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Exams

Midterm Exams

Timing
The Office of the Registrar does not schedule midterm exams, and there are no special room or time provisions for them. They are generally held in the same room at the same time as the regular class meeting. Hence the maximum length of the exam is 80 minutes. Each faculty member chooses when he or she would like to administer midterms. In doing so, it is customary for faculty in the larger MPP or MPAID required core courses to coordinate the schedules to avoid exam conflicts within the MPP or MPAID programs. Faculty are required to indicate the date for midterms on their web syllabi and on their initial class administrative handouts.

If faculty are combining sections for a midterm exam they should work with the scheduling office to find a large enough space.

Students who Perform Poorly on the Midterm
Faculty should get in touch with the Program Director immediately; he or she will arrange help for the student.

Final “Bluebook Exams”

Final (Bluebook) Exams for Semester Long or Modular Courses

Faculty must request an exam to be scheduled when they submit their catalog copy for the following academic year. The exam schedule is created by the Assistant Dean for Teaching Support and made public at the same time as the fall and spring schedules, in early August preceding the academic year. This is so students will have the information required to avoid signing up for two courses with exams at the same time. Once the exam schedule has been published exam days or times may not be changed. Exams may not be added. However exams may be cancelled entirely if the faculty changes to a take home exam or final paper.

Exam Length
While there is no required length for a final exam, the standard exam lasts not more than 3 hours Morning exams are held from 9:00 am to 12:00noon; afternoon exams from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. At the instructor's discretion, extra time may be permitted in special cases. (See below.)

Final Exams for Module Length Courses
Final exams for Module Period 1 & 3 courses are generally held on the last day of class in the regularly scheduled room. Final exams for Module Period 2 & 4 courses follow the regular fall and spring semester exam schedule . See schedule for final exams and papers. The due dates for final grades in the module or semester length course are set by the Registrar’s Office.

Conflicts in Exam Schedules
It is the students' responsibility to make sure they do not register for two classes with exams scheduled at the same time. The exam schedule is made public well before students register for classes so that they may avoid exam conflicts. Occasionally conflicts do arise (frequently with courses in other departments whose exam schedule was not published early, or which may have changed). Generally speaking it is the students' responsibility to resolve the conflict. If faculty do agree to give the exam to the student concerned at a different time the faculty member must write a different exam for that student.

Blue Books
Blue books may be picked up from the Course Materials Office. For an 8:30am exam during midterms or a 9:00 exam (during final exam period), they must be picked up the day before the exam. If the exam is at 8:30 or 9:00 on Monday morning bluebooks should be picked up on the previous Friday

Answer Packets for Exams: An Alternative to Bluebooks
At the start of the exam each student receives two packets:

1. The exam itself: The cover page provides the instructions for taking the exam.
2. The answer packet: The student writes name, ID#, and any other information requested by the instructor (e.g., section or degree program) on the cover.

There is one page for each question (identified by question number, plus title if it has one); the student enters the ID# only on each page.

There is one page for each question (identified by question number, plus title if it has one); the student enters the ID# only on each page.The 8½x11 answer packets work particularly well for quantitative exams.

If the instructor wishes, diagrams or equations that appear in the question are photocopied into the answer packet.

After the exam, the CAs sort the completed exam packets by question to facilitate faculty grading, making sure there is an ID# on each page. When grading is finished, grades are entered in a spreadsheet. The packets are then reassembled for return to the students. Faculty who have tried it say the answer packet speeds up both the grading and the assignment of final letter grades

Student Stress
For students new to the Kennedy School, the prospect of their first midterm can generate an especially high level of anxiety. Faculty have tried a long list of remedies to alleviate students’ suffering and forestall panic attacks during the exam. Written instructions (email or handout) in advance of the exam help; (see Exam ground rules for students above) A voluntary practice exam is another possibility.

Faculty and Proctor Responsibilities

Faculty have the overall responsibility for all exams given in their courses.

Faculty Responsibilities Before the Exam
It is the instructor’s responsibility to arrange for proctors; usually the CAs and TFs serve as proctors. Even if the CAs and TFs will proctor the exam, instructors must be present 15 minutes before the exam begins and remain in the room for 15 minutes after the start of the exam. Instructors should appear at regularly scheduled intervals during the exam to answer substantive questions and to give proctors breaks. With the larger classes, it is recommended that there be a minimum of two proctors in the room at all times.

