30pm (weekdays only)

In advance of exams:

  • Ensure your phone is fully charged and your laptop has access to a power outlet
  • Decide on the location where you will conduct your assessment beforehand. Check for easy access to powerpoints, WiFi, good lighting and comfortable chair
  • Check internet connectivity - if there is a chance you might have connectivity issues, practice setting up a WiFi hotspot in advance (instructions below)
  • Advise your household of your assessment schedule beforehand so they are aware where and when you will be conducting your assignment.
  • Have a clock/watch in the room so you can manage your time effectively
  • Log into your Loop Exam a few days in advance of the exam to confirm access
  • Consider having a backup device available if possible
  • Familiarise yourself with each assessment and what is expected of you e.g how many questions must you answer? 
  •  Ensure you are familiar with requirements for citing and referencing.  These apply equally to online exams as they do to assignments.  DCU Library have resources available at this link 

Technical tips

  • If you are experiencing difficulty with your home broadband, you can create a ‘wifi hotspot’ from your mobile phone to your laptop, which will use 4G for internet access;
  • Share a mobile connection by tethering or hotspot on Android
  • Share a mobile connection by tethering or hotspot on Apple
  • Improve connectivity: Ask others in your household to avoid using Netflix, YouTube etc. for the duration of the exam.
  • If broadband goes down during the exam, try restarting the broadband router.
  • Comprehensive technical guidelines (Loop exam / uploading videos / uploading written scripts etc.) can be found here 

On the day of the exam

  • Make time before the assessment to review notes and mentally prepare
  • Log on to your computer at least 60 minutes before the scheduled start time
  • Allow time for your computer to switch on and go through start up routine
  • Open your student email account and leave open for the duration of the exam
  • If you have to upload a handwritten script, ensure that the Microsoft Lens app has been installed and tested on the mobile device well in advance of the exams. Click here for more information on how you can do this on Android, and on iOS 
  • Have your student ID number to hand as you will need this if you need to contact the exam support centre
  • You do not need an examination number for this set of exams, just use your Student ID  and Name.

During the exam

  • Live exam modules will only appear 1 hour before the time the exam is due to start
  • Announcements from the examiner will be made through your student email account if necessary, so keep an eye from time to time
  • If you need to contact the examiner during the exam, contact the exam support centre at phone 01-7006151 or student webform (here) 
  • Ensure that you carefully follow all the instructions relating to your online exam or quiz and that you press submit at the end of the exam or quiz, in order to ensure that your exam is valid
  • If you cannot upload your submission please email it to your examiner, including your DCU Student # and Name in the subject line
  • All exams have been allocated some additional time to allow for uploading 

After the exam

Personal Support

Our 'Review and approval of results: Information for students' can be viewed here: https://www.dcu.ie/coronavirus/Review-and-approval-of-results-Information-for-students.shtml-0

Our FAQs on Alternative Assessments can be viewed here: https://www.dcu.ie/coronavirus/FAQs-Alternative-Assessments.shtml