Online exams
UTS IT Support exam hotline
The UTS IT Support team is running a dedicated exam hotline to help students resolve exam-related technical queries. The hotline will be available for students on +61 2 9514 3222 during the exam period.
The IT support exam hotline can assist students with:
Issues with your learning management system (Canvas)
Student login issues
Issues with an internet browser or Guardian browser
Technical setup prior to your exam, such as setting up local drives, webcams and checking browser speed
Technical setup for assistive technology for students with accessibility requirements
Hours of operation:
Monday to Friday - 8:00am to 9:30pm AEST/AEDT
Saturday and Sunday - 9:00am to 5:00pm AEST/AEDT
Please note that there is a 12-minute call limit for the exam hotline to help our IT team manage any possible queues and support all students equally. If you experience a complex technical issue that cannot be resolved within this time, you'll be able to apply for special consideration. If you cannot attempt your exam at all, you may apply for an alternative exam.
If you are sitting an AI invigilated exam, you can get support from ProctorU using the live chat support function within the Guardian browser or ProctorU support lines (Australian free call: 1800 841 822).
If you have any other questions, please contact Ask UTS.
Exam conditions
What’s the difference between open book, closed book, and restricted open book exams?
Your exam timetable will indicate whether your exam is open book, closed book, or restricted open book. This refers to what materials you can use during your exam.
- Closed book: you can’t bring in or use any materials during your exam. For some exams for specific subjects, you may bring in and use a calculator or a formula sheet, but your subject coordinator will let you know.
- Open book: you can bring in and use other materials, including books, notes, and, for online exams, web pages.
- Restricted open book: you can bring in a limited and defined list of items to use during your exam. This might include a limited number of pages of notes. Your subject coordinator will let you know what is and isn’t permitted.
You can learn more about this in the UTS assessment policy.
What is an exam availability window?
Your exam availability window is the time that your exam will be available on your Learning Management System (LMS). Not to be confused with your exam duration, which is the time you have to complete your exam once you have started it. Your exam duration is shown in ‘duration’.
Your exam availability window will always be longer than your exam duration to give you some flexibility with when you sit your exam, and to allow you time to set up properly for your exam in your own home. The exam availability window starts at the time shown on your exam timetable in the ‘time’ field. The length of your exam availability window is shown under ‘exam conditions’. It is important that you complete and submit your exam within the exam window.
What are the different exam types?
There are three types of online exams this session. Your exam type can be found on your exam timetable under exam conditions, which is available on MyStudentAdmin.
The three exam types are:
- Take-home exam (not invigilated)
- Timed LMS exam (not invigilated)
- AI invigilated exam (invigilated)
There will be no live invigilated exams this session.
All exams will take place within the LMS (Canvas). Invigilated exams will be monitored by ProctorU software.
You can learn more about each exam type and what you need to do before, during, and after your exam below.
AI invigilated exams
Essential information
What is an AI invigilated exam?
An invigilated exam simply means it is supervised, and all online invigilated exams are AI invigilated.
This is where automated technology monitors your screen to see what you are running on your computer, as well as your behaviour during your exam session. The session is recorded and if there are any issues flagged, the recording is reviewed by a qualified supervisor.
The AI invigilation software we use at UTS is called ProctorU.
Why do we need invigilated exams?
Subjects that have professional certification or specific requirements may require invigilated exams for academic integrity.
Invigilated exams are standard for universities, and on-campus exams are also invigilated using exam supervisors. Online invigilation ensures fairness and integrity in your exam.
Do I need to schedule my exam?
No, you don’t need to schedule your exams with ProctorU. You should sit your exam in Canvas at the time shown on your exam timetable.
Student data and privacy
What personal information does ProctorU collect and store about me? Why?
ProctorU collects your name, UTS email address, and phone number. This is so that:
they can confirm your identity with your photo ID (your name is needed for this),
they can confirm your identity with UTS systems (your email address is needed for this), and
they can contact you in the event of an issue with your connection to the online exam and invigilation service (your phone number and email address are needed for this).
