Last update 2022.04.

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Department of Law
The University of Hong Kong

Guidelines for taking self-proctored exams

PART A: Instructions and warnings

1. Once the exam begins, consultation and collaboration are strictly prohibited. Any such
infractions will be dealt with as academic offences attracting penalties including the
possibility of suspension and dismissal. See also our general policy on Plagiarism.

2. This is a self-proctored exam. You are required to record the entire proceedings by using the
function of zoom recording and send us (i) the video link and (ii) password within 24 hours
after your exam.

3. The Department will spot check the videos. Relevant videos will also be reviewed when there
are suspected academic offences or when students report technical errors during test (for
instances: computer/system crash or slow Moodle response when uploading answers). In this
connection, you should read PART B of this document carefully to learn how to operate zoom
recording. To avoid any last-minute panic, we strongly advise you to run a trial well in
advance and make yourself familiar with the steps of running a zoom recording.

PART B: Steps to run a self-proctored assessment

1. To prepare for your self-proctored assessment, please make sure you have the following
items:

a) Desktop or laptop computer (tablet and smartphone are not suggested) with:
- stable internet access and a browser compatible with Moodle;
- built-in webcam or external camera mounted at the top of the screen facing
yourself; and
- built-in microphone or external audio capturing device
b) HKU student card or HKID card to verify your identity

2. Steps for running a Zoom Recording – VERY IMPORTANT

Pre-exam preparations
(students are expected to do their preparations few days before the exam)

1 Set up Zoom client For first time Zoom users with their HKU account, please follow the
steps from ITS at

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 https://www.its.hku.hk/services/communication/conferencing/zoom to
set up your HKU Zoom account and desktop client.

2 Access your Zoom Go to https://hku.zoom.us (REMINDER – do not go to https://zoom.us/)

account and login with your HKU portal UID and PIN

3 Adjust Zoom settings 1. Choose ‘Settings’ on the left side

2. Choose ‘Recording’ near the top

3. Activate all options under the ‘Cloud recording’ section (REMINDER

– all options must be activated)

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4 Practice Zoom self- Familiar with the self-recording process few days before the exam.
recording Read the following steps for more information.

On the day of exam

10-15 minutes before the start of the exam

5 Start Zoom recording To begin the zoom recording session, you should
session
1. choose ‘Host a meeting’ at the top right of the page

2. click ‘with video on’

3. you will be redirected to the Zoom client and if prompted, choose

‘Open Zoom meetings’.

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6 Preparation for 1. Make sure the audio and video are both switched on (ie. no red line
recording across these logos at the bottom left).

2. Access course Moodle and close all other programmes and browser
tabs.

3. Click ‘Share screen’

4. Choose ‘Screen’ (the first option)

5. Click ‘Share’ - you will see yourself on camera on the top right-hand
corner and you will also see ‘You are screen sharing’ menu bar at the
top of your screen.

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7 Begin the recording 1. Place your cursor at the top of the screen to access the Zoom menu.
Click ‘…. More’ and then choose ‘Record to the cloud’ (REMINDER – do
not choose “Record on the Computer”)

2. Check the remaining storage of your Cloud. To ensure you have

sufficient space for your forthcoming self-proctored exams, you may
need to delete some old files in order to free up some storage space.

3. A cloud logo with a recording symbol will appear (see below). Zoom
is now recording from your screen and camera.

8 Identity check and 1. Hold out your student card in front of the camera for at least 5
room scanning seconds for identification purposes. Make sure the ID details are
properly captured by your camera. Say out your name in front of the
camera when you show your student card.

2. Slowly rotate your camera / laptop around to capture the image of

the surrounding environment. Return your camera / laptop to its
original location.

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 3. The use of virtual background is not allowed

On the day of exam

Download the exam paper and start your exam

9 Begin the assessment 1. Download the question paper from course Moodle

2. Download the standard cover sheet from course Moodle and type
your answers from the second page. To ensure anonymous marking,
please use the course code and your student number as your file name.
For instance: LLAW1005_3035123456

3. To avoid computer crash, all other irrelevant browsers should be

closed before you start the assessment.

10 Communicate with 1. If you have any questions, use the Moodle discussion board to
the course team communicate with the course team for assistance and inquiries during
the exam. The course team will also use the discussion board for any
announcements if needed.

