Helpful Information and Updates

The Registrar’s Office administers final examinations for the fall and winter terms. Examinations during the summer terms are managed by the individual faculty member.

Fall 2021 Exam Schedule and Seating Plan

Fall 2021 Exam Period is December 11th – 20th

Exam Schedule (will be published in October)

Seating Plan (will be published in late November)

Accommodations Request for Accessibility Services

Students registered with Accessibility Services who require exam accommodations must contact Accessibility Services by November 15th. Requests submitted after the 15th of November cannot be taken into consideration.

Final Exam Accommodation Request Form (link will be opened in October)

Missed an Exam?

If you miss an examination, you must inform the Registrar’s Office by completing the Missed Exam Report (link below) within 48 hours of the missed examination and provide valid supporting documentation to the Registrar’s Office.

If you are unable to complete the final assessment (as indicated by your course instructor), please contact your course instructor directly via email to discuss arrangements for completing your course.

Missed Exam Report (link will be opened in December)

Please email any questions to exams@msvu.ca

Final Examinations and Power Outages

If a final examination is cancelled due to a documented power outage, the Registrar’s Office will reschedule the cancelled examination in collaboration with the course instructor as soon as possible after the original examination.

If a final examination is impacted by an unexpected wide-spread power outage while the examination is in progress, a course instructor must advise the Registrar’s Office if a full or partial sitting of the scheduled examination must be rescheduled. Registrar’s Office staff will work collaboratively with the course instructor to reschedule the exam (full or partial) as soon as possible after the original examination.

If a final examination is impacted by an unexpected localized power outage while the examination is in progress, a student must advise the course instructor by email and the Registrar’s Office (exams@msvu.ca) as soon as possible. A student will be required to provide evidence (NS Power -confirmation of power disruption) of the power outage. If appropriate, Registrar’s Office staff will work collaboratively with a course instructor to reschedule the exam (in full or partial) as soon as possible after the original examination.

Examination Policy

  1. An examination will normally be required for every course taught at the University.
  2. There will be an examination period at the end of each semester during which all examinations will be written as scheduled by the Registrar’s Office. Instructors may not schedule examinations outside of this examination period including the reading day.
  3. The value of the examination must be at least 30 percent of the work of the semester, the exact value of each examination to be determined by the instructor in consultation with the department.
  4. An examination must never provide more than 70 percent of the total mark for a course.
  5. The student must have received at least one mark and/or evaluation in each course prior to the examination period in each semester.
  6. The form of the examination—oral, multiple choice, open book, essay, etc.—will be the prerogative of the instructor in consultation with the department.
  7. Exemptions for giving an examination in a course are subject to departmental policy on examinations and reporting. If a course is exempt from examination, this must be stated in the course outline, and the Registrar’s Office must be informed of the exemption.
  8. No tests will be held nor assignments made due during the final two weeks of any academic term unless these tests and formal assignments are included on the course outline distributed at the beginning of each academic term. Examination scheduling is covered in items 2 and 7 above.
  9. Grades for all courses having examinations must be received in the Registrar’s Office five days after the scheduled examination day.
  10. Students are cautioned to not make travel arrangements until exams are completed during the examination period as end of term travel plans are not a valid reason to miss an examination.
  11. Students are not permitted to write examinations prior to the regularly scheduled examination for their class.
  12. Students writing final examinations for distance courses offered through Teaching and Learning and Online Learning (TLCOL) who live within 100km of the Mount must write their examination(s) on campus during the scheduled time. The section below labelled “Writing Examinations at a Proctor Site” contains important information for students at a distance living further than 100km away from the Mount.