What happens to my data after my exam?
UTS retains control over all identifiable student data collected during the examination process.
Any student identity data (the photo that is taken of your Student ID or government-issued ID during the identity verification process) is deleted within one week, unless there are any issues where UTS needs to retain the data.
Similar to the compliance process for on-campus exams, all examination data will be deleted after 12 months.
Under the agreement, the information and recordings are the property of UTS and as such not shared with any third party or service provider.
When you are not using the Guardian browser, no tracking or logging is done. You only need to have the Guardian browser installed for your AI invigilated exam.
Why does UTS need my consent to sit an invigilated exam?
Transparency is important to us. Students sitting an AI invigilated exam need to supply some personal information about themselves for the purpose of verification. This is a requirement to maintain academic integrity of the exam.
Rather than just ask you to sign up to ProctorU, we want to ensure you have the opportunity to be fully informed about the process. Learn more about the consent process in the How to consent guide.
What happens if I decline?
Invigilated exams require verification using personal information for academic integrity. Without verification, an online invigilated exam can’t be conducted.
Students who choose not to consent to supplying their personal information will be provided an alternative option on campus during the final assessment period.
Providing personal information is voluntary. If you choose not to consent, it's important that you indicate this in MSA (MyStudentAdmin) by selecting 'decline'. If you don't respond in MSA by the due date (as communicated to you via email), you won't be flagged for an on-campus exam. You can change your consent answer in MyStudentAdmin.
You can change your consent choice any time before the ProctorU consent deadline for AI invigilated exams. Learn more about consent and how to make your choice in the How to consent guide.
Can I limit what ProctorU has access to on my computer?
ProctorU does not have full access to your files or web search history during your exam (they can only see these things if you open them during your exam).
If you prefer, you can set up a different profile on your computer. This is a guest account on your computer that doesn’t have access to your usual files or internet history. On the day of your exam, log into your guest profile. This means if you opened file explorer or a browser accidentally during your exam, there would be nothing to see. How to do this will depend on your type of computer and operating system, but you can contact IT Support for help with this.
UTS takes data privacy and security very seriously. We are continuing to conduct independent rigorous security testing, and working with ProctorU to ensure enhanced security protections are in place for the examination.
Can we sit centrally conducted exams on campus?
If you don’t have access to key equipment (like a computer, webcam, or a microphone), stable internet, or a quiet space at home to take an exam, you may approach your subject coordinator to request to sit your exam on campus.
Note that there is a limit to how many desks are available to complete exams on campus, and submitting a request does not guarantee confirmation of an on-campus exam. You will still complete the exam as a ProctorU AI invigilated exam on campus.
If you require an on-campus exam due to medical/health conditions or assistive technology requirements, please register with the Accessibility Service by emailing Accessibility@uts.edu.au or call on 9514 1177.
What academic integrity measures are there for online exams?
Further academic integrity measures for the examination period, like exam redesign and random question banks in quizzes, have been introduced to strengthen the online exam experience.
What can I do to strengthen security of my personal information?
Students using ProctorU are reminded to set strong unique passwords, to never reuse passwords from other websites, and to use UTS email address when registering for ProctorU account.
Providing personal information to ProctorU is voluntary. UTS is one of the few known universities to ask students to consent to the use of ProctorU and supply of personal information to ensure transparency. Students may at any time review their consent to use ProctorU and alter their choice in MyStudentAdmin (MSA).
For students who do not consent to use of ProctorU, alternative exams will be offered at a time to be determined by Exams team.
Before my exam
What do I need to do before I sit my AI invigilated exam?
- Create a ProctorU account if you haven’t already
- Download the Guardian browser
- Test your equipment by taking the practice exam in Canvas
- Find a quiet location to take your exam
Keep reading for more information on each of these tasks.
How do I create a ProctorU account?
