Writing online exams

All undergraduate exams at Athabasca University are delivered online, whether they’re invigilated in person or invigilated remotely by ProctorU.

For a smooth exam writing experience, there are a few things for you to keep in mind when getting ready to write your exam.

Getting ready to write your exam

Is this your first online exam with us? Whether you’re writing with an in-person invigilator or remotely through ProctorU, we have some useful tips and insights to help make your exam writing experience stress-free.

Things to keep in mind before you arrive for your exam

No matter how you choose to write your exam with us, there are 2 important things to consider to write your exam successfully.

1. Arrive on time

If you’re writing at an in-person invigilation centre, make sure to arrive early! Coming late may be disruptive to other students who are writing exams. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late for a scheduled exam, and you have not notified your exam invigilator in advance, you may not be able to complete your exam.

If you're writing with ProctorU, ensure you’ve checked your equipment prior to your exam. This is very important. Make sure you’ve chosen a private and quiet space.

2. Bring your photo identification

You will have to present a valid form of photo identification to your invigilator to be allowed to write an exam. Your identification must be government-issued (passport, driver's licence, etc.) or an Athabasca University-issued photo ID card and must match the name you registered with at AU.

Setting up your online exam at the invigilation site

You have 2 options to write your online exam with us: you may write it on your own computer at a location of your choosing using the ProctorU service, or you can choose to write your exam on a computer at an AU-approved invigilation testing centre with an invigilator physically present.

At in-person invigilation centres

For online exams written at in-person invigilation centres, you must ensure you have everything you need to complete your exam with you when you arrive.

With ProctorU online invigilation

For online exams written with ProctorU, your computer needs an Internet connection, an accepted web browser, and a webcam. We recommend that you check ProctorU’s requirements for writing an AU exam before the day of your exam. We also recommend you perform an equipment test by logging in to your ProctorU account and clicking the button that says, “Test Your Equipment.”

If you have technical difficulties, you can reach out to the ProctorU Help Center for support. If you’re not able to resolve the problem, please email the AU Exam Unit.

Working through answers and finishing your exam

Completing and submitting your exam questions is not a complicated process but there are a few handy tips that will help as you work through it.

Saving multiple-choice answers

As you begin to answer exam tasks, remember to always click 'save' after entering each answer. While most of your written responses will be automatically saved in case of technical difficulties, your answers to multiple-choice questions may not be. If you do not click 'save' after a multiple-choice task, your response may be lost.

Reviewing and wrapping up your choices

Our online exam system allows you to return to any specific task/questions at any time during your exam. That way, you can review and change any answers given before you commit to submitting the completed exam.

If you require blank paper during the exam, please bring it with you. You'll have to present it to the invigilator/proctor for a quick check before you start your exam and hand it in at the end. If you're using ProctorU, any scrap paper used will have to be destroyed in front of the video proctor at the end of your exam.

Good luck with your studies!