General Exam Rules for Students

  1. Nothing may be taken to the student’s seat except materials authorized for the examination.
  2. Anything which is not authorized by the instructor or chief proctor must be left at the front of the examination room. Such items include (but are not limited to) jackets, backpacks, textbooks, notes, and purses.
  3. Unauthorized computing, data storage, and communication devices must be turned off and left at the front of the examination room.
  4. In the case of open-book exams, students will be permitted to have material at their seats that has been pre-authorized by their instructor.
  5. Calculators may be used only at the discretion of the instructor.
  6. With the exception of clear plastic water bottles with no writing on them, food and beverages are not permitted in the examination room.
  7. Students are not permitted to wear brimmed hats while writing exams.
  8. There will be no talking in the examination room.
  9. Students must display their valid Mount Saint Vincent University Student ID Card during each exam.
  10. Students may begin their exams as soon as they are seated; however, shortly after they begin their exams, a sheet will be circulated on which they must write their name beside the appropriate seat number.
  11. No student may leave the examination room during the first twenty minutes of the exam. Latecomers will be admitted to the examination room only during the first twenty minutes.
  12. Students requiring assistance should raise their hands and not leave their seats.
  13. When students have finished their exam, they should write their row and seat number on the cover of the examination booklets, hand their exams to one of the proctors and sign the attendance sheet for their course. Students may be required to show their valid Mount Saint Vincent University Student ID Card at this time.
  14. Students found communicating with one another in any way or under any pretext; having unauthorized books, papers, electronic computing devices, data storage, or communication devices in view, even if their use is not proved; or found cheating in any way will be reported by the Chief Proctor to the course instructor and the Registrar’s Office. Procedures for Academic Offences will be followed.
  15. If a student misses an examination due to illness, she/he must inform the Registrar’s Office within 48 hours of the missed examination and submit a medical certificate from a physician, directly to the Registrar’s Office.

Download the PDF version of these rules.

Exam Accommodations & Conflicts

Accommodations Request for Accessibility Services

Students registered with Accessibility Services who require exam accommodations must contact Accessibility Services by November 15th. Requests submitted after the 15th of November cannot be taken into consideration.

Final Exam Accommodation Request Form (link will be opened in October)

Exam Conflicts

An exam conflict is when you have

  • two exams scheduled to be written at the same time
  • a work commitment or medical appointment that cannot be changed (supporting documentation required)
  • are scheduled to write three exams in a row (three consecutive writing times – morning, afternoon, evening or afternoon, evening and the next morning or evening, the next morning and afternoon)

An exam conflict form must be completed and submitted to the Registrar’s Office prior to the deadline.

Complete the Exam Conflict Form and submit by March 15th for April exams and November 15th for December exams. Please note that documentation may be required. Once the form has been completed, you will receive an email confirming it has been successfully received. If you do not receive an email confirmation, please contact the Registrar’s Office immediately.

Exam Conflict Form  (link will be opened in October)

External Examinations

External Exams

Due to the present situation surrounding COVID-19, all external exams are suspended until further notice. Please check back for further information.

External Exam Time-slots

  • Mondays – 9:00am – 12:00pm
  • Wednesdays – 12:30pm – 3:30pm
  • Fridays – 9:00am – 12:00pm

    (Please note that we do not book external examinations during our formal exam periods.)

Invigilation Fees

The standard charge for invigilation services (payable by cash, credit or debit on exam day) are:

  • exams up to 3 hours = $60 per exam effective June 1, 2019*
  • exams exceeding 4 hours = $120 per exam effective June 1, 2019*

    No Shows and cancellations with less than 48 hours notice are subject to 100% fee. This fee is required to be paid prior to scheduling any future exams with our test centre.

As per the invigilator agreement between you and your home institution, you may also be responsible for the cost of postage or courier fees.

*fees may vary

How to Book an Exam Time

To request an exam time please email exams@msvu.ca and include the following information:

  • your name
  • the name of the institution you are taking the course with
  • whether it’s an online or paper based exam
  • the duration of the exam
  • when you would like to write the exam (date and time-slot preferences)
  • contact phone number

You will receive a confirmation email with the exam date and time and any necessary instructions once we have booked your exam.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your exam is delivered here.

You must arrange for exam materials to be delivered to the Functional Analyst at:
Registrar’s Office
Mount Saint Vincent University
ATTN: Functional Analyst
Room 207, 166 Bedford Highway
Halifax, NS B3M 2J6
Fax: (902) 457-6498

Or by email to exams@msvu.ca

What to do on Exam Day

A day or two before your exam day, contact the office to ensure that your exam has arrived from the other institution. On the day of your exam, you must arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled start time and report to the location indicated in your confirmation email. View campus map

We require government or institution-issued photo identification (driver’s license, passport, student ID card) and some institutions require us to view two pieces of identification. If you are writing an external exam at our test centre, please check with your home institution and come prepared.