If you sat an invigilated exam last session, you already have a ProctorU account and don’t need to create a new one. If you already have an account, check that you remember your password and that you have used your UTS email address to sign up.
For step-by-step instructions visit the How to consent to an AI invigilated exam and create a ProctorU account guide.
How do I download the Guardian browser?
In order to sit your online invigilated exam, you’ll need to download the ProctorU Guardian browser.
If you use a Mac, you may need to adjust some additional settings before sitting your exam. For guidance, see Guardian browser recommended system preferences for Mac.
What equipment do I need to sit my AI invigilated exam?
To sit an AI invigilated exam, you will need:
a computer (a laptop or desktop)
a webcam and microphone (most laptops have these built-in)
an internet connection
a quiet and private space without interruptions
photo ID (student ID or suitable alternative ID)
If you do not have your UTS Student ID card, you can use government issued photo ID such as a driver’s license, national ID card or passport. This also includes international passports for international students.
What are the specific system requirements for sitting an AI invigilated exam?
The minimum speed suggested for online invigilated exams is 1 Mbps, most households will have internet speeds much greater than that. In the rare event you lose internet connection, or your computer restarts during your exam you will be able to apply for a special consideration.
You can check if your computer meets the system requirements on the ProctorU website.
Can I practise using the ProctorU technology?
Students sitting an AI invigilated exam will have two opportunities to make sure that they are prepared:
An equipment test is provided by ProctorU and available to students once they have created an account. This test is to make sure you have all the necessary equipment, software and applications.
A ProctorU practice exam is made available in Canvas close to the exams period. This exam gives you an opportunity to experience an exam environment. The Practice exam is made available to all students undertaking an AI invigilated exam in an upcoming exams period. It is recommended that you complete the Practice Exam at least one day prior to your first exam.
During my exam
How do I start my exam?
You need to use the Guardian browser to sit your AI invigilated exams in Canvas. You can’t use other browsers like Chrome, Firefox or Safari to start and complete an AI invigilated exam. Download and open the Guardian browser before your exam day.
Before your exam starts:
Find a quiet space where you won’t be distracted.
Open the Guardian browser and enter https://canvas.uts.edu.au/ into the search bar.
Log into Canvas with your UTS credentials.
Navigate to your exam from your Dashboard by clicking on your Subject site and then ‘Quizzes’ or ‘Assignments’.
When you are ready to begin your exam, select ‘Take the Quiz’. You will be guided through a systems check and an identity verification process before starting your exam. Your exam time doesn’t start until you’ve completed these checks, so don’t worry if it takes a few minutes.
All students sitting an AI invigilated online exam will need to have their UTS Student ID card with them, or Government photo ID such as a passport or driver's license.
What am I not allowed to do?
During an AI invigilated exam, unusual behaviour may signal a breach of academic integrity and flagged as potential misconduct. This is to provide a fair and equal exam environment for all students. These actions may include:
talking out loud
leaving the room or getting up from your seat
having someone else in the room, including pets
wearing headphone or earphones
wearing a hat or hoodie
using a mobile phone
being out of camera view
anyone entering your testing area or speaking to you
looking off-screen
looking at or using materials that are not allowed
taking pictures or screenshots of the exam
copying and pasting any elements of the exam
using a virtual machine
using a second monitor
opening browser tabs, websites or applications that are not specified in the exam instructions
Sometimes, things happen that are beyond your control. While this may cause your recording to be flagged for misconduct, it will be reviewed by a real human before any decision is made. For example, if your dog starts barking, the AI technology may pick this up, but it will be cleared on review.
Can I have a bathroom break?
It is recommended that you take a bathroom break prior to starting your exam.
If you require a bathroom break during your invigilated exam, this will be flagged by ProctorU as you will be moving outside of the camera’s view. After the exam has been completed, any flagged issues will be reviewed, and you may be required to provide clarification.
If you require frequent bathroom breaks due to any medical/health condition, please register with the Accessibility Service by emailing Accessibility@uts.edu.au or call on 9514 1177.
