Regulations for Synchronous Online Examinations

• Part A - Academic Integrity Statement   
• Part B - Preparing for Synchronous Online Examinations    
• Examination Details   
• The Examination Environment   
• Part C - Regulations During Synchronous Online Examinations   
• Attendance and Timing   
• Extenuating Circumstances   
• Breach of Synchronous Online Examination Regulations   

Part A - Academic Integrity Statement   

(1) Learners are always expected to adhere to College regulations, as set out during the registration process, with particular reference to the Hibernia College Quality Framework. Academic Integrity practices should be informed by the Academic Integrity and Good Practice Policy.  

(2) Learners are advised to refamiliarise themselves with the Hibernia College Student Charter, Establishing Overarching Standards for Student Conduct Policy and the Academic Integrity and Good Practice Policy prior to the examination.   

(3) Learners are reminded that academic misconduct is defined as morally culpable behaviour by individuals or institutions that transgresses ethical standards held common between other individuals and/or groups in institutions of education, research or scholarship (NAIN, Lexicon). It is further defined as all actions which contravene Academic Integrity, resulting in an unfair academic advantage or disadvantage . Examples of academic misconduct are provided in the Academic Integrity and Good Practice Policy.

(4) Consultation or collaboration with other learners or individuals is not permitted. Learners must not, under any pretext whatsoever, speak to nor have any communication with any other candidate or individual during the course of an examination.    

Part B - Preparing for Synchronous Online Examinations    

Examination Details   

(5) Learners should inform themselves of:   

1. The date(s) and time(s) of each examination.  
2. The technical requirements of the examination(s) and ensure that they are in place and, where possible, tested prior to the commencement of the exam.  
3. Synchronous online examinations for transnational, or international, learners are timetabled to allow full, equal and fair participation avoiding the introduction of any disadvantage due to scheduling. 

The Examination Environment   

(6) Synchronous online examinations are not invigilated. Candidates are advised to:   

1. Take the examination in a room alone and notify members of their household of their assessment schedule in advance to avoid disruption.   
2. Ensure that their computer battery is fully charged and will remain so for the duration of the examination. If possible, consider having a back-up device.   
3. Check Internet connectivity and practise setting up a Wi-Fi hotspot, where possible, in advance, in case of connectivity issues.   

Part C - Regulations During Synchronous Online Examinations   

Attendance and Timing   

(7) All examinations commence on time. Learners should be ready to take the examination 15 minutes before the scheduled start time; this includes ensuring that they have logged on to the required IT systems.    

(8) No extra time will be given to late starters.   

(9) Learners experiencing technical issues during the examination should immediately advise the member(s) of academic staff identified in the assessment brief. The Hibernia College helpdesk should then be contacted, if appropriate.  Where use of College systems are required as part of the examination technical assistance is provided for all learners, including out of hours assistance for international learners.    

(10) Learners should save their work throughout the examination.    

(11) Learners granted extra time in examinations under the Reasonable Accommodation Policy will be provided with extra time in synchronous online examinations.    

(12) Late submissions are not accepted.     

(13) An additional 30 minutes will be added to the time allotted for the synchronous online examination – the upload period.   

1. This additional time is for uploading the exam only – learners should not exceed the allocated time for completion of the examination.   
2. Any learner who has not been able to upload their submission in the first 20 minutes of the upload period should email it to the email address identified in the examination brief, including their Hibernia College learner number and name in the subject line.   

(14) It is the responsibility of learner to ensure that examinations are successfully uploaded and submitted by the specified deadline. This includes responsibility to ensure the correct document(s) are uploaded.   

Extenuating Circumstances   

(15) Learners may  provide evidence of extenuating circumstances as per the Extenuating Circumstances Policy participate in a synchronous online examination. There will be no academic penalty applied if the grounds for extenuating circumstances are upheld by the College. However, deferral of assessment may lead to delayed progression and/or provision of transcripts.  

Breach of Synchronous Online Examination Regulations   

(16) When a learner is suspected to be in breach of synchronous online examination regulations, the matter will be progressed in line with the Academic Misconduct Investigation in Coursework Procedure.  

(17) Learners should not make use of Generative Artificial Intelligence for unauthorised purposes including cheating or attempting to create an unfair advantage. Unauthorised use of GenAI is deemed as cheating and may invalidate the results of the assessment.  Any software used in online examination must be used appropriately and within the requirements of the assessment as set out in the assessment briefing document.