UNC Online Proctoring Network

Standards and Guidelines for Proctors

The UNC Online Proctoring Network certifies qualified individuals to proctor exams for students taking courses through the UNC Online System. A UNC Online Proctor must agree to follow all of the guidelines in this manual in order to become certified.

Proctor Responsibilities

1. Who cannot be a proctor?

• Relative , partner, or spouse
• Co-worker, business associate, or supervisor
• Friend or peer
• Coach 
• UNC System Student*

 Who can be a proctor?
In order to become a proctor, the individual cannot be a coach, relative, partner, spouse, business associate, supervisor, co-worker, or friend of the student taking the exam and must hold one of the following occupational titles:

• School or public librarian,  full-time teacher , or professor
• School superintendent, principal, assistant principal, or other administrator
• Local college/professional testing center staff or administrator
• Professional learning/tutoring center
• Embassy education officer, military base/ station education officer
• Overseas (Military) Non Commissioned Officer in Charge or Officer in Charge
• Professor**

All proctor applicants must provide a professional e-mail account and physical work address to verify her/his title.

*Graduate level UNC System students who hold one of the above titles may proctor only if they are part of a formal proctoring office run by an administrator and staffed (in part) by graduate assistants; they cannot proctor students in their degree program. As well, they must provide a verifiable professional e-mail account and physical work address.

**If a UNC system professor opts to charge a proctoring fee, the fee must be waived for students enrolled in his or her courses. Additionally, professors must adhere to campus policies in regards to using university space and resources for fee related services. 

2. Agreeing to proctor an exam

Proctors must download exam materials at least one business day prior to appointments and store exam materials in secure locations. This action will ensure the following:

• If a download error or questions arises, there will be time to correct the issue and/or release the exam materials to the proctor

• If the UNC Academic Services Portal is down, students will be able to take their exams (downtime for the UNC ASP does not impact course management systems (Blackboard, Moodle, etc...)).

Appointment information automatically appears in proctors' accounts immediately after a student schedules an appointment via the UNC Academic Services Portal.  Exam materials (exam passwords) automatically appear for download in proctors' accounts 4 days prior to exam windows (and immediately if a student schedules his or her exam appointment within the active exam window). A ‘Download’ option will appear in proctors’ accounts under the ‘Actions’ column when exam materials (exam passwords) are available.

If an online exam requires a password, proctors must not share exam passwords with students. Proctors must request for student to turn away from the computer screen when passwords are entered.

If the proctor is unable to fulfill the required duties, it is his/her responsibility to notify both the student and the instructor immediately. If possible the proctor will find another qualified proctor in their location using the UNC Academic Services Portal (http://services.northcarolina.edu/find) and suggest this proctor to the student.

3.  Proctor Fees

• Proctors are not obligated to charge fees; however, if a proctor chooses to do so, all fees must be reported on their UNC proctoring application (students can view fees in proctors’ details).
• Individuals wishing to proctor at their place of employment, must receive permission from supervisors to use company resources, space, and equipment for fee related proctoring services.
• Proctor must collect fees at the start of each exam appointment.
• Students are responsible for payment of all proctoring fees.
• If UNC system professors opt to charge a proctoring fee, the fee must be waived for students enrolled in their courses.

4. Proctoring site security

• The proctoring site must not be a private residence.
• The proctor is responsible for maintaining security at the proctoring site. The students must feel safe in the proctoring site at all times
• All testing materials must be secure
  • Test and exam passwords will be stored in a location inaccessible by examinees (preferably in a locking cabinet or password protected e-mail account)

Proctoring Site Requirements

1. The proctoring site cannot be a private residence. Some examples of acceptable proctoring sites are:

• Testing centers
• Proctoring centers
• Public libraries
• Schools

2. Proctoring environment:

The location, space, and layout of the proctoring site are vital to the accomplishment of its mission. At the proctoring site, the proctor must:

