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Testing Services

Testing Services is available as a resource to instructors in supporting students with disabilities who have ANU-approved test accommodations. As questions about testing or implementing an approved test accommodation for a student in your course come up, please email Testing Services at testing@northwestern.edu for assistance. Testing Services appreciates instructors’ continued partnership as we all continue to work towards an inclusive environment for students with disabilities at Northwestern University.

Testing Services provides proctoring support to students on the Evanston campus who have ANU test accommodations. Exams in Chicago campus courses are proctored by their academic departments; however, Chicago students and faculty can use ANU Testing Services in Evanston, if needed.

Regular Hours of Operation:

  • Monday – Friday 9:00am – 4:00pm

Finals Week Hours of Operation:

  • Monday – Thursday 9:00am – 7:00pm
  • Friday 9:00am – 4:00pm

Location:

  • Testing Services Check-In Desk; 2122 Sheridan Rd, 2nd Floor, Evanston, IL 60208

Contact Information:

Exams Proctored by Professor/TA

Students taking their exams with their instructor or TA is often the best solution because students can readily ask questions and be quickly informed if there are any changes to the exam questions while testing. For this reason, Testing Services encourages instructors to proctor their exams whenever possible.

Testing Services ask that instructors proctor their exams when there are more than 15 students with test accommodations in their course due to limitations of the ANU testing space. Please note that Testing Services can proctor for students with test accommodations in the form of 2.0x extended time, computer use for short answer and essay questions, assistive technology on exams, private testing room, and special furniture arrangements regardless of the number of students with test accommodations in a course. Testing Services asks that instructors work with their department to identify proctors who can supervise their students’ test-taking when they or their TA are not available.

As soon as instructors receive the accommodation notification emails from AccessibleNU stating test accommodations have been approved for students in their course, instructors should create a plan to proctor accommodated exams. Options for proctoring include:

  • Proctoring remotely using Respondus LockDown Browser.
  • Using your office or departmental space for in-person proctoring.
  • Reserving rooms for in-person proctoring via the Office of the Registrar’s room reservation system (25Live). Please do this as early in the quarter as possible to ensure space availability.

After determining a plan for proctoring accommodated exams in their course, instructors should communicate the testing time and location to their students at least one week in advance.

Exams Proctored by Testing Services

If the instructor or TA cannot proctor their student’s exam and there are 15 or fewer students using ANU-approved test accommodations in the course, the instructor and student(s) should communicate about the student(s) taking their exam at Testing Services and follow these steps:

  1. Complete the course’s Testing Services Proctoring Agreement in the ANU Faculty Portal under the Alternative Testing section. The Proctoring Agreement can also be accessed via a direct link found in the red outlined box in the student’s accommodation notification email from ANU.
    1. Instructors will need to complete a Testing Services Proctoring Agreement for each course and section they teach. The Proctoring Agreement applies to all students with test accommodations in that course and section.
    2. Notify Testing Services staff via email (testing@northwestern.edu) if the completed Proctoring Agreement for a course needs to be updated (e.g., changes to exam dates/times, aids allowed for exams, etc.).
  2. Instruct the student(s) to schedule their test through the ANU Student Portal at least one week before the exam. Although instructors can coordinate with Testing Services for their students to take their exams at our office, instructors are not able to schedule exams at Testing Services for their students.
    1. The ANU Testing Services Faculty Communication Guide provides information to include in student communication and an email template for informing students of your proctoring plan.
  3. Submit a copy of the exam to Testing Services by uploading the exam file through the ANU Faculty Portal, by emailing a copy of the exam to testing@northwestern.edu, or dropping off a copy at the Testing Services Check-In Desk (2122 Sheridan Rd, 2nd Floor) at least 72 hours in advance of the scheduled exam time.
    1. Notify Testing Services of any changes made to the exam file after it is submitted to our office or resubmit the updated exam file to Testing Services.

If a student needs to reschedule their exam with Testing Services, Testing Services staff must receive verbal or written approval from the instructor to reschedule and approve the student’s exam (unless the instructor indicates their flexibility with exam dates/times on the Testing Services Proctoring Agreement and the student’s proposed rescheduled time falls inside the window of flexibility allowed by the instructor).

Using the ANU Faculty Portal for Testing Services

The ANU Faculty Portal is an excellent resource for instructors to view information about the students in their courses who have requested their ANU-approved test accommodations. For a quick tutorial on how to use the ANU Faculty Portal, please review the following 3-minute video: Using the Faculty Portal.

Adding TAs to the ANU Faculty Portal

If instructors would like their TAs to have full access to information about student accommodations in their courses in the ANU Faculty Portal, please email testing@northwestern.edu the following information:

  • Course number
  • TA’s full name
  • TA’s Northwestern email
  • TA’s NetID

Upon receiving this information, Testing Services staff will add the TA to the ANU Faculty Portal.

Completing a Testing Services Proctoring Agreement

There are two ways to complete a course’s Testing Services Proctoring Agreement:

  1. Use the direct link to the Testing Services Proctoring Agreement found in the red outlined box in a student’s accommodation notification email from ANU.
  2. Access the Testing Services Proctoring Agreement in the ANU Faculty Portal in the Alternative Testing Section. Use this 1-page proctoring agreement reference guide to complete it.

Downloading Completed Exam Files from the ANU Faculty Portal

Testing Services offers three return methods for completed exams: uploading completed exams in the ANU Faculty Portal, emailing completed exams to the instructor, or instructor/TA pick-up from our office.

Use this 1-page quick reference guide to download students’ completed exams from the ANU Faculty Portal.

 

 

Test Accommodation Implementation & Testing Services Commonly Asked Questions

  1. How do I contact my students with test accommodations while maintaining their confidentiality?
    1. When contacting students with test accommodations about their exam’s logistics, instructors or TAs should email the class at large about accommodated testing, blank copy students with test accommodations on the email sent directly to them, or email students with test accommodations separately to maintain student confidentiality.
    2. The ANU Testing Services Faculty Communication Guide provides information to include in student communication and an email template for informing students of your proctoring plan.
  2. Do my students with test accommodations need a separate room for their exam or can they be proctored in the same room?
    1. Each student with test accommodations does not need a private room for their test unless clearly specified in the accommodation notification email from ANU. The reduced distraction environment accommodation does not require a separate testing room for the student with this accommodation; however, students with this accommodation should be proctored in a separate room to reduce environmental distractions.
  3. How do I implement my student’s reduced distraction environment test accommodation?
    1. Students who have a reduced distraction environment test accommodation can take their exams with other students who have ANU-approved test accommodations (e.g., extended time accommodations). While Northwestern cannot guarantee a distraction free environment, instructors should aim to provide a room with less than 25 other students, limit noise and movement to the best of their ability, and ensure that students are not moved from one room to another throughout the duration of the exam.
  4. What are students allowed to use on their exams while being proctored at Testing Services?
    1. Unless specifically allowed by the instructor on the completed Testing Services Proctoring Agreement and/or the exam file’s cover sheet, books, notes, calculators, cell phones, smart watches, tablets, computers, and other non-essential items will not be allowed in the testing room.
  5. Are students allowed to leave the testing environment while being proctored at Testing Services?
    1. Students are permitted to exit the testing room only to use the restroom or to come to the Testing Services Check-In Desk to ask Testing Services staff to contact their instructor about exam questions