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Context: I am a physician / clinician working at a university hospital. I am involved in bedside teaching and in-person exams. I am an instructor myself. However, I have no experience with online exams.

In March, I started an extra-occupational training (a secondary university degree in the field of nutrition). The semester is about to end and I will sit my exams soon. All exams will be online - it is a remote degree.

Since I have no experience with online-exams, I contacted my university regarding instructions. I told them that I have never participated in an online exam. I asked them for specific advice to ensure that all will work out well. I did this because I have seen many reports of students "cheating" in online exams. I also read reports where students were accused of cheating because they did not focus towards the camera all the time.

They sent me a sheet with instructions, e.g. "focus your eyes on the camera" or "close all other applications". It seems weird to me to be able to comply with all these instructions during an exams. If I have to focus on a question, I will inevitably close my eyes. To write in a fast pace, I also have to look at my keyboard. My student peers are, on average, 15 years younger and much more familiar with computer devices.

How could I prepare for such an exam (I am well prepared with regard to the content)? I fear that my lack of technological knowledge / my rather slow speed with computers could compromise my results. I am also asking this because I have to take the exam in my office (due to my work schedule and shifts). I can only customize my surroundings to a certain degree. Will I fail the exam if another person enters my office for example? The sheet specifies that the room should be empty and contain no literature, but there are anatomical posters in my office. Would that be an issue?

Any comments would be highly appreciated.

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Some of the "rules" you describe are foolish. Watch the camera throughout. Stupid. My computer setup is in a room full of books. It would be essentially impossible for me to move hundreds of books elsewhere or move the computer. Stupid.

However, your participation will be "judged" by humans who, one hopes, are sensible. If they are not, and if their goal is to "catch you" then you are lost.

I suggest that you comply "reasonably" with the rules and if claims are made against you then deal with it then rather than being paranoid up front, which won't help your mental state.

I'd suggest, however, that while taking an online exam in your office, put a sign "Exam in progress. Do not disturb" on the door. This should prevent all but emergency interruptions. And, people in the medical profession should be able to understand that emergencies do occur and must be dealt with.

Assume the best. Deal with problems if they occur.

Also note that online exams, being fairly new, are a poor substitute for face to face exams. The compromises needed to make it work at all are suboptimal, but we haven't yet worked out suitable procedures that focus on the purpose of exams. Perhaps that will come, but, for now, it is painful for everyone.

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    (+1) especially for put a sign "Exam in progress. Do not disturb" on the door, something that did not occur to me as I was reading through the question, but which seems especially relevant to the OP's situation.
    – Dave L Renfro
    Commented Aug 27 at 18:24
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    I would caution that the conditions for online medical exams can in fact be extreme and ridiculous. The Royal Australasian College of Physicians has gone back to paper exams because of high failure rates due to online proctors, and then failing all candidates in a year's cohort after a IT mishap. If this is such an exam, consider using the bathroom, with the windows covered with unprinted paper, as the camera showing a "room full of books" would have serious consequences. Determining the degree of proctoring is important, as practices in medicine differ from those of broader academia.
    – vk5tu
    Commented Aug 29 at 7:04
  • Dear Buffy, Thank you (as always!) for your valuable comment! I understand many rules are foolish, yet I did not create them. They were sent to me by mail. I fear exactly what vk5tu describes.
    – Dr.M
    Commented Aug 31 at 7:09
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If there are any logistical issues that would prevent you from complying with the instructions in the instruction sheet you were sent, it would probably be a good idea to let your course instructor know. I would assume/hope that given your situation as a working physician they would be okay with some of the issues you mention (anatomical charts, other people going in and out of the room during the exam) and essentially tell you to disregard those instructions.

It may also be wise to ask the instructor if they could set up a mock exam that you will be able to take ahead of the real exam that simulates the exam conditions. Not with actual questions that is, just some dummy/placeholder content like a question about world capitals - the point would be to simply allow you to experience the software environment and make sure you understand what to do, where to click, etc. This could actually be helpful for other students as well (even younger, ostensibly more computer-savvy ones). I have given online exams on various occasions and I can attest this type of situation can induce anxiety very similar to yours among undergraduate students as well. For this reason, one quarter when I was doing online quizzes I set up a mock quiz at the beginning of the quarter, and even gave a small number of bonus grade points to anyone who took it. Hopefully your instructor will recognize that this is a good practice that can benefit everyone.

About behaviors like looking at the keyboard and closing your eyes, honestly I wouldn't worry about it. If it is a sin to behave like a human being during the exam, then you will surely commit it, but most likely the instructions are not meant to be interpreted as telling you not to behave like a human being.

I can't think of anything else to suggest. Good luck!

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