Can I use more than one monitor/display screen?
No, multiple monitors/displays are not permitted. You will need to disconnect any additional monitors prior to the invigilated exam.
If you require a second monitor due to any medical/health condition, please register with the Accessibility Service by emailing Accessibility@uts.edu.au or call on 9514 1177.
Will I be able to contact my subject coordinator during my exam?
If you are sitting an AI invigilated exam, you may not be able to contact your subject coordinator during the exam time. If you have questions about your exam, make sure to ask them before you start your exam.
If you need technical support during the exam, you’ll have access to a chat window in the Guardian browser or ProctorU support lines (Australian free call: 1800 841 822) where you can ask for help.
After my exam
How do I know I've submitted my exam successfully?
Once you click submit, you’ll be logged out of Canvas automatically. Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean you didn’t submit your exam. To check that you submitted your exam successfully you can log back into Canvas, navigate to your exam page and confirm that you have made an attempt. If you’re still unsure, contact your subject coordinator.
Once you’ve completed your exam, ProctorU will also send you a pop-up survey about your exam experience. If you see the pop-up survey, it’s a good indication that your exam has been successful submitted.
Do I need to remove the Guardian browser from my computer after the exam?
No, you don’t need to delete the Guardian browser. If you choose to delete it, you will have to download and install it again before your next AI-invigilated exam.
If you use a Mac, some settings may have changed during your exam. If you experience issues with your Mac settings after an exam, check the guidance on the ProctorU website (opens external website).
I had a technical issue that prevented me from completing my exam – what should I do?
You should try and reconnect. If you’re unable to and experience technical difficulty outside of your control, you’ll need to apply for special consideration within two days after the exam. As part of this application process, suitable documentary evidence will need to be provided including a statutory declaration (a written statement signed and witnessed by approved person) covering:
- a summary of the issue
- the duration of the issue
- the severity and impact of the issue
Examples of documentary evidence include:
- a report from a service provider of an outage
- screen capture
- evidence of a ticket logged or service request
- error reports.
Timed LMS exams
Essential information
What is a timed LMS exam?
A timed LMS exam is an exam that takes place within your Learning Management System (LMS), Canvas. It will most likely be a quiz.
The exam is timed to make sure that everyone sitting the exam has the same amount of time to complete it. You’ll be able to see how much time you have left while you are doing your exam.
Do I need to consent, create a ProctorU account or download the Guardian browser if I have a timed LMS exam?
No. You only need to do these things if you have an AI invigilated exam. If none of your exams are AI invigilated this session, you don’t need to consent or create an account with ProctorU.
Subjects that have professional certification or specific requirements require invigilated exams for academic integrity.
Invigilated exams are standard for universities, and the usual on-campus exams are also invigilated using exam supervisors. Online invigilation ensures fairness and integrity in your exam.
Before my exam
What do I need to do before I sit my timed LMS exam?
- Check that you can access your LMS
- Check that you know where your exam is, or will be, in your LMS
What equipment do I need to sit my timed LMS exam?
- A reliable internet connection
- A computer
- Any permitted exam materials – you can find out more about your exam materials under exam conditions on your exam timetable and from your subject coordinator.
You can learn more about what equipment you will need for each exam type and what to do if you don't have it in the online exam equipment checklist.
During my exam
I’ve lost my internet connection, or experienced a technological issue – what should I do?
If you lost your internet connection briefly, you should try to reconnect and resume your exam attempt. The exam timer will continue while you are logged out.
If you’re disconnected for a significant portion of your exam time, or to the extent that you are prevented from completing your exam, you can apply for special consideration within two days of the exam. See ‘After my exam’ for more information.
Will I be able to contact my subject coordinator during my exam?
If you’re sitting a timed LMS exam, you can contact your subject coordinator but you might not get a reply before your exam is over.
Your subject coordinator may be available for consultation during the exam window and will advise you on their availability and preferred contact method prior to the exam day.
