Remote Final Exam Advice for Students

For remote exams, your professors will make exams open book, but you should follow their instructions regarding the honor code and exactly what is, and isn’t, allowed. Please follow the three steps below before and during the exam.

Read student guides for remote exams

Unless the department or class has a custom tool that is used for exams, your instructor will most likely be using a tool you’ve used for homework or problem sets. Look for an announcement from your instructors about which method they are using and read the relevant guides. 

Gradescope: If instructors plan to use Gradescope to receive your work, find out how they will release the questions--Canvas Files, Assignments, or another method. To avoid lines at public printers, they are encouraged to share a printable answer sheet to print before the day of the exams so nothing needs to be printed on the day of the exam. 

Canvas Assignments: This method should be the same as homework. If you are asked to submit a scan rather than a doc file, familiarize yourself with your software to keep your file size low (for example, please see the scanner advice included below)

Canvas Quizzes:  Even if you’ve previously used Canvas Quizzes, click the link for tips on bookmarking and saving work. Note that for an exam, quizzes may be set up to autosubmit at a designated time.   

Familiarize yourself with the space and equipment

Undergraduate dorms and libraries have computer clusters with printers/scanners. Please be sure to check library hours before heading out the door. If you are using either Canvas Assignments or Gradescope to submit files, instructors should be shortening the time it will  take to complete exams to allow for any necessary printing or scanning. Please allow ample time before the due date time to start uploading. Refer to the help section below if you encounter any technical difficulties.

Your computer and wifi: Be sure you are in a location with a strong wifi signal.

Printing in the clusters above is FREE from Friday March 13 through Wednesday March 25, 2020. 

Scanners: If you are submitting handwritten work, as with Gradescope, you will need to scan your work in order to submit it to your professor.

• Cluster scanners: There is no charge to email the scanned documents using cluster scanners  (same as copier/printers) to yourself for uploading (and if asked,  directly to your instructor). Please be courteous of the students who may be in the cluster to take their exam on a computer.
• Phone/mobile apps: If you have a scanning app, practice using it in ample light and make sure it can scan to PDF format in black and white. Here’s some scanning guidance from Gradescope or if you’re not using Gradescope, try this Guide to GeniusScan.

Other software: If your instructors ask you to record yourself in certain courses, please familiarize yourself in advance with the necessary equipment and software to ensure a good recording and proper compression.

Know what to do if you need help during the exam

If you run into any difficulty, contact your professor and contact technical support:

• Canvas
• Gradescope
• Printing/scanning issues: your RCC or if they are not available   printing-help@acomp.stanford.edu.

Be as specific as you can in your communication (e.g., if printing, include your dorm or building, your room number and the nature of your issue.). You may not receive immediate help, but your issue will be documented and you may share the documentation with your professors as needed.