Policy on Assessments

Examination Start Time
The official start and end times of examinations at the School of Medicine is defined in the course calendar on one45 and/or in the official email communication sent from the Office of Curriculum Support. Students will be allowed into the testing facility 30 minutes prior to the start of each exam. The exam will begin with the reading of instructions at the designated start time.

Permitted Items

Items Allowed on the Desktop:

• Bottle of water without label
• Student ID badge
• Student laptop computer and charger
• Laptop stand
• Provided green board, marker, and tissue
• Provided earplugs

Items Allowed on the Back of the Chair:

• A light jacket, sweater, or sweatshirt with empty pockets

Non-Permitted Items

Non-permitted items must be placed in a proctor designated area which may be inaccessible for the duration of the examination.  

All food and beverage items, with the exception of a water bottle without label

• Large/bulky coats
• Backpacks, satchels, luggage or briefcases
• Reference materials (e.g., books, notes, papers)
• Blank paper for taking notes
• Smart watches, beeping watches, calculator watches
• Electric timers of any kind
• Electronic devices that are capable of transmitting or recording information, including but not limited to: digital, tape or video recorders, or any device, including cellular/smart phones, pagers, cameras, tablets video recorders, iPads, iPods, MP3 players, electronic organizers, calculators, fitness tracking devices.
• Personal wired or wireless ear buds and headphones are not permitted, under any circumstances.
• Hats, baseball caps, and hoods (Students are only permitted to wear religious or cultural head attire, as long as it does not interfere with the examination process).

Laptop Stands
Students who wish to use a laptop/tablet stand must sit in the back row of the testing room to ensure that the exam is not visible to others. 

Ear Plugs, Tissues, and Scrap Paper 
Ear plugs, along with tissues, and green boards will be available for use during exams and can be retrieved at the proctor station. Students must return their green board to the proctor station at the conclusion of an exam.

Restroom Usage
To use the restroom during the exam, students are required to sign out using the sheet available with the proctors. Using the restroom without signing out is considered a violation of testing procedures. One student per testing location will be permitted to use the bathroom at a time.  It is expected that all students will abide by the Policy on Academic Honesty during examinations, and not discuss the exam or attempt to obtain unauthorized information or materials during the exam, even while outside of the testing environment for the purposes of using the restroom.

Student Laptops
Student laptops are required for examinations and must be in good working order. There are a limited number of backup laptops available for major computer malfunctions during examinations. It is expected that students will abide by the Policy on Student Laptops to ensure that their laptops meet minimum requirements for examination software.

Examination Start Time
For exams taking place at CLI, students should arrive in the CLI lobby five minutes in advance of orientation start time. Clinical Skills/CLI staff will escort students to the orientation classroom. The exam will begin with the start of the orientation PowerPoint video, and if the students arrive after the start of the orientation video the student will be considered late. 

Permitted Items in Hallway

• Student ID badge
• Student white coat
• Physical examination equipment

Non-Permitted Items

Non-permitted items must be placed in the student ready-room or a proctor designated area.

• Student laptop computer and charger
• Laptop stand
• Food and beverages
• Large/bulky coats
• Backpacks, satchels, luggage or briefcases
• Reference materials (e.g., books, notes, papers) The exception to this is for formative Clinical Skills encounters at CLI during the CPR course, for which students may bring notes into the exam rooms.
• Blank paper brought by student for taking notes (blank paper will be provided by the proctor- see below). 
• Smart watches, beeping watches, calculator watches
• Electric timers of any kind
• Electronic devices that are capable of transmitting or recording information, including but not limited to: digital, tape or video recorders, or any device, including cellular/smart phones, pagers, cameras, tablets video recorders, iPads, iPods, MP3 players, electronic organizers, calculators, fitness tracking devices.
• Personal wired or wireless ear buds and headphones are not permitted, under any circumstances.
• Hats, baseball caps, and hoods (Students are only permitted to wear religious or cultural head attire, as long as it does not interfere with the examination process).

Blank Paper 
Blank paper will be available for use during exams and provided by the proctor. Students must return used paper to a proctor at the conclusion of an exam.

Hallway and Student Ready Room Conduct
Students are not permitted to talk or use personal electronic devices in the clinical skills center hallway when an examination is in progress. Students are not permitted to talk about the examination or use personal electronic devices in the student ready room when an examination is in progress.

Restroom Usage
To use the restroom during the exam, students are required to sign out with the proctor. It is expected that all students will abide by the Policy on Academic Honesty during examinations, and not discuss the exam or attempt to obtain unauthorized information or materials during the exam, even while outside of the testing environment for the purposes of using the restroom.

