SAS Exam Policies and Procedures Background Image

SAS Exam Policies and Procedures

CONTACT, HOURS & APPOINTMENTS

 

Student Accessibility Services Exam Polices & Guidelines 

Requesting Exam Appointments

  • Exams taken with SAS are administered by appointment only. Students must have approved SAS accommodations on file for the course prior to scheduling their request.
  • Students are required to request an in person appointment, by phone or online through ClockWork, with at least seven (7) days before the quiz/exam
  • Two weeks (14 days) notice is required for final exams.  
  • Testing day and time should coincide with the same time the class takes the quiz/exam, unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor. 
  • Testing appointments made with less than seven (7) days cannot be scheduled through ClockWork. Please contact SAS testing immediately, and SAS will, to the best of our efforts, attempt to accommodate. Please note that accommodations are not guaranteed with late requests and may not be supported or occur on the requested date and time.
  • Students requesting to test the day of the exam without an appointment may not be accommodated. SAS testing staff will attempt to make arrangements to the best of their abilities. Availability is determined by space, proctor availability, start/end time, and other approved accommodation needs. 

Rescheduled Exam Appointments

Students will need to provide approval from the instructor with the new time and date. Once a new time and date have been approved, the student must contact SAS testing to reschedule. Example of approval include: 

  • Email or phone call from the instructor to SAS testing. 

Cancellation and No-Show Policy

  • Students are responsible for canceling testing appointments by phone, email, or in person. If the student fails to cancel, the appointment will be marked as a no-show. 
  • After two (2) no-shows, the student will need to meet with a SAS Counselor or Director to get testing accommodations re-instated. 
  • Only students and instructors may cancel testing appointments. 

Evening Classes, Fall & Spring Semesters (please refer to SAS website for summer hours)

The SAS Testing Center on the Oceanside Campus is open from 8 AM - 5 PM, Monday - Thursday, and 8AM to 3PM on Friday. The Academic Proctoring Center (APC) on the Oceanside Campus may also be available to support SAS exams; their hours are Monday – Thursday from 8AM – 7PM and Friday from 8AM – 3PM (San Elijo & CLC campus have varied hours – please contact SAS for information). 

  • Students in courses with exam times that fall outside of the SAS Testing hours may: 
  • Work with the instructor to receive the approved accommodations at the class/exam time. 
  • Schedule the exam during SAS testing hours on a day/time agreed upon by the instructor. 
  • If no other option is available, contact the SAS Testing office seven (7) business days in advance for alternative testing arrangements. 

Online Courses

  • The student is to prepare and send an email to the instructor’s MiraCosta email address that includes the student’s name, SURF ID, and an attachment of the Accommodation Form. 
  • For an online course requiring timed quizzes/tests that do not need to be proctored, please work with your instructor to have your extended time accommodation applied. 
  • For an online course requiring on-campus quizzes/tests, follow standard request appointment procedures. 
  • Students needing online proctoring need to schedule their request in ClockWork with at least seven (7) days to arrange a one-on-one online proctor. All online proctoring will be conducted via Zoom. 

Alternative Media / Readers / Scribes / Aides 

  • The student must notify SAS staff when scheduling the testing appointment if they would like an approved reader, scribe, or assistive technology and alternate media during the test. A reader or scribe will not be scheduled or available on the test day unless requested in advance.
  • Please note, testing appointments that require a reader or scribe made after the seven (7) day deadline may not be supported. 
  • The SAS would like to encourage students approved for readers and scribes to utilize available assistive technology and alternate media. Students seeking approval and training in alternate media and assistive technology, should contact their SAS counselor. 
  • Approved Personal Attendants are only allowed to assist with personal hygiene or matters involving student safety. They may not support students with testing/proctoring. Refer to SAS Personal Attendant form. 

Exam Method of Delivery

  • SAS Testing office and instructor are responsible for the delivery of exams to and from the SAS Testing office. 
  • All exams completed in the SAS office will be returned to instructors by SAS unless alternate arrangements have been made with the instructor.

