SOAS University of London
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
MAY / JUNE & AUGUST 2018 EXAMINATIONS
Please read this document carefully and keep it for reference. You must ensure you are aware of the regulations detailed in this guide.
Further information can be found at http://www.soas.ac.uk/exams/
PERSONAL TIMETABLES
A personal exam timetable will be sent to your SOAS email account in the week commencing 2 April 2018.
This will indicate the date, time, duration and location of each of your examinations, together with your examination candidate number for 2018. The timetable will also detail any agreed special examination arrangements, if applicable. Please check your timetable carefully and ensure that all of your examinations appear on it, as it is your responsibility to make sure that you attend each examination at the correct time and location.
If your personal timetable appears to be incorrect, for example, if any examinations are missing, please email immediately, stating your name, student number and the nature of the problem including the module code(s) and name of the module(s) concerned.
REQUESTS FOR AMENDMENTS TO THE TIMETABLE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Intercollegiate exams
If you are taking an exam(s) at another of the University of London colleges, you will receive a separate admission notice and candidate number from that college. You should take this to all exams with that college. Although intercollegiate examinations will be noted on SOAS personal timetables for information, the teaching college is responsible overall for the assessment. In the event of discrepancies between the information given by us and by the teaching college regarding the date, time or duration of an intercollegiate exam, you should use the information given by the teaching college on their admission notice. If there is a discrepancy between the actual courses being taken, you should urgently check with your Department office and with the intercollegiate college that you are correctly registered with both of them.
LOCATION OF EXAMINATIONS
It is very important that you check your personal timetable for details of the location of each exam. Some exams are held off campus and / or in more than one venue. If you attend at the wrong venue, it is unlikely that a seat will be available for you and you will lose time travelling to the correct venue. Maps of the venues are shown below, including external halls that are used for exams.
/ SOAS RUSSELL SQUARE CAMPUSThornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG
Nearest Tube: Russell Square
Paul Webley Wing (Senate House North Block) – rooms with prefix ‘S’
Main building – rooms with prefix ‘G’ or ‘MB’
SOAS Library – rooms with prefix ‘E’
Brunei Gallery – rooms with prefix ‘B’
/ LONDON IRISH CENTRE
50-52 Camden Square
London NW1 9XB
Nearest Tube: Camden Town
Nearest Train: Camden Road
Bus routes: 29, 253, 274
DOS AND DON’TS ON THE DAY OF AN EXAM
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
· DO ARRIVE ON TIME for all exams. SOAS exams will start at 10.00 or 14.30, with the exception of some oral examinations where the exact time for each individual should be checked with the department. You will be allowed to enter the exam room approximately five to ten minutes before the scheduled start of the exam.
o If you are less than thirty minutes late for an exam, you will be allowed into the exam hall to sit the exam, but you will forfeit any time that has already lapsed.
o If you arrive more than thirty minutes after the start of the exam, you will not be admitted to the examination under any circumstances.
· DO NOT LEAVE THE EXAMINATION ROOM during the first half hour of the exam. If you wish to leave well in advance of the official end of the examination this may be done only with the permission of the Invigilator. You are not permitted to leave in the last fifteen minutes of the examination session so that you do not disturb other candidates.
· DO ASK PERMISSION from the invigilator if you need to leave the exam room temporarily at any point in the exam, for instance to use the toilet. You will be accompanied whilst outside the exam room. Please note that you will be asked to empty your pockets before entering the bathroom.
· DO REMAIN IN YOUR SEAT at the end of the exam until all scripts have been collected and you have been given permission to leave the exam room by the Chief Invigilator. You should leave quietly and not disturb other candidates still sitting examinations in nearby rooms by talking, either in the room or immediately outside it.
OTHER EXAM PRACTICALITIES
What should I bring with me to each of my exams?
· DO BRING YOUR PERSONAL TIMETABLE AND SOAS IDENTITY CARD with you to each exam. Please print a copy of the personal timetable sent to your SOAS email address. This must be displayed on the desk with the candidate number clearly showing to enable the invigilators to check that you are seated correctly. The identity card must be placed on the desk with the photograph clearly displayed to allow the invigilators to check your identity.
· DO NOT BRING to the exam room books, papers, notes or instruments, except those which have been specifically permitted. Do not leave such items in any area (e.g. rest rooms) that you could use during a written examination or any practical, oral or similar examination. Correction fluid is not permitted in the examination hall.
o The use of paper or electronic dictionaries is NOT permitted unless stated on the front of the examination question paper. You may not use a dictionary for the purpose of overcoming any deficiency in your command of English.
o Other reference documents will be permitted only if clearly stated on the examination paper. You should consult your tutor for advice if you are unsure what will be permitted in an examination.
· DO BRING black pens, including spares, mathematical instruments (calculators are subject to a specific regulation which appears below), rulers and any items named specifically on the examination paper. Certain reference documents may be provided in the examination hall. If you have any queries about the material provided, please consult the invigilator immediately.
o Items such as pencil cases brought into the examination room will be subject to inspection by the invigilators.
o You are allowed to bring bottled water or soft drinks and refreshments into examination halls provided that these will not cause distraction or disturbance to other candidates. Refreshments which may cause noise, odour or other distraction will be confiscated.
· DO NOT BRING VALUABLE ITEMS with you to any examination. If you do so it will be at your own risk. SOAS cannot accept responsibility for your property.
· DO CHECK YOUR CALCULATOR where use is permitted in an exam. You must:
(a) ensure that machines are silent in operation, compact and with their own power supply;
(b) accept full responsibility for ensuring that machines are in working order for examinations and for providing in advance for alternative means of calculating in the event of the calculator failing during the examination;
(c) ensure that any material stored in a pre-programmable memory is cleared from the calculator before entering the examination room;
(d) comply with any restrictions stated on the examination paper.