2. If you wish to ask any questions arising from the question paper, you
must do so within the first half hour of the examination.

End time of your exam

Stop writing and upload your answers to Moodle

11 After finishing the 1. Stop writing (if you think it is helpful, you may set an alarm clock or
assessment countdown clock to remind yourself when you should stop writing and
submit your paper). IMPORTANT NOTE – there is no grace period for
you to upload your exam answers. To ensure you have enough time to
finalise your answers for submission, additional time has already been
allocated. You must stop writing, upload and submit your answers by
the stipulated deadline - so please allow sufficient time to upload your
answers (for example: if your paper deadline is 12:30 pm, you should
stop writing a few minutes earlier and submit your paper on Moodle by
12:30:59 pm.).

2. No late submission would be accepted under the normal situation. If

respective examiner accepts your late submission, penalty may apply.

3. Save and upload your paper on Moodle immediately.

4. After you have successfully uploaded your paper on Moodle, double-

check and make sure your submission is correct and you have
successfully unloaded the answers. If you have uploaded a wrong
document on Moodle and unable to re-submit, email your correct
paper to lawpaper@hku.hk immediately. To avoid unnecessary
confusion, do not send paper to lawpaper@hku.hk if you have

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 successfully submitted your paper via Moodle.

5. After you have submitted your answers on Moodle, stop screen

sharing by clicking ‘Stop Share’ and ‘Stop Recording’ buttons in
sequence. A pop up message will show up. Click ‘Yes’ to end the
recording. You can now end the Zoom meeting session.

Within 24 hour after the assessment

Send your cloud recording link and passcode to Moodle

12 Receive the link of the Zoom will process the video on their servers. Once the video is ready,
recorded video from an email with a shareable link will be sent to your HKU email address.
Zoom You may also access and view the recorded footage under ‘Recordings’
in your HKU Zoom account page.

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13 Submit the recorded 1. Submit both the link of your Zoom cloud recording and the
video passcode to the ‘Self-Proctored Video submission box’ within 24 hours
after your assessment. You will find the Submission Box on Moodle.

2. Copy and paste BOTH video link and the passcode to the text box

3. Click ‘Save changes’ to submit the video link and passcode.

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PART C: Reminders

1. The use of virtual background in Zoom is not allowed.

2. You are not allowed to wear earphone or earplug during the assessment.
3. To avoid computer crash, all other irrelevant browsers should be closed before you start your
exam (ie. you should only run Zoom and 1 or 2 HKU portal / Moodle tabs in internet browser)
4. If you need to use the bathroom during your assessment, you must indicate your need verbally
so that the recording can capture your movement. DO NOT switch off your screen or stop the
recording during the toilet break. No extra time will be granted.
5. You should begin your recording, complete the identity check and room scanning procedures at
least five minutes before the starting time of your assessment.

PART D: FAQs

Q: How should I prepare for my self-proctored exam?

A: you are suggested to take the following steps and get prepared before the commencement
of your timed online assessment.

 Review the academic integrity rules, the grading policy, the exam rules, the environment
requirements, the troubleshooting mechanism and all other exam instructions given out
by respective course examiner(s).

 Check your HKU mailbox and course Moodle to see if there are any last minute
announcements made by respective course examiner(s).

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 Look for a suitable exam venue - usually a quiet place with power socket and sufficient
lighting. Turn your mobile phone to silence mode to avoid unnecessary disturbances. If
you will do your exams at home / student hall, you may wish to let your family members
/ hall mates know your exam schedule in advance.

 The maximum storage of your HKU Cloud is 100GB. Depending on the setting of your
recordings, a 4-hour self-proctored exam may take 8-10 GB or even more space. To ensure
you have sufficient space for forthcoming self-proctored exams, we remind you to check
your remaining usage and delete old recordings from Cloud, if necessary. You are also
suggested to do a trial run to get an idea how large the file size is.

 Check and update software of your computer in advance, this is to avoid unexpected
compulsory shut down of your computer.

 Check the stability of power supply and internet access. Enable personal wifi hotspot of
your mobile phone as a back-up, if appropriate.

 Prepare a charger and power adaptor even if your laptop is fully charged.

