Pharmacy Students
PharmD, PharmTox, and Graduate Student Resources

Course Examination Scheduling & Policy

School of Pharmacy Examination Policy

Background

This policy applies to examinations in required courses within the PharmD program.  Lab assessments are exempted from the policy.

General Expectations:

  1. Students are expected to uphold the core values of academic integrity which include honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. The University of Wisconsin–Madison takes academic misconduct allegations very seriously.  Academic misconduct is established by the state of Wisconsin for all UW System schools as detailed in UWS Chapter 14.
    1. Academic integrity includes keeping exam content confidential until all exams have been released through the course learning management system.
  2. Students seeking exam accommodations must have valid McBurney accommodations (discuss their McBurney faculty notification email with the course coordinator) by the time specified in the course syllabus or as soon as possible after a disability has been incurred or recognized.
    1. Course coordinators should set clear and reasonable expectations for scheduling exam dates/times for students with accommodations.
    2. The exam location is either in the Pharmacy building or at the campus testing & evaluation center. The center requires registration at least 48 hours before the exam time.
    3. Confirmation between the student and coordinator of the previously established date/time/location should be done no later than 5 business days prior to the exam. (Example: If it is a Monday exam, confirm by end of day the prior Monday.)
    4. Students who feel their accommodation is not being appropriately met should discuss with the course coordinator, and if needed, the technical standards coordinator and Mc Burney Center.
  3. Students must use restrooms before exams begin, as faculty typically do not allow any breaks once an exam is in progress.
  4. Students must arrive early to start the exam on time. Course coordinators will determine if late arrivals are eligible to take the exam.
  5. Students are advised to carefully read all exam instructions and are responsible for knowing and following all instructions.  Most faculty do not allow questions about content during an exam.

Exam Procedure Required Practices:

Student Guidance:

  1. Laptop computers are required for electronic examinations; laptops must meet the requirements listed on the School of Pharmacy website.  All other computer programs must be shut down before the start of the exam. No other windows may be open, and no pop-ups are allowed. Please confirm you have the latest update of the Chrome browser installed before the start of the exam. If Honorlock will be used, you must install the latest update and test for errors prior to the exam start. Failure to do so may result in delayed/shortened exam time.
  2. Use of any device that can be used to communicate with others is prohibited during exams. This includes (but is not limited to) smart phones, smart watches and Fitbit (or similar) devices, or smart glasses.
    1. Cell phones must be turned off and placed in backpack or purse at the front or back of the room.
    2. All wrist devices and watches must be removed prior to the start of an exam.
  3. Students are permitted to have only pens, pencils, erasers, and a water bottle with them during the exam. Items may be visually inspected by exam proctors.
  4. Calculators will be provided if required to complete exam questions. Faculty may approve the use of personal non-programmable calculators during the exam. Sharing of calculators between students is prohibited.
  5. Food is not allowed during exams.
  6. All backpacks, purses, coats, hats, and other personal items brought into the lecture halls must be placed either in the back or front of the room before the start of the exam.
  7. Foam ear plugs are the only form of noise protection allowed (no headphones of any sort).
  8. Students must sit in alternating seats in the lecture halls or spread out as much as possible in other classrooms. Students must abide by the assigned seating when used.
  9. When students receive a piece of scratch paper, they must have all notes put away and write their name at the top. If scratch paper leaves the exam room, course coordinators may follow up with the student.
  10. Students must keep paper exam materials face down until all exams have been distributed and the instructor announces the exam period has begun.

Faculty Guidance:

  1. Signs must be posted outside of the lecture hall(s) indicating there is an exam in progress. Signs are available for exams administered in Rennebohm Hall and are stored in the alcove between Rms 2002 and 2006.
  2. A clock or timer must be provided at the front of the room for the duration of the exam. (Ex: http://www.clocktab.com/)
  3. Scratch paper is considered part of the exam packet materials and therefore is upheld to all academic conduct requirements. The scratch paper must be returned when students sign out of the exam at the front of the room. If scratch paper leaves the exam room, course coordinators may follow up with the student.
  4. When faculty or proctors announce the end of the exam, students must stop even if their exam is not complete.
  5. Paper examination materials must be turned in to faculty or proctors before a student leaves the exam room. All pages of the exam booklet must be returned, including scratch paper. Faculty will announce prior to the exam if the exam booklet may be retained by the student.
  6. For computerized exams, exams must be submitted and computers closed before leaving the exam room. Students must sign out at the front of the classroom by documenting their name and current time on the appropriate sheet.
  7. Digital exams are preferred unless the faculty are unable to achieve assessment goals using a digital version.

SOP Guidelines for Scheduling Exams

Stipulations

  1. Daytime exams will be limited to weekdays during designated cohort exam blocks or during normal class hours. No evening exams will be permitted to be scheduled by faculty; the only exception is for summary period exams or approved accommodation windows. To accommodate DPH-3 IPPE commitments on Thursdays, DPH-3 exams will be given preference for scheduling earlier in the week.
  2. No more than 1 examination per day per cohort will be permitted. No more than 3 exams per week per cohort should be scheduled. Lab exams are excluded from this total. This applies to required courses only and eliminates the 24-hour buffer period between exams. (For example, an afternoon exam could be administered in one required course and an in-class exam could be scheduled in a different course the following morning. This would be less than a 24-hour buffer and would be permitted under the new policy.)
  3. Priority scheduling guidelines are available based on cohort and semester. Course coordinators may be notified if more than 3 exams are scheduled in a week and asked to consider ways to help manage the situation appropriately.
  4. School of Pharmacy Faculty must adhere to the UW–Madison Policies Regarding Summary Period (Final Exam) Scheduling.
  5. Faculty should review the General Expectations regarding students with McBurney accommodations. Note that the campus testing and evaluation center has a 48 hour registration deadline for students to use exam space.

School of Pharmacy Faculty must adhere to the UW–Madison Policies Regarding Summary Period (Final Exam) Scheduling

Approved 25 August 2005.
– Revised and Approved May 17, 2022.
– Revised by Assessment & Curriculum Committees and approved at the school retreat on May 13, 2025.

 

PharmD Handbook Sections