COLLEGE OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES

EXAMINATION POLICY
DRAFT FALL 2016

Purpose of the Policy

To clearly articulate the COPPS expectations regarding the development, preparation,
administration, and dissemination of examinations.

Instructor Expectations Test

Item Preparation:
Test items must be approved through the following mechanism:
o Instructor(s) will submit ExamSoft test items to Course Coordinator through building and
saving questions in ExamSoft.
o Course Coordinator will review for content, grammar, and appropriateness for assessment
and will save any changes in ExamSoft.
o Course Coordinator will notify Director for Instructional Technology (Jason Mobley) that
exam items are in ExamSoft and ready for final approval.

Item Type Submission* Latest Submission Date

Exam Items (<40 items) Instructor to Course 2 weeks prior to exam
Coordinator
Course Coordinator to 1 week prior to exam
Director IT
Exam Items (>40 items) Instructor to Instructor of 3 weeks prior to exam
Record
Course Coordinator to 2 weeks prior to exam
Director IT
*All requests for exceptions must be submitted to Director for IT in advance.

As test items are built in ExamSoft, instructors and/or Course Coordinator should tag the
appropriate categories (i.e., Blooms, COPPS standards, CAPE Outcomes, NAPLEX
Blueprint, ABCD-style objectives)
Minor edits made to previously IT reviewed questions may be approved by the Course
Coordinator. Major changes or changes to the intent of the question after utilization in an
assessment should be submitted as new test items for the approval process.
Course Coordinators are responsible for providing access to the question and assessment
folders to the relevant instructors.
All assessments, both formative and summative, (i.e. Formative mid-terms, Summative final
exams) will be given using ExamSoft. For consistency purposes, all assessments will be
available for download 48 hours in advance.
o Instructors can determine what functionality within the exam (e.g., calculator, spell check,
highlighting) is provided for students.
If instructors will be conducting an exam review through ExamSoft, that feature must be
activated at the time of exam posting.
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Exam Preparation:
All students must bring their FAMU ID to the testing center, and place on the computer desk.
Once released for download, instructors will provide off-site proctors with an electronic copy
of the assessment for computer issues/approved exceptions as well as the assessment
password and Universal Resume code no later than 48 hours prior to the exam.
In the event of computer problems that cannot be resolved, students should contact the
Director for IT or IT personnel to borrow a designated computer.
A sign-in sheet with the exam password (template available from IT) will be provided to
each student for every in-class exam or major assessment. This sheet can be used as scratch
paper during the exam and will serve as verification of attendance.

Exam Administration:
A sign-in sheet with the exam password (template available from IT) will be provided to
each student for every in-class exam. This sheet can be used as scratch paper during the
exam and will serve as verification of attendance.
A proctor must remain in the room at all times during the exam/assessment. The Course
Coordinator is responsible for ensuring that adequate proctoring is provided.
During testing, all bags, silenced cell phones, purses, and other personal items should be
placed in the front/sides of the room or other secure area designated by the instructor.
In the event of technology issues during the exam, students should raise their hand to receive
assistance.
After individual tests are complete, students should raise their hand to notify the proctor.
Students are required to raise their hand and show the Congratulations screen (Green Screen)
and submit completed sign-in sheet to a proctor prior to leaving the exam.
Exam times are designated by Academic Affairs and are not subject to change. Students will
be required to take the test in the time allotted for the course or exam.
Students who arrive to an exam after it has begun may lose time or the
opportunity to take the exam. This decision is at the discretion of the Course
Coordinator, and is to be administered by the assigned proctors.
If students leave their seat prior to submitting the exam, the student will need to enable
the privacy screen through SofTest.
o Bathroom breaks during exams are at the discretion of the Course Coordinator, and are to be
administered by the assigned proctors.
During an exam, if an instructor/proctor experiences technical difficulties that they are
unable to correct, they should first contact the Director for IT. In the event that the Director
is unavailable, instructors/proctors should contact the ExamSoft help line (1-888-792-3926).

Make-Up Exam Procedures:

All make-up exams should be completed using ExamSoft unless students are approved by
the Office of Accessibility for other specific accommodations.
When giving a make-up exam using the same questions, instructors should repost the
assessment (rather than extending the deadline for the existing assessment) indicating it as a

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make-up assessment, providing the student with a download password to prevent other
students from downloading the exam by accident.
The remote deletion feature should be activated within the Exam to remove it after the
allotted completion time when an exam review in ExamSoft is not planned.