You are required to state clearly on your scripts the name and type of any electronic calculator used. The use of material stored in a pre-programmable memory could constitute cheating.
Dos and Don’ts in the Examination Hall
· DO STUDY THE SEATING PLAN, which will be displayed outside each examination room and ensure that you sit at the correct desk number. It is essential that you sit in the seat assigned to you unless asked by an invigilator to sit elsewhere. You could be incorrectly recorded as being absent from the exam if you sit in the wrong seat.
· DO LEAVE ALL PERSONAL BELONGINGS, including coats and bags at the collection point in the exam room.
· DO SWITCH OFF YOUR MOBILE PHONE. Your phone must be stored in your bag or on the floor under your exam desk. You will be permitted to reclaim your phone only at the end of the exam Failure to place your phone out of reach and sight may be treated as an examination offence.
· DO NOT WEAR any watch, smart watch or other wearable technology during the exam. These must be stored in your bag or on the floor under your exam desk. You will be permitted to reclaim such items only at the end of the exam. Failure to place these items out of reach may be treated as an examination offence.
All exam halls have clocks which should be visible to all candidates. However, if you have problems with your eyesight, you are permitted to bring a small clock that can be placed on your exam desk.
· DO NOT SMOKE in the examination room. This includes electronic cigarettes.
· DO NOT TALK to other candidates while in the examination room.
· DO ENTER YOUR CANDIDATE NUMBER (not name or student ID number) on every answer book and separate sheet of paper. If you are unsure of your candidate number, please consult your personal timetable or check with an invigilator.
· DO NOT READ THE QUESTION PAPER UNTIL INSTRUCTED TO DO SO by the invigilator. You are advised to read the instructions on the question paper and follow these carefully. Normally the Examiner who set the paper will be present at the beginning of the examination to answer any queries. If she/he is not present, the Invigilator may be asked to seek advice on any substantial query which may arise.
· DO WRITE ALL ROUGH WORK in the answer book provided and cross it through. Rough paper will not be provided. Supplementary answer books will only be supplied when the previous book has been completed.
· DO ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS CLEARLY IN ENGLISH (or the language specified for the examination).
· DO WRITE IN BLACK INK and write as clearly as possible. The marking of illegible scripts is at the discretion of the Examiner. If your examination script is deemed to be illegible, the School may arrange for your script to be typed up. There will be a charge to you for this service.
· DO TIE ALL SUPPLEMENTARY ANSWER BOOKS and other separate sheets inside the back of the main answer book with the string/ treasury tag provided at the end of the examination session.
· DO NOT REMOVE ANSWER BOOKS and any other material provided by the School from the exam room. Answer books must be left on your desks. However, you may take the question paper with you at the end of the examination unless otherwise instructed.
· DO OBSERVE ALL INSTRUCTIONS given by Examiners, Invigilators or other officers responsible for the conduct of examinations
FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE ABOVE INSTRUCTIONS OR ANY INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN TO YOU BY THE INVIGILATOR WILL CONSTITUTE AN EXAMINATION OFFENCE AND WILL BE REPORTED TO THE EXAMINATIONS OFFICE.
IRREGULARITIES DURING EXAMINATIONS
SOAS takes matters of examination misconduct very seriously. If you are suspected of cheating, or attempting to cheat, or of assisting another candidate to cheat, or otherwise committing an examination offence, the facts will be reported to the Examinations & Assessments Manager by the Chief Invigilator. All allegations of cheating will be fully investigated. A consequence of this could include disqualification from the examination and exclusion from all future examinations of the School. Any unauthorised notes or materials may be retained by the School.
EMERGENCIES
In the event of an emergency you will be given full instructions by the Invigilators.
· A line will be drawn on your exam script to confirm the work you have completed prior to the emergency.
· Should an evacuation be necessary all examination materials and personal belongings must be left in the examination hall.
· All candidates remain under examination conditions until advised otherwise and you must not communicate with one another or use your mobile phone.
REGULATIONS FOR EXAMINATIONS
Examinations of the School are governed by School Regulations, available at http://www.soas.ac.uk/registry/degreeregulations/ and you should ensure that you are aware of these.
All work submitted as part of the requirement for any examination of SOAS, University of London must be expressed in your own words and incorporate your own ideas and judgements. Plagiarism - that is, the presentation of another person's thoughts or words as though they were your own – is an examination offence. You should consult your tutor if you are in any doubt about what is permissible.
Where you draw on your own previous written work, whether submitted as coursework for your current degree, or for a previous degree or qualification, this must be clearly stated.
EXAMINATION SCRIPTS ARE THE PROPERTY OF THE SCHOOL AND WILL NOT BE RETURNED TO CANDIDATES AFTER THE PUBLICATION OF RESULSTS.
DISABILITIES
If you have a disability that may affect you during exams, you should have contacted the Disability Office . The deadline for requests for special examination arrangements was 9 March 2018. If special examination arrangements have been agreed for you, details of these will be emailed to you by the Examinations Office and will also be included on your personal exam timetable.
If you require special arrangements to be made for you as a result of an accident or sudden illness, please contact the exams section or via www.soas.ac.uk/sid
MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES AFFECTING EXAMINATIONS
If you are unable to take any examination because of illness or another mitigating circumstance or feel that an illness has affected your performance, relevant supporting evidence must be supplied via SID as soon as possible, and no later than Wednesday 13 June 2018. If you need further advice, please contact your home department office. Further information about the School’s Mitigating Circumstances Policy can be found at http://www.soas.ac.uk/registry/degreeregulations/
If you are absent from examinations without good cause, you will be regarded as having used one attempt at the exam and will receive a mark of zero for the examination.