CARE: Consideration And respect for Room-based Exams
Many students will be taking exams in their rooms this term. We all need to be considerate and respectful, to give everyone the best chance in their assessments. Let’s all take CARE to avoid disruption by keeping noise to a minimum during exam times.
Continuing online exams
Many exams will continue to take place online this year, building on our pandemic experience.
This means students will be sitting them in their own rooms and other locations in colleges and other areas– with around 40,000 exam sittings across the University.
Exams will take place every weekday from 9.30am, and will not finish for some until 6pm. Students will also be revising outside of these times.
Exams will happen throughout the term, but the peak exam season runs from 4th week (Monday 16 May), up until the end of 9th Week (Friday 24 June), with exams taking place every weekday in these weeks.
Online exams include prelims as well as finals for undergraduates, and postgraduate exams.
While some exams will take place in-person, the numbers will be limited even after social distancing requirements have been lifted.
How to avoid disruption
We want all students to be at their best during their exams and exams are stressful enough without unnecessary noise and distractions making them even more difficult.
We can all take simple steps to avoid disruption:
Be as quiet as possible in all parts of colleges and student accommodation from 9am to 6pm until Friday 24 June
This means no shouting, loud music, ball games, or any other activities that are likely to cause a distraction
This is equally as important in outside spaces close to buildings as it is inside buildings
Celebrate after your exams away from student accommodation and outside of exam times, and celebrate responsibly after your exams.
We can all inadvertently disrupt exams– whether we are in indoor or outdoor spaces – which is why it’s so important that we’re considerate at all times. We all need to be considerate and respectful, to give everyone the best chance in their assessments.
We appreciate that you will want to celebrate after you have finished your exams – especially after another difficult year – but it’s important you think about those who are still studying, and celebrate away from other students still taking their exams or revising for them.
Advice for students taking exams
If you are taking your exams, you should:
- Ensure those living and working around you are aware when you are taking your exams
- Speak to your college or accommodation manager if you know there are things that are likely to distract you
- Download and print one of the ‘I’m taking my online exam’ signs and fix it to your door when you are taking your exams
Please note that you will usually be expected to do your exams in your room. Minor noise and distractions won’t usually be regarded as grounds for mitigating circumstances applications.
If there are exceptional circumstances (such as unavoidable building work), your college may support you in finding alternative locations to take your exams. You should speak to your college about this in the first instance.
For all essential guidance about open-book exams, go to the Trinity term exams page on the Oxford Students website.
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