Instructions for Proctors
Faculty should be sure that the proctors know when and where they are to report and what they are supposed to do. See Guidelines for Exam Proctors for additional information.

Notifying Students
In advance of the exam, inform students in writing (email or handout) of the ground rules for the exam and any other essential information. Be specific about what materials (PDAs, calculators, etc.) they may bring with them to the exam. For additional guidelines on this issue see exam ground rules for students.

Cover Memo for the Exam
Provide specific instructions (ID only, how many of the questions to answer, points awarded for each question, use and labeling of separate bluebooks, etc.).

Proofreading the Exam
Be sure you have proofread the exam for clarity, level of difficulty, and length of time required.

Copies of the Exam
It is the responsibility of the instructor to provide the requisite number of copies (plus a few extra) of the exam.

Blue Books
It is the responsibility of the faculty member to pick up the appropriate number of blue books from the Course Materials Office. If the exam is at 9:00 am the blue books must be picked up the day before, which means Friday if the exam is on Monday. As an alternative to blue books, some faculty find Answer Packets more satisfactory for students and easier to grade. Unused blue books must be returned immediately to the CMO.

Media Services
StudioHKS lists media equipment for all classrooms. If you will need media devices beyond those regularly available in the classrooms, submit a request in advance through StudioHKS. If you are planning to project materials, have hard copy back ups in case the projection system fails.

Last Minute Check
Faculty should get there early to make sure the room is OK (lights, heat, etc.) and any media equipment functioning. Emergency phone numbers (there is a phone in every classroom but it connects only to Media Services and IT Services):
Facilities (Building Services): 495-1306
Media Services: 495-0493

Faculty Responsibilities During the Exam
Faculty are responsible for managing the exam and ensuring that proctors understand and carry out their instructions. See Guidelines for Exam Proctors.

Instructors in the Exam Room
Even if the CAs and TFs will proctor the exam, instructors must be present 15 minutes before the exam begins and remain in the room for 15 minutes after the start of the exam. They should appear at regularly scheduled intervals during the exam to answer substantive questions and to give proctors breaks.

Final 15 minutes
Instructors are expected to be in the exam room for the final 15 minutes of the exam. They are responsible for ensuring that all students stop writing promptly at the conclusion of the exam.

Faculty Responsibilities after the Exam

Traveling with Students’ Exams or Papers
Faculty may not take original exams or papers with them to grade while traveling unless a copy of each exam or paper remains in the faculty member’s office.

Grading
Due dates for submitting final grades are set by the Registrar’s Office. Check the Academic Calendar, Key dates for faculty and staff, for dates. For detailed information on the Harvard Kennedy School grading system, policies, etc., click here.

Returning Exams and Papers
Students must have both access to and privacy with respect to their exams. Graded exams and papers must be returned to them; the exams may not be left in open mailboxes unless they are in a sealed envelope. An instructor may not post grades on his or her office door even if ID numbers only are used. Once the Registrar has entered the grades in the Student Information database, a student may access his or her password-protected grades on line.

If students come to an instructor’s office to inquire about their grades, the instructor must take care that they do not inadvertently see a grade sheet on the desk or computer screen. If the instructor’s staff assistant handles that end of the grading process, it is the instructor’s responsibility to ensure that the assistant is equally careful. Students wishing to have their spring exams returned by mail should provide the instructor with a self-addressed stamped manila envelope. For further information on privacy issues, visit The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) and Student Privacy Requirements

Guidelines for Exam Proctors
Exams are less stressful for students when they believe the faculty and proctors know what they are doing. That is the major advantage of following standard procedures in administering an exam, allowing of course for the differences among types of courses. These suggested guidelines may be given to the proctors as is, or faculty may adapt them to fit their own courses. Faculty should in any case note that they are responsible for their CAs’ and TFs’ knowing how to manage the exam when they themselves are out of the room.

