Due to Covid-19, Athabasca University exam locations are closed and only ONLINE exams are being issued. Students must confirm that an invigilation centre is open before booking an exam. Please refer to the Covid Q&A page for any updates and current steps for booking an online exam.
Students are required to write an exam with an established Athabasca University-approved invigilator if they live within 100 km of an already-approved invigilator. Students who live more than 100 km away from an examination centre may write their exams closer to home provided they arrange for an invigilator.
An invigilator is a person authorized by AU to oversee the writing of an examination by an AU student. There may be an AU-approved invigilator in your area already.
Use the link below to determine whether there is an AU-approved invigilator in your area. If not, email Examination Services Unit, Office of the Registrar, review the Exam Request Deadlines, and Invigilation guidelines below.
AU has the right to refuse a requested invigilator and request that the student submit an alternative invigilator, or request that the student write the examination at an AU-approved invigilator. AU has the right to discontinue the use of an AU-approved invigilator at any time.
If an AU-approved invigilator is not available in your area, you may propose an individual (with the Invigilator Request Form), who meets the guidelines below. The request time is longer than for an exam request with an existing invigilator. Please review Exam Request Deadlines.
Before an invigilator may be approved, the University must be able to verify the accuracy of the information presented by the student and proposed invigilator.
Invigilator Environment
Invigilation Criteria
A proposed invigilator must be fluent in written and spoken English and be a permanent employee in one of the following categories:
A proposed invigilator may not be a friend, neighbour, co-worker, supervisor, family member, or relative of the student, and may not live at the same address as the student. Exceptions may be considered for students who live in remote communities and who do not have access to one of the individuals from the above categories within a 100 km radius of the student’s residence. The Office of the Registrar must be confident that the individual selected will ensure that the examination invigilation guidelines will be followed and that there is no conflict of interest between the approved invigilator and student.
AU students are not permitted to act as invigilators for other AU students without the written permission of an authorized representative of AU as designated by the AU Registrar. Students at other schools are also not permitted to act as an invigilator unless the individual is a paid employee of an AU-approved invigilation centre or has been approved by an authorized representative of AU as designated by the AU Registrar.
If these options are not available to you, email Examination Services Unit, Office of the Registrar. A staff member will help you determine a suitable location and an acceptable invigilator. If you would like to request an invigilator review, fill out the Invigilator Request Form and email it to invigilator_review@athabascau.ca
Students are responsible for any expenses incurred when writing an examination. Most invigilators request a fee to invigilate examinations. Invigilation centers may also charge a fee if you cancel or reschedule your examination.
AU does not charge a fee to invigilate examinations at any of its three offices located in Athabasca, Edmonton, or Calgary, Alberta.
Online Exam
The AU-approved invigilator will be provided with instructions, a secure password, and a hyperlink to access an online exam in advance of a student's scheduled exam write date. Only the invigilator may log in to access the exam. Secure passwords must never be given to a student.
Standard Mail
All exams are shipped by letter mail to the AU-approved invigilator. Students must take postal delivery times into consideration when making their exam request. Note that delivery standards may vary for rural, remote, and international communities. Students who are writing an exam in rural, remote, and international areas should add additional time to their request. AU cannot guarantee a desired delivery date.
Courier Delivery
Students may request that their exam be shipped to their AU-approved invigilator via courier at their own expense. Students can request courier shipment at the time they make their exam request.
AU courier fees vary between locations ad may be subject to change at any time. Note that AU Athabasca is not located in a major courier hub and overnight delivery is not available. AU courier fees are non-refundable and AU cannot guarantee a desired delivery date.
An attempted or completed exam must be returned to AU in the return envelope provided and only by the AU-approved invigilator on the same or next business day.
Students may provide an invigilator with a pre-paid courier envelope for the return of the exam. Invigilators must ensure that the exam is returned to the specified address on the return envelope provided by AU and ensure that the attempted or completed exam is never in the student’s possession outside of the allotted write period.
A void exam will be considered attempted but will not be graded. The Associate Registrar, Operations, will evaluate each case on its own merit and provide the student with instructions on how to proceed.
Visit Unwritten/Multiple Exams for information on returning unwritten exams.
Information effective Sept. 1, 2020 to Aug. 31, 2021.
Updated March 15 2021 by laurab
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