Our learning strategies team and Academic Success created a helpful resource on Take-home and Online Exams (PDF).
We also created a series of videos to assist you:
- Strategies for Online Tests and Exams: Considerations and Responsibilities
- Strategies for Online Tests and Exams: The Preparation Process
- Strategies for Online Tests and Exams: On the Day of the Test or Exam
View the full YouTube playlist: ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES: Strategies for Online Tests and Exams – University of Toronto
For information on assessments (tests/quizzes/take-home tests and exams), visit Accommodated Testing Services (ATS).
Read information from their office below:
How does accommodated testing work for online courses?
- You still need to register with Accommodated Testing Services (ATS) for each assessment.
- You’ll find details for all assessments in the syllabus for each course. We recommend registering for all of your term tests right away, so that you don’t miss registration deadlines throughout the term. The deadline to register is 14 days before each assessment.
- For each of your bookings, ATS will contact your instructor or department administrator to get the details of the assessment. Once those details are confirmed, your time-based accommodations will be implemented, if applicable.
- Please note that in order to implement your time-based accommodations online, they will be shared on a need-to-know basis. They may be shared with your instructor and/or department administrator, depending on your department’s processes and the platform being used. If you have questions or concerns about who your accommodations will be shared with, please contact ATS.
- Once your accommodations have been implemented, you will receive a confirmation email from ATS. ATS will aim to notify you a minimum of 2 business days prior to your assessment, however there may be delays depending on when they hear back from your instructor/faculty.
- LATE REQUESTS: If there were extenuating circumstances which prevented you from registering by the deadline, late registrations should be directed to your accessibility advisor. Late registrations are not guaranteed.
Extra time accommodations
Extra time accommodations continue for online assessments.
Extra time provisions apply to all timed exams including take-home exams (e.g. a take-home exam gets 1.25 time added – the same as a two-hour, in-class test/exam). For assignments where you have weeks or months to prepare, you can request the usual extension accommodation of up to one week from the due date as indicated on your letter of accommodation. If you have questions, contact your accessibility advisor.
How extra time calculation works
For online tests: The usual time-assessment calculation is extra time + stopped clock breaks + class writing length.
For take-home tests: Refer to the calculation chart on the ATS website.
How make-up tests work
Accommodations for make-up tests continue. Please register for make-up tests (select the first pink button) as usual through ATS.
How assignment deadline and time zone conflicts work
If you have multiple assignments due at the same time and/or are in a different time zone where exam time translates to the middle of the night, contact your professor or your faculty/college registrar’s office to discuss next steps. If you’re still having difficulties, get in touch with your accessibility advisor.
Quercus help
View my extra time: In Quercus, view your assignments and their due dates and your quizzes and their deadlines. Professors may use either the assignment or quiz function for your take-home assessments. If the amount of extra time doesn’t reflect your accommodations, email your accessibility advisor.
Tell me how much time I have left: If you’re using the Quercus quiz section to complete your assessment, you can find information on quiz warning notifications. There are no time warning notifications for assignments, so use helpful tools like your phone’s timer to make sure you submit the assignment on time.
Taking a break: If you’re writing your test online and don’t have live proctoring, you need to log back in if you have left the room/your computer for a certain amount of time. Refer to Quercus instructions on resuming a quiz you have started.
My computer logged out: You just need to log back in. Refer to Quercus instructions on resuming a quiz you have started.
Technical difficulties: Contact the Information Commons Help Desk and your professor/designated contact if you experience a technical issue that affects your ability to write the assessment.