Exam Review Procedures:

Course instructors must provide to students a formal or informal review of questions for all
high-stakes examinations.
Faculty members may provide examination reviews through one or more of the following:
o Release of Strengths report with specific objectives missed
o Secure exam review in ExamSoft (in class or outside of class)
o Verbal review of assessment in class with or without tear sheet provided through SofTest
Faculty members may choose what item and assessment statistics are released for each
assessment

Score Release and Grade Books:

All final exam grades will be posted following the completion of the last exam.
A grade book will be a part of the Blackboard site for each COPPS course. The grade book
will include all examinations, assignments, and quizzes which contribute to the students
final grades.
Access to the grade book will be provided to administrative and support personnel who are
specified by the Assistant Dean for Faculty Affairs and Assessment, and the Director for IT.
At minimum, the following should be added to the Blackboard site at the level of TA or
higher.
o Director for IT
o Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (Curriculum and Accreditation)
o Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
o Assistant Dean for Faculty Affairs and Assessment
o Student Services Coordinator(s) for both the Tallahassee and Crestview campuses
o Associate Dean for the Crestview Campus
The grade book will be developed in a manner that includes appropriate equations based
on the percentage weightings given to each examination, or other assessment
The Course Coordinator will have eight (8) working days following the exam/assessment to
release scores in Blackboard. Exceptions to this policy will be determined on a case-by case
basis by the Course Coordinator in collaboration with IT.
Scores may be transferred from ExamSoft to Blackboard by instructors, Course Coordinator,
and/or Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs). If GTAs are utilized, the following criteria
must be met:
o All grade reports must be provided using a secure mechanism (e.g., encrypted jump drive or
G drive). No grade information should be sent via non-university email.
o All GTAs must be trained by the Director for IT or IT staff on how to run reports and transfer
grades from ExamSoft to Blackboard.

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o All GTAs must sign a confidentiality agreement regarding student- and course specific data
and complete FERPA training.
o The Blackboard grade book should be built by the Course Coordinator so that scores clearly
reflect either total points for the assessment OR total percentage points.
o The Course Coordinator is responsible for accuracy of the final scores transferred to
Blackboard.

Accommodations
Students must use appropriate procedures established by the Office of Accessibility in
notifying and discussing accommodation processes.
Course Coordinators are responsible for relaying all accommodation requests to the Director
of IT at the start of the semester. For students who request accommodations later in the
semester, the Course Coordinator should notify the Director of IT following the
instructor/student meeting to ensure that all accommodations are entered into ExamSoft prior
to the assessment. The instructions should in indicate the specific accommodation, such as
the student requiring additional time (i.e., 1.5 or 2 times) and/or other specific requirements
(e.g., quiet exam room). o Students with accommodations should utilize the Office of
Accessibility to complete their assessments. Any students experiencing issues with the Office
of Accessibility should notify both their campuss Student Services Coordinator and Director
of IT so the problem can be addressed.
Course Coordinators should communicate with the Director of IT prior to meeting with
students requesting an accommodation that requires the student to receive a paper copy of the
assessment.
If assessments are proctored through the Office of Accessibility, the Course Coordinator
should complete the following:
o Assessment should be available for download by students no later than 48 hours (exams) or
24 hours (other assessments) prior to the date/time student is taking exam at the Office of
Accessibility.

Provide the Office of Accessibility with the following no later than 24 hours prior to the exam:
Hard copy of exam (for emergency use)
Blank paper form for use during exam
Completed form describing testing and proctoring procedures. Form will
include:
Description of ExamSoft/Softest
Password for assessment
Contact information in case of computer issues (Course Coordinator and Director for IT)
Description of items permitted in addition to computer (e.g., pen/pencil, blank paper,
calculator, etc.)
Duration of exam
Universal Resume Code (and reasons for use)
Instructions for confirming upload (green congratulations screen)

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Student Expectations
Assessments
Students who do not have their login prior to attending the exam may have time deducted
from their overall allotted test time or may lose the opportunity to take the assessment.
A sign-in sheet with the exam password will be provided to each student for every inclass
exam and major assessment. This sheet can be used as scratch paper during the exam and
will serve as verification of attendance.
During testing, all bags, silenced cell phones, purses, and other personal items should be
placed in the front/sides of the room or other secure area designated by the instructor.
In the event of technology issues during the exam, students should raise their hand to receive
assistance.
After individual tests are complete, students should raise their hand to notify the proctor.
Students are required to show the Congratulations screen (Green Screen) and submit
completed sign-in sheet to a proctor prior to leaving the exam.
If students leave their seat prior to submitting the exam, the student will need to enable the
privacy screen through SofTest.
o Bathroom breaks during exams are at the discretion of the Course Coordinator, and are to be
administered by the assigned proctors.

For out-of-class/low-stakes assessments, instructors will provide a window of time for

students to complete the assessment. The parameters for these assessments are up to the
discretion of the instructor for download and upload deadlines.
Make-Up Exam Procedures:
All make-up exams will be completed using ExamSoft unless students are approved by the
Office of Accessibility for other specific accommodations.
Students will be provided a download password for the make-up exam.
All in-class exam policies will be maintained during make-up exams.

Office of Accessibility Accommodations:

Students must use appropriate procedures established by the Office of Accessibility in
notifying and discussing accommodation processes.
Students with accommodations should utilize the Office of Accessibility to complete their
assessments. Any students experiencing issues with the Office of Accessibility should notify
both their campuss Student Services Coordinator and Director of IT so the problem can be
addressed.
Students are responsible for arranging their assessments with the Office of Accessibility and
should schedule all assessments taking into account other course work and required
participation in COPPS activities. Any coursework conflicts should be discussed with both
the instructor responsible for the assessment and for the coursework being missed.
Students should take all assignments through ExamSoft unless directly addressed as an
accommodation through Office of Accessibility.

