Nov 21, 2024  
2024-2025 Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Catalog

Examination Procedures


 


 

Examination Administration

Examinations and quizzes will be given at the time and date established by the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and/or his/her designee.

  • Students must be seated in their designated seats prior to the published examination or quiz time. For a remote exam/quiz, the start time is the published start time from Testing and Evaluation Services (TES) and those students who start after the designated late time will be subject to penalties outlined below. Additionally, students must upload the assessment by the time outlined in the assessment instructions. 
  • TES shall be responsible for identifying those students late for seating/starting an assessment. TES shall report all late students to the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and/or his/her designee immediately following the examination.
  • Students who arrive late to an examination will receive no additional time to take the examination. They will be required to stop taking the examination at the published stop time.                     
  • For the first late arrival/late upload for a pre-clinical curriculum examination/quiz in a semester, a student will lose 10% of the total number of raw points on the exam/quiz. If this adjustment happens to contribute to a course grade that falls below the pass/fail cut score for the course, the student’s grade may be adjusted to the passing cut score. The Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and/or his/her designee reserves the right to excuse the 10% penalty.                    
  • For the second late arrival/late upload for a pre-clinical curriculum examination/quiz in a semester, a student will lose 20% of the total number of raw points on the exam/quiz. If this adjustment happens to contribute to a course grade that falls below the pass/fail cut score for the course, the student’s grade may be adjusted to the passing cut score. The Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and/or his/her designee reserves the right to excuse the 20% penalty.
  • For the third and subsequent late arrival/late upload for a pre-clinical curriculum examination/quiz in a semester, a student will lose 30% of the total number of raw points on the exam/quiz. If this adjustment happens to contribute to a course grade that falls below the pass/fail cut score for the course, the student’s grade may be adjusted to the passing cut score. The Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and/or his/her designee reserves the right to excuse the 30% penalty.
  • Students who receive testing accommodations will have an examination start and stop time determined by the Office of Disability Access (ODA), this will also apply to quizzes when they are administered by (ODA).
  • Other violations of testing procedures/instructions may be subject to the same penalty point process outlined for late arrival/uploads.
  • Late/missed examination procedures during clinical clerkships will be outlined in the clerkship syllabi.
  • Students who are tardy to multiple mandatory exams and/or quizzes may be reported for professionalism concerns to the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and/or his/her designee.
  • Students found out of compliance with this procedure may be subject to disciplinary action including loss of examination points. Students should consult the course syllabus and individual test instructions for additional information related to specific assessments. 

Definitions:

  • Examination Start Time: “Examination start time” means the published time. For example, if the start time of 8:00 AM is published and the examination is delayed by proctors’ procedures until 8:10 AM, a student is penalized if he/she is seated after 8:00 AM.

Make-up Examinations

Students are expected to take course exams on the date and time established by the Course Director or on the course syllabus. In extraordinary circumstances, students may be approved to take make‐up exams on an alternate date or time at the discretion of the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and/or his/her designee. 

Requests based on an excused absence, including observance of a religious holy day UNTHSC Policy 07.103 (Absence for Religious Holy Day), must be submitted to the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and/or his/her designee at least three weeks before the date of the regularly scheduled exam.

Requests for absence due to illness or injury must be supported by documentation from a licensed healthcare provider that specifies the date the medical leave begins, the date the medical leave ends, and whether any restrictions to activities are present. Requests must be received within 48 hours of the assessment missed.

Documentation for extraordinary absences will be reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis by the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and/or his/her designee.

Make-up exams may be scheduled prior to or after a regularly scheduled exam. The time and date for a make-up exam will be determined by the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and/or his/her designee and TES.

Students missing a regularly scheduled exam due to a religious holy day will be subject to UNTHSC Policy 7.103 (Absence for Religious Holy Day). In all other cases, students may take a maximum of two make-up exams in a semester, or three in one year, without penalty. Any additional make-up exams will result in a reduction of 10% of the total number of raw points on the exam. Missing a regularly scheduled exam more than four times in a semester, or six in one year will result in a reduction of 20% of the total number of raw points on the exam. These penalty points may result in a course failure. These penalties may be reviewed and excused in unique circumstances by the Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.

Students who miss a course examination without an approved absence or documented illness will not be permitted to take a make-up exam and will receive a 0% (zero) grade for the examination.

National Board Examinations

All students are required to take and pass all required COMLEX exams and other requirements as outlined by COCA standards in order to graduate. Students who do not pass the required assessments must appear before the SPC. The SPC may recommend academic leave to enable preparation for re-examination. Otherwise, students will continue in the degree program on a provisional basis pending the results of the re-examination. A student who does not achieve a passing score as determined by the NBOME on any part within three attempts may be dismissed from the DO degree program. 

  • Students who take COMLEX 1 or COMLEX 2CE exam and pass will continue with core clinical rotations.
    • A student may not start year 4 without a passing score on COMLEX 1.
  • Any student who fails their first attempt at COMLEX 1 will go before the SPC and be removed from clinical rotations. If the SPC allows them to repeat the exam, then they may resume rotations while awaiting exam results.
    • Students may be allowed to complete their current rotation if they have completed greater than 50% of the clerkship.
  • Any student who fails their first attempt at COMLEX Level 2 will go before the SPC. If the SPC allows them to repeat the exam, the student will work with the Director of Osteopathic Clinical Education to adjust their clinical rotations.
    • The Assistant Dean of Osteopathic Clinical Education and the Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs must approve the schedule alterations before a student is allowed to extend beyond the date of commencement.
  • Any student that fails COMLEX 1 on their second attempt will go before the SPC and may either be administratively withdrawn to repeat the year or be dismissed.
  • Any student that fails COMLEX 2 CE on their second attempt will go before the SPC and may be dismissed, administratively withdrawn to repeat the year, or allowed to continue in the current year.
  • Unless specific permission is granted, students are not to schedule subsequent COMLEX examinations until they have been reviewed by SPC and any subsequent appeals have been finalized.
  • Any student who fails a COMLEX 1 or COMLEX 2CE exam on three occasions shall be dismissed.