Still have questions? Please feel free to email exams@msvu.ca

Writing Examinations at a Proctor Site

Who is Eligible to Write at a Proctor Site

Important Notice for Fall 2021:

All students taking online courses in the Fall 2021 academic term are advised that they will not be required to arrange for exam proctoring. Course instructors will provide online assessments for online courses in the Fall 2021 academic term.

Only students who reside 100km away or more from the Mount may write at an approved proctor site. All other students must write their examinations at Mount Saint Vincent University as scheduled.

Proctor Site Locations

Approved proctor sites are located at accredited universities and colleges across Canada. Check the list of Approved Proctor Sites by Province to determine the most convenient location for you.

Approved sites are also available outside of Canada. Please note that depending on your location, you should plan for travel time to an approved proctor site. All examinations must be written at an approved site.

Documentation to be Submitted to Obtain a Proctor

Once you have contacted one of the approved proctor sites and booked your exam with them, complete the Proctor Site Request Form. This form must be submitted within TWO WEEKS from the first day of the fall and winter terms and ONE WEEK for summer session 1 and 2. Mount Saint Vincent University reserves the right to reject proctors it deems inappropriate.

Please be aware that university policy prohibits students from writing an exam before the regularly scheduled date and time. The rule regarding students not writing prior to the regularly scheduled date and time, is stated in the undergraduate academic calendar, item 2.2.21. Examination Policy.

Submit Proctor Information Each Term

Submit the proctor site request form every term as this information may change from term-to-term. Failure to provide up-to-date proctor information may result in not being able to write your exams. All midterm and final examinations are required to be proctored. Please send an email to exams@msvu.ca to confirm your information as approved proctor sites do change.

All proctor site request forms are screened by the University to ensure compliance with our examination policies. Exams will be sent to your approved proctor in time for you to write on the scheduled date and time. You are responsible to confirm your proctor arrangement prior to your exam date to ensure everything is in order.

It is expected that you will use the same proctor for the entire term. We understand that sometimes this is not possible. If you are not able to use the same proctor please email exams@msvu.ca with a brief explanation as to your situation.

All exams must be written on the date and time stated in your syllabus. No examination can be written prior to the scheduled date and time. Proctors will return all exams not written as scheduled. If you are unable to write on the scheduled date, contact exams@msvu.ca

Frequently asked questions:

Do I contact an approved proctor site or does your office?

Students are responsible for contacting and securing a proctor that is able to accommodate your exams. Once you have made the necessary arrangements to write with a proctor, you are required to fill out our online Proctor Request Form. This form provides us with information needed to send your exam to you proctor. Students are responsible for any fees charged by the proctor.

Can I write before the exam date?

Under no circumstance may you write any proctored exam or test before the regularly scheduled date and time.

What if my proctor is not available on evenings or weekends?

We understand that not all proctor sites are available at the required time of writing. If you find yourself in this situation, please contact your proctor to find out what their next available time-slot would be and email exams@msvu.ca with this information. Any change to an exam date and/or time must first be approved by our office.

Do I have to use the same proctor for all my exams?

It is expected that you will use the same proctor for the entire term. We understand that sometimes this is not possible. If you are not able to use the same proctor please email exams@msvu.ca with a brief explanation as to your situation.

Do I have to fill out the proctor request form each term?

Yes, as this information does not carry over from term to term, you will be required to submit a new proctor request form each term.

I’m taking online courses and live nearby, may I still write with a proctor?

Only students living 100km or more from campus may write with a proctor. All other students are expected to come to campus to write their exams.

The proctor I would like to use is not listed on your website as an approved proctor site. Can I still use them?

Our approved proctor list contains the most commonly used and approved proctor sites; however, it does not include all approved proctor sites.If you’re wondering if the proctor site you would like to use is approved by the Mount, please email exams@msvu.ca


Still have questions? Please email us at exams@msvu.ca

Quick Contacts

Admissions – admissions@msvu.ca
Exams – exams@msvu.ca
Financial Aid – financial.aid@msvu.ca
Registration – registration@msvu.ca
Student Works – studentworks@msvu.ca
Transcript Requests – transcripts@msvu.ca

Phone: 902-457-6117 or 1-877-733-6788
Fax: 902-457-6498

Registrar’s Office & Service Counter
Evaristus Hall, Room 204 & 207

Hours
Monday to Friday
September 1 to May 31 – 8:30am – 4:30pm
June 1 to August 31 – 8:30am – 4:00pm