Testing and Test Administration

Undergraduate Examinations and Proctors

Most Guided Study (GS) and online (OL) courses, not including nursing, require a proctored midterm and/or final. Some courses have a paper or project in lieu of a final exam. TECEP® (TE) exams and e-Pack® (EP) courses require a proctored final only. All course semesters (GS, OL, EP and TE) are 12 weeks long. Make sure you are ready to complete the test on your scheduled test day, because once the online test link is accessed or the pen/paper test seal is broken, the test will be graded on the work completed.

Choose the Format of your Examinations

All course exams and TECEP® exams offer the Online Proctor Service (OPS) as a testing option. This allows you to take a test on your home computer while being proctored, in real time, by the OPS proctor. To utilize this option, you are required to have a webcam, specified computer requirements and audio capabilities. Our OPS vendor (ProctorU) provides test sessions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with the exception of some holidays. The link for scheduling with ProctorU is in your course space. If you cannot complete your exams online or if you prefer to take the pen/paper version, you can locate a proctor and submit a Proctor Request Form by the end of the first week of the semester. Forms and proctor guidelines can be found at www.tesu.edu/proctor. The Proctor Request Form can now be submitted electronically.

Taking your Examinations Online

If you decide to complete your exams online with our OPS option, the first step is to log into the ProctorU scheduling site to create an account. Take the WebCam Test to ensure that your camera, speakers, microphone, bandwidth, etc., are functioning properly. When you schedule your exams, be sure to select the correct semester so the test dates that correspond to your semester are made available. You will then select a date and time that is convenient. On the day of the test, you will once again log into the OPS site, click on the My Exams tab and wait for the proctor to come online for the identity verification process. You will then be directed to open your test link by logging into myEdison®. Select the Moodle Rooms tab to access your course exams (OL, GS, EP) or your TECEP® exams (TE). If you are taking a course exam, be sure to select the correct link (midterm versus final).

Taking your Examinations in the Pen/Paper Format

If you decide to complete your exams in the pen/paper format, you may take them at any accredited college or university or at any public library. It is advisable to find a location close to your home or work so you have easy access on your test day, especially if you are taking more than one course a semester. Be sure your proctor is available for both the midterm and final test weeks as many institutions close for spring break and holidays. You can contact your local college or university to find a full-time professor or professional staff member (adjunct and part-time professors do not qualify) or your local library to find a full-time librarian (elementary and high school librarians do not qualify). We do not send examinations to employers, corporate training offices, members of the clergy, family members or friends. Students are responsible for paying proctor fees, if requested by the proctor. For more information, go to www.tesu.edu/degree-completion/proctor-requests.

Military Students

Students in the military who utilize military computers, or are stationed overseas, may encounter connectivity issues that prevent a successful online administration. For those students, the pen/paper version is the better option. Acceptable proctors include Test Control Officers (TCO), Education Services Officers (ESO), Career Counselors, base librarians, chaplains or commissioned officers who are not in your direct chain of command. For more information, go to www.tesu.edu/military/proctor-request.

Important Points to Remember

• A Proctor Request Form must be submitted at the beginning of each new semester only if you are taking the pen/paper exam. You can choose to take the exams for some courses online and other courses in the pen/paper format provided you stick with one format per course. So if you submit a Proctor Request Form, you will take both the midterm and final (if required) in the pen/paper format. Likewise if you select the online option.
• The Proctor Request Form can be submitted electronically. Find the form at www.tesu.edu/proctor and complete all required fields.
• No matter what format you choose, you must alert the Office of Test Administration (OTA) if you are on an official course extension in order to take your exams after the original semester end date. Send an email to testing@tesu.edu three (3) business days before your online exam so OTA can open the test link or 3 weeks before your pen/paper administration so OTA can mail your exam(s).

Taking Examinations at Thomas Edison State University in Trenton, NJ

There are specific test days during every official test week. Test administrations for pen/paper examinations have multiple start times for your convenience. The testing room is currently located at 111 W. State Street in Trenton, N.J. To schedule a test date for your course examination or TECEP®, visit the Online Testing Reservation Desk.

OL = Online courses
GS = Guided Study courses
EP = ePack courses
TE = TECEP examinations

All Proctor Request forms for the pen/paper version of OL/GS/EP and TE examinations are due in the Office of Test Administration by the end of the first week of the semester. Please check your course space carefully as all OL, GS, EP courses and most TE tests provide the Online Proctor Service (OPS) which allows examinations to be administered online from your home computer.

Students can register for TE examinations online through Online Student Services. Students who wish to complete the pen/paper version of their GS/OL/EP or TE test in our Trenton, NJ testing facility can view available test dates by going to the Test Scheduling System.

Students who do not have access to the web or who are on an official course extension should contact the Office of Test Administration at testing@tesu.edu to schedule an exam date in our Trenton, NJ testing facility. Visit Main Campus for directions to the University’s testing facility for pen/paper exams at 111 W. State Street, Trenton, NJ. 

The University will be closed on the following dates during the 2019- 2020 academic year:

• Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday: Mon., Jan. 20, 2020
• Presidents’ Day: Mon., Feb. 17, 2020
• Good Friday: Fri., April 10, 2020
• Memorial Day: Mon., May 25, 2020
• Independence Day: Fri., July 3, 2020
• Labor Day: Mon., Sept. 7, 2020
• Columbus Day: Mon., Oct. 12, 2020
• Thanksgiving: Thurs.and Fri., Nov. 26-27, 2020
• Winter Holiday: Fri., Dec. 25, 2020 – Fri., Jan. 1, 2021