In the event of extenuating circumstances, examinations may be administered and proctored remotely.  Remote examinations will adhere to the following:

Permitted Items
Items Allowed at your workspace:

• Student laptop computer and charger
• A laptop stand that does not obstruct the view of the surrounding room
• Blank paper for taking notes: examinees will be asked to hold up their scrap paper prior to launching the exam to ensure it is blank and will also be asked to rip up their scrap paper on screen prior to exiting the exam. 
• Soft/foam ear plugs
• Bottle of water without label
• For Clinical Skills only: Headphones will be permitted for the patient encounter portion of the exam only and must be removed before beginning your written documentation on ExamSoft

Non-Permitted Items

Non-permitted items must be placed outside of the testing room.

• All food and beverage items, with the exception of a water bottle without label
• Large/bulky coats
• Backpacks, satchels, luggage or briefcases
• Reference materials (e.g., books, notes, papers)
• Smart watches, beeping watches, calculator watches
• Electric timers of any kind
• Electronic devices that are capable of transmitting or recording information, including but not limited to: digital, tape or video recorders, or any device, including cellular/smart phones, smart watches, pagers, cameras, tablets video recorders, iPads, iPods, MP3 players, electronic organizers, calculators, fitness tracking devices.
• Personal wired or wireless ear buds and headphones are not permitted, under any circumstances for Final Essay and Structure. Clinical Skills permits headphones for the patient encounter portion as described above. 
• Hats, baseball caps, and hoods (Students are only permitted to wear religious or cultural head attire, as long as it does not interfere with the examination process).

Restroom Usage 
Restroom usage during any exam given via ExamSoft will be permitted during built-in breaks, each hour, only. Breaks will be taken only after your exam file has successfully uploaded. It is expected that all students will abide by the Policy on Academic Honesty during examinations, and not discuss the exam or attempt to obtain unauthorized information or materials during the exam, even while outside of the testing environment for the purposes of using the restroom. For Clinical Skills examinations remotely proctored, a restroom break is permitted between the patient encounter portion and the post-encounter portion, only.

Biometric Data
ExamMonitor proctoring software captures biometric data (inclusive of image scanning and voice recording) to validate your performance against the examination rules. Biometric data is stored only during the period of time the examinations are under review (approximately 2-3 weeks). Students who have concerns regarding the capturing of their biometric data should reach out to  the Office of Curriculum Support (somcurriculum@hofstra.edu) as soon as possible.

In the event of extenuating circumstances, examinations may be administered and proctored remotely.  Remote examinations will adhere to the following:

Permitted Items
Items Allowed at your workspace:

• Student laptop computer and charger
• Bottle of water without label
• A laptop stand that does not obstruct the view of the surrounding room
• Blank paper for taking notes: examinees will be asked to hold up their scrap paper prior to launching the exam to ensure it is blank and will also be asked to rip up their scrap paper on screen prior to exiting the exam.
• Soft/foam ear plugs
• Your phone may be face down next to your workstation for purposes of troubleshooting technical issues or “signing in” and “signing out” of the restroom. If an examinee is seen using their phone for purposes other than that, their exam will be ended immediately.

Non-Permitted Items
Non-permitted items must be placed outside the testing room.

• All food and beverage items, with the exception of a water bottle without label
• Large/bulky coats
• Backpacks, satchels, luggage or briefcases
• Reference materials (e.g., books, notes, papers)
• Smart watches, beeping watches, calculator watches
• Electric timers of any kind
• Electronic devices that are capable of transmitting or recording information, including but not limited to: digital, tape or video recorders, or any device, including cellular/smart phones, smart watches, pagers, cameras, tablets video recorders, iPads, iPods, MP3 players, electronic organizers, calculators, fitness tracking devices.
• Personal wired or wireless ear buds and headphones are not permitted, under any circumstances.
• Hats, baseball caps, and hoods (Students are only permitted to wear religious or cultural head attire, as long as it does not interfere with the examination process).

Restroom Usage
In order to use the restroom during the exam, students are required to “sign out” with the proctor by letting them know they will be stepping away from their computer. As per NBME guidelines while testing remotely, the examinee can do so by texting the proctor that they will be utilizing the restroom. If the examinee is seen using their phone or stepping away from their computer for purposes other than using the restroom, their exam will be ended immediately.

Examinations are expected to be completed in their entirety once initiated on the scheduled assessment or reassessment date. In the event an examination is not completed on the day the exam is initiated due to an unforeseen circumstance, the exam and/or portion completed may be scored as uploaded.

Lateness
A student who is not ready at the start of an exam (i.e., seated, laptop open, non-permitted items stored in a proctor-designated location, and logged in to Exam Software at the designated exam start time or arrives after the start of the orientation video at CLI) may have their assessment time shortened.  

If a student is aware that they are running late to an exam, they should notify the SOM via phone at (516) 463-7575 prior to the start time of the exam. If a student is not allowed to participate in the exam due to lateness, they must contact the SOM to schedule a make-up time, which could be later that day or on a different day. The timing of the rescheduled exam will be at the discretion of the Zucker School of Medicine on a case-by-case basis due to factors including, but not limited to, site availability, proctor availability, etc. Any instances of student lateness to an exam will be noted in the student’s professionalism tracker.  