Before the Exam Begins
Exam room. If the exam room is locked when you arrive, or if the lighting, heating, air conditioning, or ventilation need adjustment, call Facilities at 495-1306. Call Media Services at 495-0493 for problems with requested media equipment.

Blackboard List:
Course number, title, and faculty name
Instructions for filling out and labeling blue book covers:
(name & ID or ID only, course number, section if applicable)
"Exam ends... " (fill this in after the exam starts)

SeatingRequest students to leave an empty seat between each two students. Save some seats in the front of the room for late students; late arrivals won’t have blue books and copies of the exam, and they may have missed essential instructions.

Materials not allowed during the exam
All books, handbags, backpacks, and other disallowed materials must be stacked at the front or sides of the room.

Instructor availability
Make sure that you know when the instructor will return to the room to answer questions. Get the instructor’s office phone number in case you need it.

Beginning the Exam
Distribute the blue books or answer packets to each student. (Check with the instructor to find out how many bluebooks per student, an issue that doesn’t arise with answer packets.) Remind students to fill out the front of each blue book. Before handing out the exam, ask students if they have any questions. If they’re not banned altogether, announce that all cell phones must be turned off. Remind them that once the exam is handed out, there may be no talking during the exam.

“I’ve forgotten my ID#”
Make one up and give it to the student; give the student’s name and the fake number to the instructor.

Hand out the exam and then note end time on blackboard

During the Exam
Routine duties. Proctors should survey the room, being alert to questions that may arise. They should move quietly about the room at frequent intervals. The proctors are there to help students with problems, not as police officers. But they are also expected to be observant of any irregular behavior.

Breaks for the proctors. CAs and TFs should coordinate these among themselves or with the instructor.

Student questions regarding the content of the exam. Tell the student to continue with the examination while you contact the instructor. Only the instructor should respond to substantive questions.
Students using the restroom. When students are excused to use the restroom they must leave all of their exam materials in the exam room.
Concluding the Exam
Time announcements. Announce the time when there are 20 and then 10 minutes remaining.
When time has expired. Announce that the exam has ended and further writing is not allowed. If a student does not stop writing, repeat the request. If the student does not then stop writing immediately, tell him or her that you are required to document the incident. Do not get into a tug-of-war with the student.
Wrapping up. Remind students to be sure their name and/or ID are on all blue books or answer packets they are turning in, and that each blue book is numbered. Deliver all exams immediately to the instructor’s office and return unused bluebooks to the CMO.

Further Exam Policies
If a student becomes ill. Suggest a walk outside the room, a drink of water, or a few minutes’ rest. (It may be a panic attack that subsides after a few minutes.) If the student is too ill for these simple remedies, call the Program Director (see below for phone numbers). If the student must leave the exam, collect the exam materials and note the time remaining in the exam on the blue book.
Food and beverages. Alcoholic beverages are absolutely prohibited, and if found should be confiscated. With the exception of Weiner Auditorium, students may bring coffee, soft drinks, and small snacks to exam rooms, if they are not disturbing other students. No food or drink is permissible in Wiener Auditorium.
Student refusal to obey proctor instructions. If a student refuses to abide by the examination regulations or if there is any incident of inappropriate student behavior, the proctor should file a brief written report and give it to the instructor, who will share it with the Registrar.

Evidence of cheating. While cases of cheating in exams are rare, unfortunately they do occur. Not only is cheating a violation of the school’s policy on academic honesty, it can also prove distracting to other students who are taking the exam. Therefore the proctor or instructor must proceed with care. If you observe questionable behavior, call the student aside and ask for an explanation. Warn the student that the behavior will be reported, but allow the student to continue the exam. Do not take away the student’s examination; students are always allowed to continue and finish their examinations. The issue of whether or not they were engaged in cheating is adjudicated after the exam. If cheating is suspected the proctor should tell the instructor immediately and write up the incident as soon as possible. The instructor will inform the Registrar, who will convene the appropriate disciplinary committee to hear the case.

