A. Student Expectations

1. Students will adhere to this policy during all examination-related activities.
2. Students will have an assessment laptop meeting the specifications outlined in the PharmD Student Technology Requirements and ensure it is functional, updated, and ready for use.
3. Students will follow all examination procedures as outlined in the PharmD Student Examination Procedures.
4. Students will bring all Required Examination Materials to each examination session and come prepared with the examination file downloaded when applicable.
5. Students will adhere to the Code of Conduct and report acts of academic misconduct occurring prior to, during, or following an examination (including discussions regarding the examination with or in the presence of an individual who has not yet taken it). 
6. Students will behave professionally and refrain from actions that disrupt the examination environment (see Student Examination Conduct).

B. Attendance

Students will be present and on time for all examinations. Absences or late arrivals may be subject to restrictions and penalties.

Absences

• Students must submit an Absence Request for all missed examinations (planned or unplanned) in accordance with the procedures outlined in the PharmD Student Handbook.

Late Arrivals

• Students arriving more than 15 minutes after the examination start time may not enter the examination room and should submit an Absence Request (see Absences in the PharmD Student Handbook).

• Students arriving after the clearance process has started (and less than 15 minutes late) must go directly to the front of the room and wait for the proctor. They may not go to their assigned seat until they have been cleared to do so by the proctor.

• Students arriving less than 15 minutes late will not receive additional time and must end their examination at the scheduled end time.

Makeup Examinations

• Make-up examinations due to absence or other disruption will be scheduled after the primary examination. The examination will be timed at the Course Coordinator’s discretion, and a different examination in a comparable format may be administered.

C. Student Examination Conduct

The examination environment should be orderly, quiet, and have minimal disruptions, allowing students to focus on their examinations. Each session begins when students enter the room and ends when all materials are submitted, and the final student exits.

• Students must not enter the examination room until admitted by a proctor.

• Restricted belongings must be placed at the front of the examination room prior to the start of the examination.

• Students must sit quietly in their assigned seats and maintain a clear workspace with only permitted materials present and their identification in clear view for the proctor.

• Students must not access any unauthorized resources or engage in electronic communication at any time while in the examination room, including waiting for the examination to start and waiting to be dismissed after examination completion.

• Students must not communicate with others, aside from a proctor, during the examination session. If there is a need to communicate with a proctor, students should remain seated and raise their hand.

• Students must sit directly facing their workspace and keep their attention directed toward their own materials.

• Students must maintain visibility of their face, ears, hands, and wrists during the examination. Students must comply with requests to adjust their attire or position to maintain visibility.

• Students should make a reasonable effort to protect their work from the view of other students, including protecting screens and scratch paper from view or clearing their dry-erase boards between questions.

• Students should avoid behaviors that may reasonably be interpreted as academic or professional misconduct.

• Students must follow all proctor instructions promptly and completely. This includes, but is not limited to, proctor requests to turn out pockets, remove jackets, change position, or surrender restricted items to demonstrate compliance with this policy.

• Students must stay in their assigned seats until their examination is completed and the proctor has dismissed them, unless otherwise directed by the proctor.

• Students will ensure their examination is submitted and/or all paper materials are turned in before leaving the examination room.

• Upon dismissal by a proctor, students must leave the examination room and any adjacent area to prevent disturbing those students still taking the examination.

D. Examination Materials

Required Materials

Students must have the following items at their seat:

• University of Iowa identification card or government-issued identification.

• Assessment Laptop and privacy screen (without stickers, writing, or taped-on notes that could be construed as “cheat sheets”) [electronic examinations only]

• Plain #2 pencil (wooden or basic, slim-barrel plastic mechanical pencils only) [calculations and paper examinations only]

Optional Materials

Students may have the following items at their seat, unless restricted by the course coordinator:

• Dry-erase board and marker [electronic examinations only]

• Power adapter [electronic examinations only]

• Computer mouse [electronic examinations only]

• TI-30Xa calculator (without cover)

• Plain water bottle (without writing, stickers, or labels)

• Bright-colored foam ear plugs (in clear container)

• Other materials explicitly authorized by the course coordinator and identified in advance.