Day of On-Campus Quiz / Test 

  • Students are expected to arrive to take their exam appointment five (5) to ten (10) minutes before the scheduled start time to allow ample time for check-in. All students will need to check in with the SAS proctor and provide a picture I.D. If a student is more than 15 minutes late for an appointment, space may not be available and full exam duration may not be guaranteed.
  • All personal belongings including books, notes, backpacks, purses, calculators, food/drink (unless approved), smart devices (ex: Apple Watch), etc. will need to be placed in the storage areas. 
  • Cell phones need to be turned off and placed with your belongings in the designated lockers/spaces. 
  • Only instructor-approved items (books, notes, etc.) may be used during an exam. If notes are allowed, these will need to be turned in with the exam. If the student would like to keep a copy of the notes, it is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements with the instructor to retrieve them at a later time. Notes and scratch paper will be collected with the exam and returned to the instructor.
  • SAS will provide scratch paper, and this will be turned in with the exam. 
  • Students exhibiting distracting behavior may be asked to meet with a counselor to discuss strategies before their next exam.
  • The SAS testing office provides new earplugs to use as well as noise cancelling headphones. Students can request them from staff at any time. 
  • Food and drink are not allowed in the testing room, except for water bottles with a closeable lid. Students who require food during the exam arepermitted to exit the testing room and consume their food in the lobby of the building.

Academic Dishonesty

Please note that APC staff monitor a live video camera feed that records activity in the APC Testing Center. Close monitoring is also conducted in the SAS testing room. All incidents of academic dishonesty or suspicious activity will be documented and reported to the instructor. Academic dishonesty is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct (AP 5505) and will result in a CARE report and appropriate follow up with designated college officials. Should the student violate the terms agreed upon between the student, the instructor, and SAS, SAS testing accommodation services may be suspended.

Disruptive Behavior

Students are to adhere to MiraCosta College Student Code of Conduct at all times. All violations will be documented and reported to the Office of Student Affairs and the SAS Director. 

Breaks

  • Students are encouraged to use the restroom before starting their exam. 
  • If restroom/nutrition breaks during testing have been approved, the student must leave testing materials at the SAS Testing Center as exam materials or personal items are not allowed to leave after the testing appointment has begun. Cell phones or other personal devices/materials will need to be left at the SAS Testing Center while the student uses the facilities or takes a nutrition break. All breaks will be documented and reported to the instructor upon completion of the exam.
  • Students allowed a nutrition break must have their snack already in their procession. We will not allow students to leave the SAS Testing Center to buy a snack at a vending machine or campus cafeteria. 
  • Breaks are intended to be brief pauses during testing to allow for restroom use, stand/stretch, quick nutrition, water, etc.  All breaks will be documented and reported to the instructor. Any unusual activity or unusual length of time taken for the break will be documented and reported to the instructor. Testing time will not be paused during breaks (unless an approved accommodation is on the student’s Accommodation Form and AAP). 

Time Allowed During Exams

  • Time will be determined based on the standard time for the exam provided by the instructor. The standard test time will then be adjusted based on the student’s approved extended time accommodation. 
  • The student’s test time will start when the student arrives to their designated seat in the Testing Center. Proctors will monitor the student’s time and students should also monitor their own time. Students are encouraged to use the clock in the room or on the computer, if applicable. 
  • When the student’s time has expired, the student will be notified by the test proctor. If the student continues to work on the quiz/exam after the allotted time has expired, the proctor will make a note that the student neglected to stop despite being instructed to do so. It is at the instructor’s discretion if the student will receive credit for the quiz/exam. 
  • If the student runs out of time, it will be noted; the instructor is not required to allow the student additional time to complete the quiz or exam. If the student would like to request additional extended time, the student will need to make an appointment with a SAS counselor to discuss an accommodation request/revision. 
  • SAS staff are not allowed to extend time or adjust accommodations if the exam was not completed during the scheduled test. If a student would like to request additional extended time for subsequent exams, they need to make an appointment with a SAS counselor to discuss this accommodation request/revision. 

Upon Completion of Quiz / Test 

  • All materials must be turned into the proctor, including quiz/exam, scratch paper, notes (if approved) and any SAS/APC borrowed materials (calculator, dictionary, headphones…).
  • Once the quiz/exam has been handed over to the proctor, it will be placed in a sealed envelope, and it will not be able to be given back to the student. If the student would like to make corrections or add information, the student will need to make arrangements with the course instructor. 
  • SAS will deliver the quiz/exam to the instructor or department unless otherwise specified by the instructor.