In case of a fire alarm. Do not second guess any fire alarm. When an alarm sounds, announce: “Take ONLY your examination copy, your examination booklets, and your valuables. Proceed in an orderly manner to the closest exit. Stay together, but do not talk about the exam and keep your blue books closed.” Obey the instructions of the Cambridge Fire Department and Harvard University Police. Note the time of the alarm. When the all clear is given and you return to the room, post on the blackboard: “The exam will now end at ………” Be sure that students have a cumulative full three hours of exam time no matter how long the interruption.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are exams during final class meetings permitted?
Exams during the last class meeting time are discouraged, for they raise havoc with other courses and with course evaluations. Students studying for exams during the last week of class are not able to devote appropriate time to their other courses. Nor are we able to provide appropriate exam space, seating students in alternate seats. (Modules in Periods 1 and 3 are the exception.)

How should students with disabilities be accommodated?
In such a case, the student should consult the Disabilities Coordinator.

May students for whom English is a second language be permitted more time for the exam?
At the discretion of the instructor, students for whom English is a second language may be eligible for extra time on final exams. It is the responsibility of the student to contact the instructor at least 24 hours in advance of the exam in order to be accommodated. If approved, the general practice is to permit up to a half hour extra for the exam, either at the beginning or end of the exam.

May exams be rescheduled for students' convenience?
Normally faculty may not provide a different exam time for students who have a personal conflict with a HKS exam, for instance, job interviews or travel. Students may not register for two courses that have exams at the same time. The HKS exam schedule is made public well before students register for classes so that they may avoid exam conflicts. Faculty who have questions about whether this rule applies in a particular case should consult with the Registrar.

Exam Ground Rules for Students

In addition to the school wide general ground rules below it is helpful for faculty to provide students a sheet of special instructions for their particular exam (…e.g., open book, what the exam will cover, etc. …)

Standard Instructions for all Kennedy School exams
While some of these rules may seem arbitrary or unnecessary, they are designed to protect students against unwarranted accusations of improper behavior.

What students may/may not bring to their desks during the exam (partial and very tentative list below; cell phones are typically the main issue)
Reminders. All backpacks, handbags, notebooks, etc. must be stacked at the front or sides of the room before the exam begins. Cell phones and PDAs must be turned off and left in students’ backpacks. Students will be asked to provide their Harvard ID numbers.
Leaving the room. If you wish to go to the restroom during the exam, check first with the proctor. You must leave all your exam materials with the proctor. While you are out of the exam room you must not talk with anyone. If a friend tries to start a conversation, the proper response is: “I can’t talk with you now; I’m in the middle of an exam.”

Food and Beverages
With the exception of Wiener Auditorium, students may bring coffee, soft drinks, and small snacks to exam rooms but must take care not to disturb other students. Alcoholic beverages are absolutely prohibited. No food or drink is permissible in Wiener Auditorium.

Make-Up Exams

All students must attend midterm and final exams unless excused for reasons of health or family emergency. Acceptable reasons for a student’s missing a midterm exam include illness, a family emergency, or a conflict with another midterm exam (perhaps for a course offered in another school). Missing an exam to attend a job interview is not considered acceptable.

A student who is unable to take an exam should notify the Registrar immediately. If instead the student gets in touch with the instructor, the instructor should immediately turn the matter over to the Registrar in order to ensure that students in like circumstances are treated equally. This policy applies to take home exams as well as scheduled blue book exams.

Final Exams. When a student misses an exam for an acceptable reason (having appropriately notified the Registrar in advance), it is up to the instructor and the student to schedule and arrange for proctoring the exam at a mutually agreeable time. To prevent the perception or the reality of unfair advantage, the instructor must write a different exam for the rescheduled exam.

If a student simply fails to show up for a final, he or she is given a grade of ABS (absent). Whether or not the student is allowed to take a makeup exam depends on the circumstances, and is an issue to be resolved by the Registrar in consultation with the instructor. If a makeup exam is allowed, the instructor must write a different exam.

Midterm Exams. Students are expected to be present for midterms. If a student is unable to attend a midterm, it is at the faculty member’s discretion whether or not to reschedule a makeup exam. To prevent the perception or the reality of unfair advantage, the instructor must write a different exam for the rescheduled exam

If a student misses an exam for an unacceptable reason, the faculty member has several options, including assigning a failing grade for the midterm exam and counting it in the overall grade average for the course, weighting other academic products more heavily to make up for the fact that the midterm has been missed; or (in addition to changing the weight of other academic products) reducing the final grade by one full grade (e.g., from A- to B+).

