Centrally managed exam information for Subject Coordinators

How to create exams in your subject and best prepare students for their end of semester exam.

Exam shells will be published in subjects with centrally managed exams on the 14th-15th October and available for you to populate from the 16th October.  All Alternative Exam Arrangements (AEAs) for exams will be included in these shells, (including custom arrangements for offshore students) and the AEAs will be updated dynamically as needed, up until the exam. For Gradescope and Cadmus, the AEAs will need to be added manually to these tools.

Setting up practice exams


Students benefit when you schedule a practice exam for them prior to the actual exam. For assistance on how to develop your exam content in the exam shell, see https://le.unimelb.edu.au/preparing-for-online-teaching/digital-assessment-options-for-end-of-semester

Where should I create the content for my exam?


When creating your exam content, you have the choice to create it either in your actual subject or alternately in your Canvas Playpen. If you create your exam content in your Playpen, you can easily copy it over to the shell just before the exam delivery day with new tools and support from Learning Environments.  See the post Moving quizzes from your playpen subject to your exam shell for more details.

To ensure that your exam has been set up correctly, we encourage you to review the Exam content checklist on the digital exams website. We also recommend that you check the Exam content preparation page which has further details on exams, including the deadlines for when the exam needs to be set up completely in your subject.

Workshops and webinars


To learn more about your chosen exam technology, we encourage you to attend one of Learning Environments’ workshops and/or webinar recordings:

  • Canvas: Assignments
  • Canvas: Quizzes and question banks
  • Gradescope

To register for a workshop, see the Learning Environments’ workshops page.

Recordings of past workshops/webinars are also available to watch in your own time if required.

Exam Support chat tool


In Semester 1 2020, Canvas Discussion boards were added to each subject that had an exam. Feedback from staff and students on the use of Discussion boards for communications during exams was that it was not as effective as intended. Responding to the feedback and the desired functionality for an in-exam communication tool, we are introducing the ‘Exam Support’ chat tool.

You will find the Exam Support chat tool in your subject menu where an 'Exam Support' link will be set up specifically for each of your exams. Just prior to the exam beginning, once staff have started the chat, students who have a question about the exam will need to ‘Join’ the chat.  This will open a new tab with the chat where students will be able to ask direct questions via chat to the teaching staff only. If a message needs to be sent to all students about the exam staff will use the Announcement tool in Canvas. A benefit of using this Exam Support chat tool over Discussion boards is that there is no need to refresh screens and users have the option to receive audio notification when there is a new chat message.

Exam Support chat tool

Exam Support chat tool

Guides for students on using the Exam Support chat tool will be communicated to students.

Look out for the ‘Semester 2, 2020 Guide for Subject Coordinators’ guide for staff which will be available soon on https://staff.unimelb.edu.au/students-teaching/exams-results-academic-progress/digital-exams

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