How to Schedule Final Exams - Michael Lee (2024)

Last updated 5/2/19 MNP
Methodology

• Schedule exams requesting their meeting rooms first. They will have an M on the furthest right in the SCH screen. If multiple finals are requesting the same meeting room priority goes to the one that did not change exam periods.

• Schedule special requests like Double Seating (DBL), Continuous Writing Surfaces (CWS) etc. or finals with notes second. These requests will appear below the unique on the SCH screen:

• Schedule all other requests last based on the size of the final from largest to smallest. Try to double seat where possible based on availability of rooms. When double seating is not possible try to get to as close as possible by spreading out rooms so that most of the finals only receive a certain percentage i.e. 80%
• If a final needs to be split into multiple rooms inform the final exam scheduler and ask them how many rooms they can proctor.
• Online classes holding exams are scheduled after regular classes that meet on campus.
  1. Departments with a blank timeline cannot use the reporting system to request a final exam and must send their request through email (classes with a timeline but a blank building and room can report exams through the system).
  2. More information regarding online class final exams can be found here: ..\..\Online Classes\DV Online Class Tracking Documentation working draft.docx

The TAB Screen
The TAB screen in *NREXAM is where we can see the official final exam index. It is ordered from 1-18.

• To move up or down TAB press F3
• Column 1 is class meeting start times
• Column 2 is the date and time of the final.
• Column 3 denotes official uniform exam periods.
• Column 4 indicates grade due dates.

• • Exam Type: R = Regular; U = Uniform; M = Make-up
  • Exam Period: 1-18 based on the index of final exams
  • Exam Room: Where the exam will be given
  • Master for group: This is the master unique that will be listed on the final exam search page.
  • +With: Uniques that will be taking the exam together. Note: remove the plus to see all uniques by clicking on the +, pushing spacebar, and hitting enter. A maximum of 30 uniques can exam together
  • Note: Any notes left by either the final exam scheduler or by scheduling
  • Students taking; dbl seat; media; screen; mc; cws; and tables are all options exam schedulers can request
  • Additional rooms: If additional rooms are needed there will be a 'Y' next to this field plus a list of rooms. Note we can only schedule a total of 5 rooms for each final exam request

The bottom field (in green) is where we schedule make-up exams. Make-up exams 'students taking' are listed as 10% of the uniform exam count and are assigned smaller rooms accordingly. Also different uniforms may request to be grouped together in the same make-up exam period.
The SCH screen

• How to get to specific exam periods

Go to *NREXAM. Enter SCH under command and the YYS as illustrated below. If it is for summer enter the appropriate session (F = first, S = second/whole, N = nine week). Then enter the exam period under 'Period'

• The SCH Screen

SCH is broken up into the left and right side with a demarcated line between them. The left side is available GPCs and the right side is final exam requests
GPC Screen Final Exam Request Screen

• How to navigate the SCH screen

F1 – Scrolls down the left side of the GPC screen
F2 – Scrolls up the left side of the GPC screen
F3 – Scrolls down the right side of the final exam request screen
F4 – Scrolls up the right side of the final exam requests screen. Note you can only scroll up one screen. To go back to the beginning on the right side enter '999' in the Start Point column and press enter:

• Special Codes on right side of SCH screen

• On the left side of the unique: U = Uniform Exam and M = Make-up Exam. If there is no letter it is a regular exam
• On the right side of the unique an A, O, or M can appear as noted below.

M = Meeting Room; O = Other Room; and A = Additional Room
Assigning Exams in SCH

• The Final Exam lead will divide up the exam periods 1-18 to the team for scheduling
• In NREXAM enter SCH in command, YYS and the period assigned as illustrated below:

• To schedule an exam in a room mark the exam number 1-6 next to the room on the left. As an example below exam 2 is scheduled in BUR 106. Exam 3 is scheduled in WCH 1.120:

• You can see what is scheduled in a GPC by placing a '?' next to it. This will show all exam periods the room is scheduled for
• You can remove a room assignment by deleting the 'X' next to the final exam request (right side) and pressing enter (do not enter a <space>, actually press "Delete" to delete)
• If a GPC is assigned to nothing by mistake you can delete the 'X' next to it and hit enter (do not enter a <space>, actually press "Delete" to delete)

Tips and Notes

• Unless specifically requested double seating is not a guarantee but we try to double seat as many exams as we can. Double seating ~90% of the class, particularly for larger uniforms is more than enough.
• If you move a final exam out of its meeting room make sure to contact the final exam scheduler to let them know and explain why i.e. only 10 students taking in a 100 seat meeting room.
• Scheduling in conflict: Sometime departments will ask us to schedule different uniques together, particularly in cases of make-up exams. To schedule a conflict enter two exam numbers into the same room number in SCH. A dialogue box will pop up asking you to press PF5 to schedule this conflict. Press Enter

Double Checking Final Exams

• Use class manager to determine if finals that requested their meeting rooms received them. If a class did not receive their meeting room first look for a large discrepancy in students taking vs. room size. If there is no large discrepancy ask the team member who scheduled that final exam period for their reasoning.
• For all other requests check to see if rooms are suitable based on requests and students taking. Note double seating is not a given but we try to double seat where possible.