E. Restricted Items and Attire

Restricted items and attire are not allowed at a student’s seat. These include, but are not limited to:

• Food and drinks (other than water in a plain container)

• Unauthorized reference materials or resources

• Calculators (other than permitted model)

• Pencil cases

• Smart glasses or other electronic eyewear

• Anything worn on the wrists or forearms (e.g., bracelets, watches) 

• Any items capable of recording, storing, transmitting, or receiving information (e.g., cell phones, fitness trackers, earbuds/headphones)

• Coats, jackets, or hooded sweatshirts

• Hats or head coverings that obscure the face or ears (e.g., hats with a bill or brim), unless worn for religious purposes

• Wearable devices of any kind (e.g., fitness trackers, smart devices)

• Any other items not specifically outlined under Examination Materials

F. Issues During an Examination

Examination Content Issues

• Proctors will not answer questions regarding examination content during an examination.

Technology Issues

• Examination start times will not be delayed due to an individual student’s technology issue and extra time cannot be guaranteed.

• Students experiencing a technology issue that is not resolved with a laptop restart will be dismissed from the examination room and be scheduled for a makeup examination.

• Students who are unable to submit a completed examination must demonstrate to a proctor that they can no longer access the examination before leaving the examination room.

Other Issues

• Students should follow proctor instructions for any issues arising during an examination that are not explicitly covered in this policy.

G. Testing Accommodations & Exceptions

Student Disability Services (SDS) Accommodations

• Students requiring SDS testing accommodations (e.g., reduced distraction environment, extended time, ongoing medical needs) must receive a Letter of Accommodation (LOA) from SDS. No accommodation will be provided without a LOA.
• Students in the accommodation examination room, who complete and submit their examination before the primary examination start time, must stay in the room and must not access their assessment laptop or any communication devices until the primary examination starts and they are dismissed by the proctor.

Exceptions

• Students requiring exceptions for religious or temporary medical reasons should contact the Office of Professional Education.

H. Examination Policy Violations and Penalties

Violations of this policy may result in penalties. Penalties, intended to support consistent and equitable enforcement across the PharmD program, are applied based on the nature and severity of the infraction.

Level 1 Infractions

Level 1 infractions are violations of the examination policy or procedures that do not rise to the level of misconduct. These are logged by proctors and tracked by the Office of Professional Education. Repeated Level 1 infractions may result in escalation to Level 2.

Examples of Level 1 infractions include, but are not limited to:

• Failure to meet the Technology Requirements

• Possessing lower-risk restricted items/attire

• Not following the Examination Procedures

• Late arrival (less than 15 minutes late)

Level 2 Infractions

Level 2 infractions are violations of the policy related to professional misconduct with no apparent intent of academic misconduct. These will result in a deduction of 10 percentage points from the examination score.

Examples of Level 2 infractions include, but are not limited to:

• Unexcused absence from the examination.

Level 3 Infractions

Level 3 infractions are violations of the policy that increase the potential for academic misconduct. These may result in a deduction of 30 percentage points from the examination score.

Examples of Level 3 infractions include, but are not limited to:

• Possessing restricted items with the potential to store information (e.g., watches, unauthorized calculators)

• Failing to comply with proctor instructions

• Behaviors that may reasonably be interpreted as attempting to access or share information

• Failing to confirm examination upload (or examination closure) with proctor and/or failing to turn in all paper materials.

Level 4 Infractions

Major infractions are violations to the policy that involve evidence of, or high likelihood of, academic misconduct. These will result in an examination score of 0% and referral to the Honor Council under the Code of Conduct.

Examples of Level 4 infractions include, but are not limited to:

• Possessing or using unauthorized electronic devices (e.g., cell phones, communication devices)
• Using unauthorized reference materials or “cheat sheets”
• Accessing or submitting an examination outside authorized parameters
• Attempts to circumvent examination security measures
• Any form of cheating or aiding and abetting academic dishonesty

Repeated Infractions

Repeated violations of the policy may result in escalation to the next penalty level and/or referral to the Honor Council.

Code of Conduct Violations

Any violations of the Code of Conduct, regardless of infraction level, may be reported to the Honor Council and be subject to additional penalties.