You’ll be able to contact the Exam Hotline during your exam on +61 2 9514 3222.
After my exam
I had a technical issue that prevented me from completing my exam – what should I do?
You should try and reconnect. If you’re unable to and experience technical difficulty outside of your control, you’ll need to apply for special consideration within two days after the exam. As part of this application process, suitable documentary evidence will need to be provided including a statutory declaration (a written statement signed and witnessed by approved person) covering:
- Summary of the issue
- Duration of the issue
- Severity and impact of the issue
Examples of documentary evidence include:
- Report from a service provider of an outage
- Screen capture
- Evidence of a ticket logged or service request
- Error reports
Take home exams
Essential information
What is a take home exam?
A take home exam is like an assignment with a quick turn-around. It’s not timed, and you don’t need to be logged in to your LMS for the whole time while you complete the exam.
Most take home exams will require you to log on to your LMS once your exam availability window is open and download your exam paper. You’ll then spend the recommended duration completing your exam. When you’ve completed your exam, you can log back into your LMS and submit the exam like you would an assignment.
Some take home exams will be quizzes. If your take home exams is a quiz, you will need to be logged into your LMS for the full duration of your exam attempt.
Do I need to consent, create a ProctorU account or download the Guardian browser if I have a take home exam?
No. You only need to do these things if you have an AI invigilated exam. If none of your exams are AI invigilated this session, you don’t need to consent or interact with ProctorU.
Before my exam
What do I need to do before I sit my take home exam?
- Check that you can access your LMS
- Check that you know where your exam is, or will be, in your LMS and how to download it
- Check that you understand how to submit your exam once you are done (your subject coordinator will be able to tell you if you need to submit your exam via Turnitin or using a different method).
What equipment do I need to sit my take home exam?
- A computer
- An internet connection (you don’t need to be connected to the internet for the full duration of your take home exam – just the start, to access your exam paper, and the end, to submit it)
- Any permitted exam materials
Some take home exams will require to you write or draw on paper, so you may need extra materials. You can find out more about your exam materials under exam conditions on your exam timetable and from your subject coordinator.
You can learn more about what equipment you will need for each exam type and what to do if you don't have it in the online exam equipment checklist.
During my exam
My exam has a duration, but it’s not timed – how long should I spend on my exam?
The exam duration shown on your exam timetable is a recommendation for take home exams. Because your exam isn’t timed, the duration should be used as an indication of the expected workload. Your subject coordinator might also put into place other measures to help you identify how long you should spend on your exam, like a word count.
You should not spend the full exam availability window working on your take home exam. The exam availability window is there only to provide flexibility to students who may have other exams or who may be in different time zones. There is no need to spend longer than the indicated duration on your take home exam.
I’ve lost my internet connection, or experienced a technological issue – what should I do?
If you lost your internet connection briefly, you should try to reconnect and resume your exam attempt. Because take home exams aren’t timed, its ok if you lose connection or if you log out of your LMS. You don’t need to be online while you complete your take home exam.
Will I be able to contact my subject coordinator during my exam?
If you’re sitting a take home exam, you can contact your subject coordinator but you might not get a reply before your exam in over.
Your subject coordinator may be available for consultation during the exam window and will advise you on their availability and preferred contact method prior to the exam day.
You’ll be able to contact the Exam Hotline during your exam on +61 2 9514 3222.
After my exam
I had a technical issue that prevented me from completing my exam – what should I do?
You should try and reconnect. If you’re unable to and experience technical difficulty outside of your control, you’ll need to apply for special consideration within two days after the exam. As part of this application process, suitable documentary evidence will need to be provided including a statutory declaration (a written statement signed and witnessed by approved person) covering:
- Summary of the issue
- Duration of the issue
- Severity and impact of the issue
Examples of documentary evidence include:
- Report from a service provider of an outage
- Screen capture
- Evidence of a ticket logged or service request
- Error reports
If you have any other questions about end of session exams, please contact Ask UTS.
