How to take a paper exam off-campus
Some Distance and Online Education (DOE) courses allow you to complete the required paper exams with an off-campus proctor. This option may be available if you are not able to take paper exams at one of the Iowa City test centers. At this time, it is not possible to self select the off-campus proctor option in the Proctored Exams Portal. DOE Exam Services handles all requests manually. In order to take your exam at an alternate location, you must complete the following steps at least ten business days before the exam date:
- Locate a test center or acceptable proctor in your area.
- Submit the Proctor Approval Form, at the bottom of this page, to have your proposed proctor approved by DOE Exam Services.
- Schedule your appointment(s) within the exam window(s) set by your instructor at your alternate location.
Once you submit the proctor approval form, Exam Services will verify your proctor’s eligibility. To protect the integrity of its examination monitoring system, Exam Services reserves the right to reject any proposed examination proctor or any previously approved proctor. You will be contacted if Exam Services has any concerns about your proposed proctor. If your proctor is rejected, you will need to select a different proctor and submit a new exam request form for consideration and approval. Once your proctor is approved, DOE Exam Services will email your exam(s) to the proctor and notify you. More detailed information about the process can be found below.
Who is considered an acceptable proctor?
It is your responsibility to contact a person in one of the following roles and ask if they proctor exams.
- libraries (public, school, or college libraries), learning centers, or testing centers;
- administrators or faculty of accredited post-secondary degree-granting institutions (e.g., registrars, deans, directors, or faculty);
- for students in the military: education officers or commanding officers;
- for incarcerated students: directors of educational services at correctional institutions;
- for students living outside the United States: a proctor whose position is equivalent to one of those listed above or an administrative official of a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
To avoid the appearance of impropriety, no relative, work supervisor, tutor, or immediate employer (regardless of academic qualifications) may proctor an exam. Furthermore, exams CANNOT be administered at private residences. Exams must be administered at an institutional or business addresses only.
If you have questions about suitable proctors, or are having trouble locating an off-campus proctor, contact Exam Services (doe-exams@uiowa.edu/319-384-4800) for assistance.
Proctor duties
A proctor is the person that administers your exam and agrees to fulfill the proctor duties. These duties include:
- verification that the identity of the test taker on site matches the identity of the student enrolled in the course
- supervision of the test taker during the entirety of the exam
- prevention of the use of unauthorized aids or tools by the test taker
- collecting the completed exam from the student and returning it, in a reasonable amount of time, to DOE Exam Services
Once you locate a test center or proctor in your area, contact the organization or individual to be certain they are able to proctor your exam(s) during the exam window(s) set by your instructor. If the organization or individual does not have availability during the exam window, consider contacting a different proctor or making alternate arrangements with your professor.