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eExam rules

Monash University is committed to honesty and academic integrity. There are serious consequences for plagiarism, collusion and cheating.

Cheating can come in many forms, and can occur in exams and other types of assessments. To cheat could be to copy the work of others, to get someone to do your assessment for you, or to bring unauthorised materials into an eExam. Cheating breaches academic integrity and Monash University has various methods of detecting it.

Cheating is a very serious offence and could result in suspension or exclusion from the University.

Learn more about academic integrity, plagiarism and collusion.

What to do
What to avoid

Sit your eExam in the format and location it’s been scheduled (check Allocate+ for details).

If you’ve got an off-campus recorded eExam (with or without online supervision), set up your exam space according to the guidelines.

Bring your M-Pass (or government-issued photo ID).

Check what materials you’re allowed to have in your exam.

Bring your own calculator if you’re allowed one for your exam.

Reach out straight away if you have problems with your devices or you’re not feeling well. If you’re on campus, ask for help by raising your hand. If you’re off campus, contact exam support.

For eExams with online supervision

Use headphones with a working microphone or ensure your audio volume is turned up when sitting at home, so you can hear your online supervisor.

Let your online supervisor know if you need to use the bathroom during your eExam.

Don’t try to sit an on-campus eExam from home – if you do, you’ll be locked out of your assessment.

Don’t close your eVigilation tab during a recorded eExam as this is considered a breach of the exam rules.

Don’t use a virtual camera or your phone as a webcam. You need to use either your laptop’s built-in webcam or a USB external webcam.

Don’t use two screens for eExams (unless your exam permits a secondary device).

Don’t talk with anyone other than exam support staff during your assessment.

Don’t use translation tools (unless you have an open-access assessment).

Don’t listen to music through your headphones during supervised eExams.

Don’t copy and paste information without referencing the source.

Don’t take your phone or smart watch with you to the toilet.

Don’t try to cheat. There are measures in place to detect plagiarism, collusion and the use of unauthorised materials, and the consequences of breaching academic integrity are serious.

Sitting your final assessment View

You must sit your eExam in the format and at the location it's been scheduled. In most circumstances, once you start your assessment, you won’t be able to cancel or reschedule it.

If you have an on-campus eExam, it’s expected that you’ll complete it in person (unless you have special arrangements). You won’t be eligible for an online exam or special consideration if you’re away on holiday or travelling, so plan ahead and avoid booking a trip during the final assessment period (in exceptional circumstances, you may be able to complete your exam online).

If you attempt to sit your on-campus exam from home, you’ll be locked out of your exam attempt – it won’t be marked and you won’t be eligible for special consideration for misreading the timetable.
If you have an off-campus eExam, you’ll need a space where you can sit your eExam under exam conditions (conditions that are very similar to what you’d expect in an assessment venue). It’s important that you set your space up in accordance with these conditions, as many off-campus eExams require you to complete a room scan as part of your pre-exam online check-in process:
- You’ll need a quiet, private room where you’re the only person present.
- Let your friends and family know that you’re sitting your exam and must not be interrupted. Interactions with others during your supervised eExam will be flagged and reported to your faculty. Put a sign on your door asking people to come back later and turn your voicemail on.
- The room must have good lighting, but light must not shine directly onto your webcam.
- Study materials must be out of sight and out of arm's reach.
- Ensure there’s no writing, stickers or notes on your desk or computer.
- If you have dual monitors, remove one of the monitors – you’re only allowed to use one monitor in the exam.
- Make sure there are no unauthorised materials on the floor under your desk.
If you don’t meet these requirements, you may be flagged as being in breach of exam rules.
Before your eExam:
- For recorded eExams (with or without online supervision): Check your webcam and microphone are working.
- Put your phone on do not disturb mode: your phone must be switched to do not disturb mode and placed face down on your desk. You must only use your phone to log in to your eExam with multi-factor authentication and, at the end of your exam, to upload photographs of any required handwritten responses – don’t access your phone until the instructions appear on your screen.
  If you access your phone without permission during your exam, your recorded session may be flagged and a report will be provided to your faculty.
  You can use your phone to contact Exam Support if you encounter technical difficulties during your exam. If you have an online supervisor, advise them that you need to use your phone to contact IT Support.
- Check you don’t have any unauthorised materials: you must not have writing on any part of your body, or any device or other materials that haven’t been authorised for the exam. Possession of unauthorised materials, cheating or attempting to cheat in an exam is a disciplinary offence.
  Use of blank paper working sheets during an exam are only allowed if authorised for your exam. Check the amount of working sheets that have been permitted – this will be displayed on the landing page of your eExam. You can collect these in the exam room if you're sitting an on-campus eExam.
By starting your eExam, you’re confirming that you’re well enough to do the exam. If you suddenly become unwell during your eExam, contact the exam support hotline immediately – they’ll tell you what you need to do. You should seek medical advice as soon as possible.
To apply for special consideration, you need to provide evidence of your medical condition, and evidence from a medical professional that you were deemed unfit to sit your assessment at the assessment venue (or online equivalent).
We recommend you try to finish your exam if you’re able to because in most circumstances, if you’ve seen and/or attempted to answer the exam questions, you won't be eligible for a deferred assessment.