• Anticipate outside factors that may divert the attention of examinees, and take action to avoid them
• Consider room temperature; attempt to correct as needed
• Assure adequate lighting (using established guidelines)
• Provide adequate test room(s)/space for given volume
• Provide seating and writing surfaces appropriate for test volume, test materials, candidate characteristics, ADA, and other special requirements
• Examinees should be seated in order to limit their view of others’ work
• Check facility to assure readiness for testing
• Have backup plans in case of emergency or problem, if possible
• Access to the proctoring site requires that adequate parking is available and ADA requirements are met

3. Equipment and space:

• Hardware and software requirements for computerized testing will be set at a basic level that allows usage by multiple testing programs.
• Proctoring space may be utilized by multiple examinees, either simultaneously or at different times, as desired by  proctoring centers, provided that exam requirements meet basic standards for its use and proctoring centers comply with given instructions
• Personal laptops
  • Students may take an exam on a personal laptop if close and constant supervision is provided by the proctor and if the test instructions specifically allow for such. In the absence of specific permission to use a personal laptop, the proctor must not allow its use.

 4. Before the exam, the proctor must:

• Download exam materials at least one business day prior to appointments and store exam materials in a secure location.
• Perform check of proctoring facilities and equipment for operating condition and security. Check rest rooms for security, if feasible.
• Assure that all necessary equipment is in proper working order
• Complete necessary forms and prepare scratch paper packets
• Communicate necessary information to examinees
• Collect payment if a fee is charged for proctoring services
• Request that examinees be prepared to leave unnecessary personal items (including cell phones and iPods) in their car, home, or in a bag that can be placed in a secure location while the exam is in progress

 5. While administering the exam, the proctor must:

• Admit and sign in examinees according to exam instructions, collect required forms, and check the identification of the examinee
• Abide by given instructions and read any instructions clearly and verbatim
• Observe examinees without being obtrusive
• Call professor immediately, if necessary, to resolve questionable situations.
• Manage and report irregularities when they occur
• If a suspected academic integrity violation occurs:

• • Permit the student to complete the exam; do not confront the student
  • If possible, ask a co-worker to witness the suspected academic integrity violation
  • If possible, for online exam types, save the computer’s history and share with the instructor
  • If your location records exam appointments, provided footage of the appointment to the instructor
  • Report your observations to the instructor (via the ‘Finalize’ feature) immediately after the appointment is completed

 6. Following the exam, the proctor must:

•  Lock facilities
• Complete forms and send materials according to given instructions
• Follow up on payments from students, if necessary
• Perform end of day procedures

 7. Special accommodations:
Test centers must make all special accommodations when necessary:

• Test centers will provide testing to persons with disabilities, with accommodations approved by the instructor, if possible

Obtaining Test Materials

Please note that testing materials are obtained according to the level of functionality that an instructor uses on the UNC Academic Services Portal website: full functionality or limited functionality.

• Limited functionality includes only the basic features of the UNC ASP: invite, verify, and find a proctor.
• Full functionality includes the basic features plus upgraded automated options.

Obtaining Test Materials: Full Functionality

1. The student will contact the proctor to schedule a date for testing; the proctor is not required to initiate contact between students and/or professors.

2. Once a proctor has agreed to proctor an exam, the instructions and exam materials will be available through the UNC Online Academic Services website (http://services.northcarolina.edu). The proctor will also receive reminders about upcoming appointments from the UNC Online Academic Services website. These appointment reminders will be accompanied by instructions on how to login and access exam materials and exam instructions through the UNC Online Academic Services website.

3. The proctor should verify that the exam materials are available before the student’s scheduled appointment and return the completed exam materials per instructions outlined by the faculty member. The proctor will keep the exam confidential at all times.

Obtaining Test Materials: Limited Functionality

1. Upon a request for a proctor, the proctor is contacted by the student or the professor. The proctor is not required to initiate contact between students and/or professors in order to set up a date for testing.

2. Once a proctor has agreed to proctor an exam, the instructor will send (via mail or email) the instructions for proctoring the exam and/or the exam itself.
Exams may not be sent to the personal address of the proctor.

 3. The proctor should verify that the test has arrived, be present during the student’s scheduled test time, and return the completed exam materials per instructions outlined by the faculty member. The proctor will keep the exam confidential at all times.

4. The proctor is responsible for reporting exam irregularities to the professor via email (suspected academic integrity violations, technical glitches, etc.).