Absence from an Exam or Formative/Summative RIA week activity
For FOW exams and Reflection, Integration, and Assessment (RIA) week formative activities, a schedule of dates and times are provided in the course syllabus and listed on One45 at the start of the course. For SOW exams, exam dates and times are posted to One45 under “Handouts & Links.”

Students are required to attend all formative and summative RIA week activities. Students are required to sit for assessments on their scheduled dates and times. A student who is unable to be present for an assessment due to extenuating circumstances should refer to the below for the appropriate course of action. 

An assessment postponement may be granted due to:

• Serious health issue at the time of the assessment. The student is required to provide a medical note within 24 hours from a physician stating an acute health issue at the time of the exam.
• Compelling family circumstance (acute major life event or emergency). The student may be required to provide documentation
• Religious observance

Wellness days cannot be taken during RIA weeks or during formative assessments.

Anticipated Absence:
A student is required to formally request an assessment postponement in writing, and attach any supporting documentation, to the appropriate curricular dean, either the associate dean for medical education (Dr. Petrizzo for FOW assessments) or the associate dean for the advanced clinical experience (Dr. Pawelczak for ACE assessments), no later than 10 business days prior to the scheduled exam/activity. If approved, a make up will be permitted on a date established by the SOM. The student will be notified of the make-up date and time within 5 business days via a written communication from the SOM. For formative RIA activities in the FOW, a make-up assignment will be determined by the course directors. 

Unanticipated Absence:
In the case of an acute health issue or emergency during RIA week, a student must notify the Office of Integrated Learning/Office of Clinical Experiences via phone (516) 463-7575 prior to the start time of the assessment. The student must formally request a make-up exam in writing, and attach any supporting documentation, to the appropriate curricular dean, either the associate dean for medical education (Dr. Petrizzo for FOW assessments) or the associate dean for the advanced clinical experience (Dr. Pawelczak for ACE assessments) before a make-up may be scheduled/assigned.

Failure to follow this procedure may result in the inability to schedule a make-up summative assessment which will result in a Does not meet Expectations or grade of Fail for the exam missed. 

For formative RIA activities in the FOW, failure to follow this procedure will result in a referral to the Professionalism Committee. 

For the FOW, make up assignments for missed RIA week formative activities will be assigned by the Course Directors. For the FOW CPR, BI, FTB, IE, and HMI courses, make-up exams and assignments must be completed within the first two weeks of the start of the subsequent course. For the FOW HOM and HC courses, make-up exams and assignments must be completed within two weeks immediately following RIA week (ZSOM scheduling permitting). 

Make-up exams during third year must be completed within two weeks immediately following RIA week. If a student does not sit for the make-up exam(s) as scheduled, the student may earn a designation of DNM (Does Not Meet Expectations) for the assessment.

Notable patterns of repeated assessment absences may result in the inability to schedule a make-up exam(s) and/or referral to the Professionalism Committee.

Disruptive Behavior
A student engaging in disruptive behavior, defined as behavior that interferes with the testing environment of other examinees, will receive a verbal warning from a proctor. If the disruptive behavior continues, the student will be removed from the testing area and referred to the Office of Student Affairs. Any instances of disruptive behavior during an examination will be referred to the Professionalism Subcommittee. 
 
Irregular Behavior
Irregular behavior includes all actions or attempted actions on the part of a student that would or could subvert the examination process. Examples of irregular behavior include, but are not limited to:

• Failing to comply with any testing policy, procedure, rule, and/or instruction of a proctor
• Obtaining unauthorized information concerning an examination and/or giving such information to another student;
• Communicating with anyone, other than a designated proctor, during an examination;
• Impersonating a student or engaging a proxy to take an examination;
• Helping another person to cheat on an examination;
• Reading or copying another student’s responses during an examination;
• Possessing and/or consulting unauthorized materials or tools during an examination;
• Making notes of any kind during the examination except on permitted materials;
• Taking photos or recording of test materials;
• Reconstruction of examination content through memorization;
• Altering or misrepresenting examination scores;
• Without proper authorization, beginning an examination before the prescribed time or continuing to work on the exam after time the prescribed time;
• Failing to submit all examination materials at the conclusion of the examination or removing examination materials from the room without proper authorization;
• Submitting work produced with unauthorized collaboration or assistance.

A student observed or reported to have engaged in irregular behavior during an examination will receive a warning from a proctor. Continued irregular behavior may result in the termination of the examination and/or a failure for the exam. Any student observed or reported to have engaged in irregular behavior during an examination will be referred to the Office of Student Affairs. The associate dean for professionalism and doctoring skills in consultation with the associate dean for student affairs, associate dean for medical education, and associate dean for the advanced clinical experience will be responsible for investigating and deciding appropriate next steps for a student who has engaged in irregular behavior during an examination and may be at risk for adverse academic action.