eExam materials View

You’ll need an ID to sit your assessment, such as your:

M-Pass (physical or digital)
government-issued photo ID (e.g. your passport)
Monash Study app M-Pass account screen.

Make sure the ID you’re presenting has an up-to-date image of you. If exam staff can’t confirm your identity, a report will be sent to your faculty and your exam attempt may be invalid.

The materials you can bring or use in your final assessment will depend on the type of assessment.

Exam type and items you can and can't have in an e-Exam
eExam type	Permitted and non-permitted items
Closed book	You’re not permitted to use any notes, texts, websites or other reference material to assist you in answering the questions. If your assessment contains file download/upload questions, you’re permitted to use the required application to execute the downloaded file.
Closed book with specifically permitted items	You may only use the specific items authorised by your Chief Examiner (listed on the eExam landing page) to assist you in answering the questions.
Open book	You’re permitted to use any or all of the following hard-copy reference materials only: notes, books, dictionaries, a physical calculator, molecular modelling kit, unlimited blank working paper. Soft-copy reference materials are not permitted.
Open book with additional device	You’re permitted to use any or all of the following hard-copy reference materials: notes, books, dictionaries, a physical calculator, molecular modelling kit, unlimited blank working paper and you’re permitted to access soft-copy reference materials on a secondary device. You must not access soft-copy materials on your primary device. Important: You’re not permitted to access the internet or communication applications on either device. The secondary device must not be your smartphone or a second monitor plugged into your primary device. You can use a second laptop, desktop PC, tablet, Kindle or iPad to access soft-copy reference materials only.
Open access	You’re permitted to access and use physical/digital notes, physical/virtual calculator, reference materials, software, websites on the device you’re using for your eExam. You are not allowed to use a secondary device during your exam, unless this is specified on the landing page of your eExam.

Other materials

You’ll need to check with your lecturer to see whether your exam requires the use of a calculator and, if so, whether there are restrictions on the type you’re allowed to use.
You can use the following items: blank paper, pens, pencils, mechanical pencils, pencil sharpeners, highlighters, markers, erasers, correction fluid or tape, rulers, protractors, measuring tapes, compasses, staple removers, folder clips, and paper clips.
Additional monitors aren't permitted for supervised eExams (this means if you’re using a laptop with inbuilt webcam and microphone, you can’t connect an external monitor as well). If you’re sitting an unsupervised eExam from home, you can use an additional monitor if required.
If you have a closed book or open book (not open access) assessment, you’re not allowed to use online spell check, grammar or translation tools. We recommend you log into your eExam using a Chrome incognito window as this normally disables Google extensions. Alternatively, you should disable any plugin applications before your scheduled assessment.
You can use Bluetooth/wireless headphones to communicate with your online supervisor, but you must not listen to music or communicate with other people through these headphones. You can use a bluetooth keyboard and mouse if you prefer. If your eExam is using Safe Exam Browser, you’ll need to test whether your bluetooth devices will work when the lock down browser is active.
You must not use generative artificial intelligence (AI) to generate any content or materials in relation to scheduled assessments – unless specifically permitted by the chief examiner. If permitted, you’ll find this information in Moodle and on your eExam landing page.

Breaches of eExam rules View

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