During an examination, the condition of the examination venue is constantly monitored by the Chief Proctor assigned to the venue. In case the conditions become unsuitable for an examination, the Chief Proctor may have to terminate the examination process in the affected venue. This step is taken if the adverse conditions cannot be rectified within a reasonable time. In case the adverse conditions appear during the examination, suspension of the examination and relocation to a suitable environment can take place if there is no undue delay (i.e. <2 hours). Under no circumstances can the overall interruption time exceed two hours.
Minor adverse conditions in an examination venue within the normal variability, such as variations in ambient light (from sun to cloud), room temperature, as well as minor interruptions caused by the persons inside the examination venue, for example when they are blowing their nose, do not warrant a termination of an examination, nor do they warrant any interference with the resulting examination scores for an individual student.
The safety of students and members of Examination Services inside an SGU examination venue is paramount. A fire alarm requires immediate evacuation of the examination venue, and students must assemble in the designated muster area. The Chief Proctor will assess the situation and report to the Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Course Director, the Senior Associate Dean (of either Basic Sciences or Clinical Studies), and the DOS.
In case one or more examination venues become dysfunctional prior to a scheduled examination, the Assistant Dean overseeing scheduling will investigate the availability of alternative venues first and will only initiate a re-scheduling if the available alternatives, which may include lecture halls, are not sufficient or suitable to deliver the examination to the class.
Students who experience adverse conditions in an external professional testing center (e.g. Prometric) are advised to contact the DOS, who will start an investigation and work with the respective Dean on a remediation plan, if appropriate.