Information for exam day

This page gives you information for your exam day along with exam admittance information and permitted materials.

Watch the video for information about what you need to know for the day of your exam, then read on for more to detailed information. Please make sure you read this information carefully and check it before your examination.

Examination Admittance Letter

Approximately three weeks before your exam, we will email you your admittance letter with information about:

when and where your exam will be
what you can take into the exam.

If you are sitting more than one exam, you will get a separate email and attached PDF admittance letter for each exam.

Check the date, time, and venue details carefully. If any details are incorrect, you need to change your venue or you have two exams scheduled at the same time, email us (resultsandexams@openpolytechnic.ac.nz) within seven days of receiving your admittance letter.

Ensure you know the location of your exam venue and how to reach it prior to your exam.

What to bring to your exam

On the day of your exam, to enter the venue you must present to the supervisor the following:

Any permitted exam materials (for review)
Your admittance letter.
Your photo ID (drivers licence, passport or credit card with your embedded photo).

If you can’t supply one of the approved forms of identity, you will need to fill in an honesty declaration form. Your signature will be compared with an authorised signature such as a bankcard.

Exam admittance information and approved materials

Examination materials

The examination admittance information we send to you will outline the approved materials you are permitted to bring into the exam. Any materials that do not comply with these requirements will be removed by the Supervisor and must not be used during the exam. These items will be returned to you after the alleged breach of the rules has been considered by Open Polytechnic.

Please note that no allowances will be made for any marks lost as a result of materials being confiscated.

You can also take the following exam materials:

Writing supplies – pens, ruler, highlighter
Any drawing instruments you may need
Dictionaries – all ākonga are allowed to bring a dictionary into the exam room. Only the following types of dictionary are permitted.
- A one volume non-technical English dictionary such as a ‘concise’ or ‘pocket’ version.
- A print-based translation dictionary English/Foreign Language.
- Dictionaries are not permitted to contain any handwritten or typewritten notes in English or any other language.
Calculator – if the use of a calculator is permitted in an exam this will be specified in your admittance letter.
- You may take a spare calculator and/or spare batteries, any time lost by a calculator malfunction cannot be made up. Programmable calculators capable of storing and displaying text, graphics and have symbolic algebraic manipulation capabilities are not permitted.
- If you are unsure if you exam is permitted please check email resultsandexams@openpolytechnic.ac.nz.
- You may be required to enter the name and model number of the calculator you have used on the cover of your exam answer book.
- A separate email with permitted calculators will be sent out to ākonga who are sitting engineering exams.

Exam materials we supply

We supply the following for your exam:

the examination paper (to be returned at the end of your exam)
the booklet to complete your examination answers
additional paper sheets and graph paper if you fill your answer book
string to attach any additional sheets.

Electronic devices

No electronic devices capable of storing, transmitting or receiving information (electronic diaries, personal organisers, pagers, electronic translation devices etc) are permitted in the exam.

If your exam requires a laptop you will receive further instructions in your exam admittance letter.

Before you enter your exam

Ensure that you have plenty of time to reach the examination venue.

You can enter the examination room 10 minutes before the examination is due to start.
You cannot enter the examination room 30 minutes after the start of the exam.

Before you go into the examination room:

Remove any headwear. If you cannot remove your headwear for any reason, for example, religious reasons, contact the Services Team, Academic Registry before your exam.
Switch off your cell phone and other electronic devices. Leave these with your personal belongings or give them to the examination supervisor.
Remove your smart watch and put it with your personal belongings.

Note: If you breach these requirements during the examination, there may be consequences under Te Kawa | Academic Regulatory Framework, Part 12. Ākonga conduct.

When you go into the exam room

When you enter the examination room you need to show the examination supervisor your photographic proof of identity. They will direct you to the desk allocated to you, and tell you where you can store your personal belongings.

You will need to:

display your photo ID and admittance details on your desk so they are clearly visible to the examination supervisor
place all permitted reference materials on your desk. You will not be able to access them from elsewhere once the examination has started
check that the answer book on your desk has your name label on it, and that the examination question paper is the correct paper
complete all the information on the front cover of the answer book, including the honesty declaration section.

During your 10 minutes reading time you may make written notes on the question paper, but you cannot write in the answer book.

When the exam starts

Once the examination has started:

you must stay in the examination room for at least 45 minutes
you cannot leave the examination room in the last 15 minutes under any circumstance.

During the examination you must not:

look at or copy other candidates’ answers
communicate with any other candidate in the examination room
leave or return to the examination room, without the permission of the supervisor
cause any distraction or disturbance to other candidates in the examination room, including talking, eating, etc.

Note

Unreasonable conduct that distracts or impedes other learners in the examination room is not allowed.
If you leave the examination room without the examination supervisor's permission you will be deemed to have completed the examination. You cannot re-enter the room.

If you breach any of these requirements the examination supervisor has the right to request that you leave the examination room, and your examination may be cancelled with possible further action under Te Kawa | Academic Regulatory Framework, Part 12. Ākonga conduct.

Answering questions

Write your answers legibly, using a black/blue pen or ballpoint unless otherwise specified. Do not use red ink or pencil. Other colours may be used for illustrations.
Write all answers in the answer book provided.
Start each question, but not parts of a question, on a new page. Your examination supervisor will have spare paper if you need it.
Do rough working in the answer book and cross it out.
Do not use correction products (e.g. Twink/tape) on your answer book.
If you answer more than the required number of questions cross out those you don’t want marked.

At the end of the examination

The examination supervisor will make an announcement 15 minutes before the end of the examination period. You cannot leave the room for any reason during this time.

When the examination supervisor announces the end of the examination:

stop writing immediately
ensure that you have written the numbers of the questions you have answered on the front of the answer book
tie any extra writing paper to the answer book, ensuring you have detached any multi-choice question sheets and tied them to your answer book
remain seated at your desk until the examination supervisor advises you may leave
do not take any paper from the examination room except your admittance details. Your examination question paper must remain with your answer book, this will be available from the library after results have been released.

Before you leave, check your papers carefully. If you take a multiple-choice answer sheet from the examination room, it cannot be accepted later if you try to hand it in.