Exam Proctoring
The Alternative Testing Center administers accommodated exams on behalf of WSU Tri-Cities faculty for students registered with Student Accommodations & Disability Resources. The Alternative Testing Center’s responsibility is to ensure that all classroom exams (test and quizzes) are carried out per the student’s accommodation and the instructor’s parameters.
Faculty
Faculty will use the Accommodation Information Management system, known as MyAccess. Your Faculty Portal is an electronic dashboard that displays a list of all students who have requested accommodations across all courses and sections you teach, along with a general overview of their approved accommodations.
Through the Faculty Portal you can:
- Review and download the original Faculty Notification Letter
- Access the Alternative Testing Agreement via the alternative testing link, where you can:
- Specify exam parameters for each student
- View scheduled exams
- Upload exam files
To access your portal dashboard:
- Select the Faculty Portal Login button
- Enter your WSU Network ID and password
- Click “Login”
- Then select the button that says, “Continue to View Student Accommodations”
Each time you login, you must agree to the FERPA confidentiality statement.
Students
MyAccess is the portal students use to manage their accommodations. Use your Student Portal to book times for exams (tests and quizzes)- each must be booked individually. If a test is offered over two days, you will need to make two separate appointments.
You can schedule all your exams at once at the beginning of the semester or any time throughout the semester, no later than 5 business days before the date of the exam.
NOTE: Final exams must be scheduled no later than 10 business days prior to the first day of finals week.
How to Request Alternative Testing
- Apply for accommodations (first time users only)
- Login MyAccess and sign E-forms (review forms carefully)
- Request accommodations (select “Alternative Testing” checkbox under each course for which you are requesting this accommodation)
- Alternative Testing Agreements (ATA)
Once you have requested alternative testing for a course, your instructor will need to fill out the Alternative Testing Agreement (ATA) before you will be able to schedule exams.
- You can find your “To-Do List” under the “Important Messages” heading directly below the “Overview” heading at the top of your dashboard.
- If your instructor has not yet completed the agreement, your “To-Do List” will state: “Alternative Testing: Your instructor has not submitted an alternative testing agreement for this class. Please let your instructor know that the link to initiate an alternative testing agreement is inside the faculty notification letter sent by our office.”
- If your instructor has not submitted an ATA within one week of your initial accommodation discussion, please email the Alternative Testing Center at tricities.testingcenter@wsu.edu.
- Once your instructor has submitted the ATA, your “To-Do List” will state “Alternative Testing: You have not scheduled any exams for this class.”
Review Alternative Testing Details
- Select “Alternative Testing” from the “My Accommodations” section of the navigation menu
- Choose a course from the drop-down menu and select “View Alternative Testing Detail” and be sure to do this prior to scheduling an exam
- Here you will find information submitted by your instructor, such as dates and durations of exams and permitted resources
- Confirm that the information listed in the ATA is correct and email your instructor and the Testing Center if you have any questions.
NOTE: The Testing Center cannot approve the use of additional resources or alternative start times without explicit instructor approval.
Be sure to review the question regarding alternative start times. If you are not able to schedule your exam at the time specified by your instructor, you are responsible for obtaining approval from your instructor for an alternate start time. The Testing Center cannot approve alternate days or times without prior instructor approval.
How to Schedule an Exam
- Select your class from the drop-down menu and review the alternative testing details for that course to learn when you can schedule exams and what resources, if any, are allowable
- Once you have reviewed the alternative testing details, return to the top of the page and select “Schedule an Exam.”
- Choose a “Request Type” from the first drop-down selection box.
- Select the Tri-Cities campus
- Enter the date of the exam using a Month/Date/Year format
- Enter the start time of the exam
- Indicate the accommodations that you would like to utilize for your exam by selecting the checkboxes listed in “Services Requested”
- Select “Add Exam Request” at the bottom of the page
Modifying Exam Requests
You can review all scheduled exams by navigating to the “Alternative Testing” area of your dashboard.
If you need to change your exam request, select the exam you wish to change and choose the “Modify Request” option located after the exam date and time information.
Keep in mind that changes to the day or time of your exam require instructor approval.
Day of the Exam
Plan to arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled start time to check in. Provide your WSU student ID for verification purposes.
Test time cannot be used for studying. If a student does not start the exam when the proctor is ready, the student is considered late. The same policies for late students will apply.
Students will be instructed to take out allowed materials. Remember, the Testing Center will only allow those materials noted by the instructor. If the instructor changed the items allowed, the student may ask them to email the Testing Center with the approved changes and those changes will be noted.
Allowed materials will be checked. Devices are silenced, and belongings (including cell phones and smartwatches) will be placed on a shelf near the proctor.
Once the exam is started, you will not be able to leave the testing area.
If students have a personal need (e.g., restroom use), they should notify the proctor. The time used will be part of the test time.
When done with the test, take all test materials to the proctor. The proctor will check test materials, collect all material related to the exam (notes, scratch paper, etc.), and return it with the exam.