Take Home Exams

Schedule for Take Home exams.
Take Home exams may be handed out during the last week of regular class meetings. They may not be due before the first day of the period during which Take Home exams and Final Papers are due. 

Schedule: Final Exams and Papers.
Due Date for Take Home exams: Instructors may choose any due date within the take home exam period found on that term's academic calendar, but not before. Note that take homes in Module Period 1 or 3 may be due at any time up until the end of the first week of classes in Module Period 2 or 4. Take home exams for Module Period 2 and 4 follow the same schedule as take home exams for the regular fall and spring semesters.

Due dates for all final grades in the module or semester length course.
The due dates for final grades are set by the Registrar’s Office. Check grade due dates on the Academic Calendar, Key Dates for Faculty and Staff.

In setting due dates for Take Home Exams, instructors should take into account the date when the grade is due in the Registrar's Office. They should also require submission at a time at least an hour before the staff assistant leaves for the day.
Consultation and Collaboration on Take Home exams. Faculty must provide written instructions for the exam that include an explicit statement that consultation and collaboration are not permissible on Take Home exams. Students should also be reminded that the rules of attribution apply to Take Home exams. All sources must be cited, including other students' written work.

Student Questions about a Take Home exam. The instructor must identify an individual responsible for answering questions about the exam (the instructor or a CA or TF.) This person must be available at specified hours during the Take Home period.
Electronic submissions. Students may wish to submit take home exams electronically. The syllabus (and also the exam itself or instructions for the paper) should make it clear whether the instructor will accept these submissions.

If electronic submissions are accepted, the deadline for submission should be 24 hours earlier than for those that are submitted in hard copy. This will allow time for the all-too-familiar electronic mishaps (emails lost in cyberspace, attachments that cannot be opened, servers crashing, and other disasters).

Instructions to students. The Registrar recommends that instructors include the following language on the cover sheet for all Take Home exams:
You may consult your books or other reference material or your class notes.
You many NOT consult any person other than the instructor or course assistant about any aspect of this exam.

The rules of attribution apply to take home exams: All sources should be cited, including other students' written work.

If you have any questions about any part of this exam, you may call the instructor:
(…name…) at (…phone…) during the following hours: (…days and hours…).
Or you may call one of the course assistants:
(…names…) at (…phones…) during the following times: (…days and hours…).

In addition, the Administrative Board recommends that the exam include an affidavit attesting to compliance with the stipulations listed above, to be signed by each student when he or she turns in the Take Home.

Here is an example:
Statement of Compliance with Kennedy School Rules for Take Home Exams
I affirm that I have had no conversation regarding this exam with any persons other than the instructor and the authorized course assistants.
Further, I certify that the attached work represents my own thinking. Any information, concepts, or words that originate from other sources are cited in accordance with the Kennedy School guidelines as published in the Academic Code.
I am aware of the serious consequences that result from improper discussions with others or from the improper citation of work that is not my own.
(signature) ____________________
(date) ______________
Access the current schedule for final exams and papers.

Posting Student Grades

Grades may never be posted by student identification number because students’ ID numbers, although legally confidential, can all too often be traced to a student’s identity.
Other information which is considered private: any computer printouts, class lists on paper or on a computer, computer display screens, and notes taken during any kind of advising session with a student. Faculty and staff must not allow any students to view, read, or record another student’s ID number while in their workspace.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), known also as the Buckley amendment gave students certain rights with respect to the privacy of their educational records. The primary rights afforded are the right to inspect and review the educational records, the right to seek to have the records amended, and the right to have some measure of control over the disclosure of information contained in the records.
As employees of the Kennedy School, faculty and staff have a responsibility to protect all education records in their possession.

For further clarification on Kennedy School policies regarding posting of grades see The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) and Student Privacy Requirements

Who can see student records?
School officials are the only individuals permitted to review student records without the permission of the student. “School officials” at HKS are defined as those members of the institution who act in the student’s educational interest within the limitations of their “need to know”. This may include faculty, administrators, and other employees, including student employees and/or part-time employees who manage student educational record information.