 Prepare a stack of writing paper and appropriate writing utensils – in case your computer
breaks down in the middle of exam, you can still continue your exam.

 Make yourself familiar with the steps of downloading the exam paper from Moodle and
uploading answers on Moodle.

 Similarity reports will only be available after the submission deadline. This is to ensure
smooth submissions and avoid system crash.

 Set an alarm clock or a countdown clock to reminder yourself when you should stop
writing and submit your paper. You may also find it helpful to fix a brief schedule to plan
how you should allocate your exam time. Write it down on a post-it note and stick it next
to your screen. Please be reminded that all our deadlines are HK time (ie. GMT+8).

 Write down Department of Law’s phone numbers (3917-2951 and 3917-2952) (office
hours only), WhatsApp number (5134-0233) and email (lawpaper@hku.hk) on a post-it
note and stick it next to your screen – to ensure urgent matters will be handled in a timely
manner, please call or text the Department only when you require urgent assistance.

 Reserve enough time to login - it may take you several minutes to login and be directed
to relevant Moodle page.

 Download the standard cover sheet from Moodle and type your answers from the second
page. You may create the file with an appropriate file name in advance (i.e. course code
and your student number – for example: LLAW1001_123456789). A clear and precise file
name can avoid wrong submission. Most importantly, you can start your exam
immediately without spending time on page and format settings. If respective examiner

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 requires special document settings (font, font size and line spacing etc.), you should also
do it in advance.

Q: What should I do if I encounter unexpected interruptions during my timed online

assessment?
A: If you are interrupted in the middle of your self-proctored exam (for instances: fire drill or
unexpected health crisis of your family member) and unable to continue your exam, you must
notify the department immediately by phone (3917-2951 / 3917-2952) (office hours only) or
WhatsApp (5134-0233). Late report of unexpected interruptions during exam will not be
accepted unless you are able to provide strong justifications.

IMPORTANT - In the past, students reported that they felt unwell and wanted to leave in the
middle of exam. It is our standing policy that no supplementary exam would be provided once
the exam has started and the student has seen the exam questions. The incomplete answer
script would be marked and the exam result would be final. If you feel unwell, you must notify
the Department asap before the start of your exam. Do not download the exam paper and do
not upload your answers on Moodle. Once you have logged in to download the paper, we
treat that you are physically fit to sit the exam.

Q: What should I do if I am unable to sit my exam?

A: If you are unable to take your timed online exam on medical reasons or other acceptable
reasons, you are required to notify the Department immediately via phone numbers (3917-
2951 and 3917-2952) (office hours only), WhatsApp (5134-0233) or email (lawpaper@hku.hk).

You are also required to report your “absence” (ie. non-attempt / non-submission) to
University Health Service by submitting Form of Medical Certificate if your absence is due to
sickness. See the university’s examination procedure 23 and 24 below:

23. If for any reason you have been unable to attend for any paper in an
examination you must, within 14 days of the absence, write to the
Examinations Secretary at the Registry giving reasons for your absence.

24. If you are unable because of illness to be present for any paper in the
examination or if you believe that your state of health either immediately
before or during the examination has significantly affected your performance,
you should arrange to submit a prescribed Form of Medical Certificate. You
should consult a doctor immediately, and also complete Part I of the form and
then give or send it to your doctor with a request that Part II of the form be
completed by the doctor within 2 days of the date of the examination
concerned. The completed form, together with the sick leave certificate
issued by the attending doctor, should be sent by the doctor direct to the
Director, University Health Service and must reach him/her not later than 14
days after the examination.

Your absence from the assessment will be considered by the Board of Examiners. If the Board
accepts your explanation(s), you will be arranged a supplementary assessment. Otherwise,
your absence will be treated as a failure and you will receive zero mark for your assessment.
Supplementary exams are usually held in May (first semester’s exams) and late July / early
August (second semester’s exams).
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PART E: Contact and Inquires
1. If you encounter any technical difficulties before the assessment, please contact our IT Manager
Alan Tsang alanhku@hku.hk for assistance.
2. If you have any questions during the assessment, please use the Moodle discussion board for
inquiries. For any other urgent enquires (for instance: you are medically unfit to sit the test), you
may call the front lines during office hours (Mon-Fri; 09:00-18:45) at 3917-2951 or 3917-2952.

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