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o Students must communicate with their Course Coordinator regarding their accommodation
and how to navigate the assessment process in their course

Examination Policy Addendum

Setting ExamSoft Preferences

Prior to building an exam, faculty should set their preferences to allow for easier maneuverability within
the system. To set preferences, faculty should log into www.examsoft.com/FAMUCOPPS using their user
ID and password. Once in the system, click on the gear icon located on the top right hand corner. Once
the drop down menu appears, choose my preferences. Faculty will then be redirected to a new page. On
that page, faculty can then set all their preferences for question and assessment creation.
Under question creation, faculty should set the question and answer font defaults to Arial 12
point. If you are a faculty member teaching primarily in one course, you can identify a folder to set as
your default folder. Under the assessment creation tab, faculty should save the following settings: Secure,
Numbering, Backward Navigation, iPad, and Notes. Be sure to hit Save Preferences before navigating
away from this page. Making these changes, will ensure that every exam is preset with these settings.

Building an Exam in ExamSoft

When building an exam, faculty should complete the following steps:
1. Select the Assessments option within the system. Select Create New Assessment; a pop-up window
will appear, select the appropriate option (From Question Bank or Performance Grading).
2. For those building an exam using From the Question Bank, you will be directed to a new screen.
Prior to adding your questions to the exam, faculty should address all settings located in the toolbar
located on the left-hand side. Items that must be addressed include: a. Title
b. Type
c. Folder
d. Scoring (typically set to Default weights)
e. Security Options
i. Secure should always be checked
ii. Time Limit: This should be set to the number of minutes that the typical student
will have to complete the assessment.
f. Options to Enable
i. Numbering, Backward Navigation, iPad, and Notes should always be set
ii. Text Highlighting Optional, but students prefer having this option g. Font
Override
i. This should be set to Arial 12 for Question Stem and Answer Choices.
3. Questions should then be added to the assessment. All questions must have completed the approval
process to be available for inclusion in posted exams.
4. Hit Save prior to navigating away from the page to save all settings. Once the document has been
saved, the option to post the assessment will become available.
5. Faculty should contact IT with all accommodations requests prior to releasing the exam to students
for downloading. A students accommodation must be set prior to them downloading the assessment
for the system to recognize the extra allotted time.

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Posting an Exam
When posting an exam, faculty should complete the following steps:
1. Name the Assessment (this should match the name of the assessment included in the Blackboard
Gradebook).
2. Assign an assessment password. The password should be no less than 6 characters and must include
one number. The assessment password should be included on the scratch piece of paper provided to
students.
3. Select the following settings:
a. Course Select the course affiliated with the assessment. The Assessment will have to be built for
each course section (i.e. PHA1000 & PHA 2000).
b. Grade Column Name This should match what is listed in the Blackboard Gradebook.
c. Download start: 24-48 in advance of assessment
d. Download end: 15 minutes following the start of the assessment
e. Max Downloads: Should default to 1
f. Email Download Reminder: This should be set for 24 hours in advance of the assessment.
g. Upload Deadline: Should be set for no later than the end of business for the day of the assessment.
Please keep in mind that the upload deadline should be set to ensure that students with
accommodations are able to upload their exams.
h. Download Password: This should only be used for Make-up exams
i. Suppress Exam Emails: This should only be used for Make-up exams
4. Secure Review: If you are planning an in class review, this option should be enabled. Please keep in
mind that if a student is forced to restart their computer at any point during the assessment, they will
not have access to this option following the assessment. Exam Reviews can be conducted without
enabling this option by releasing a tear sheet to the students that they can then bring to class.
5. Additional Security Options: Faculty should enable to Remote Assessment Deletion option for all
assessments. The date should be set for 8:00am the day following the exam. This will remove all
downloaded exams that were not completed.
6. Select Post Assessment. Answer the additional pop-up questions that follow. The assessment will be
posted when a Green ! appears on the initial assessment page.

Prepping for an Assessment

Faculty should provide or have on hand the following for an in class assessment:
1. A scratch piece of paper that asks for the students name and provides the assessment password (this
is available from IT).
2. A paper copy of the exam should be sent to the Accommodations office along with the assessment
password, universal resume code, and scratch pieces of paper for the students to sign and return.
3. Additional paper copies of the exam should be available in the testing room in case of computer
emergencies.
4. Several copies of any attachments saved as PDFs within the text of the assessment should be on hand
for students who experience issues with PDFs.
5. The Universal Resume Code students who are locked out of the system for 10 minutes or more will
need this to resume their assessment.

Releasing Grades
Faculty should make all grade adjustments in ExamSoft prior to pushing final grades to Blackboard. To
transmit grades, faculty should complete the following:

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1. Select the assessment from their list.

2. Click on the Push Grades tab.
3. If asked, provide your Blackboard Login and Password.
4. The system will ask you to determine which gradebook column you would like to select or will allow
you to create a new one. Select the column to use.
5. Determine if the assessment score transmitted should be in points or percentage.
6. Once everything is complete, click Send to LMS to complete the transmission.
7. Lastly, you should receive a confirmation screen saying the transmission was processed.

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