Certificates and Exams

Exam regulations

ORGANISATIONAL MEASURES

Access and Exit

  • Washing hands with soap and water or, if this is not possible, with hydroalcoholic gel, is obligatory whenever entering buildings and classrooms, before and after accessing the toilets, and when the use of shared equipment or devices cannot be avoided.
  • Hand-disinfectant gel dispensers are available at the entrances to buildings, classrooms and toilets, as well as at public-service points.
  • Access to and exit from classrooms will be organised and coordinated in a staggered manner in alphabetical order, in order to avoid crowding in corridors and toilets.
  • The corridors can be occupied only at the time of access to the classrooms, and crowding must be avoided. Preferably, you should wait outside until just before you need to access your classroom.
  • Both indoors and outdoors, whilst waiting you must ensure a distance of 1.5 metres from others.
  • Whenever possible, separate accesses will be enabled for entry and exit.
  • Students will not be allowed to remain in the corridors once the test has finished..

Use of Lifts

  • Where possible, always use the stairs.
  • If you need to use the lifts because of mobility difficulties, remember that they are basically for individual use only: only one person and, if strictly necessary, his or her companion may enter. 
  • Masks must be worn at all times.

Room Capacity and Keeping a Safe Distance

  • A safe distance among people must be maintained:
    • Among students in the same row of seats and among students in the front and back rows.
    • In the corridors leading to the classroom.
    • In relation to the person invigilating the exam.
  • In all classrooms, there are signs indicating which places can be occupied and which places must be reserved to preserve a safe distance
  • You should leave your personal belongings (bags, etc.) in the shared safety space located behind you or, if this is not possible, in the space in front of you.
  • You cannot ask for writing utensils or any other material from the other students.

Identification

  • In order for us to confirm your identity before you enter the examination room, you must show your ID card to the person responsible. Do not hand the card to them.

Handling Exam Papers

  • All examination materials will be handled in strict compliance with the health protocol (handling paper with clean hands plus hydroalcoholic gel).
  • When you have finished the examination, you must remove your belongings (bag, etc.) and leave your completed examination in the indicated examination box. Leave your draft papers in the other box.
  • Once the examination is over, students still in the classroom must leave their place in an orderly fashion as instructed, first collecting their belongings; then depositing their examination in the examination box, and—finally—leaving draft papers in the indicated box.

Ventilation, Disinfection and Cleaning

  • Doors should be kept open whenever possible.
  • Windows should be opened before and after the examination for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • The examinations will take place with the windows partially open, except if weather conditions are adverse. Please ensure that you wear clothes that are comfortable and warm.
  • Disinfectant solutions will be used to clean the computers, keyboards, computer mice and the tables after each session.

HYGIENIC MEASURES

  • The use of masks is obligatory at all times on campus and especially inside the buildings, even during the oral tests. This excludes the exceptions set out in Resolution SLT/1648/2020 (information in CA/ES only).

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Avoid close proximity and physical contact when greeting others. Particularly, avoid shaking hands.
  • Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, or with hydroalcoholic gel.
  • Always keep a safe distance from others.
  • Please bring your own water, as we cannot guarantee that there will be a sufficient supply in the vending machines.

IMPORTANT: If you have symptoms compatible with COVID-19, you must not come to the examination. In this event, please contact avaluacio@uab.cat to ascertain an alternative solution.

 

UAB Idiomes will try to adapt the tests to the special needs of examinees with disabilities. To this end, it is necessary for examinees to indicate that they have a special need when they register. At least 10 days before the first test in the exam, the SdL must receive the individualised recommendations report from the UAB’s PIUNE (or another recognised entity for such purposes), in which all recommended adaptations are clearly indicated. If this report is not received, or if it is not received in time, no adaptations can be made to the examinations.

Before each exam, candidates must identify themselves with a valid ID document that includes a photograph. Candidates without an ID document will not be admitted to the exam and will receive a grade of Absent.
 
Candidates whose name is not on the list will only be allowed entry with the permission of the coordinators or the invigilator, after making the corresponding inquiries.
 
Candidates who arrive late for the written exams (writing and reading comprehension) may enter the room provided that no more than 20 minutes have passed since the exam started. Under no circumstances may a late-arriving candidate continue after the established time for ending the exam. Candidates who arrive over 20 minutes late will receive a grade of Absent.
 
Those arriving late for the speaking exam, or for the English computer-based exams, will be offered another timetable slot only if this is possible. Otherwise they will receive an overall grade of Absent. If there were medical or compassionate grounds for the late arrival, they may request a change of date or exams period, submitting the corresponding supporting documents.
 
Once an exam is in progress, candidates may not leave the classroom until they have handed in their exam.

During the exam, candidates can only have the following items on their table:

  • an ID document
  • a transparent or metal water bottle with no labels, writing or drawing on it
  • a blue or black pen
  • a pencil and eraser, and
  • a small bottle of correction fluid, or a correction pen such as Tipp-Ex, for example.

The following items are not allowed outside the area designated for personal belongings:

  • mobile phones, which must be switched off inside your bag/rucksack
  • headphones and other electronic devices
  • spectacle cases
  • watches, particularly smartwatches
  • sheets of paper and notebooks
  • other items not specified in these lists

The area designated for personal belongings is usually located at the front of the classroom.

The invigilators and other staff members will provide paper to write on, if necessary. Exam candidates cannot use their own paper.

No pieces of paper can be removed from the classroom, including exam papers or any notes taken during the exam.

Candidates may ask the invigilator for a proof-of-attendance slip. We recommend asking for this at the start of the exam, so it will be ready for you to collect at the end.

Oral exams as part of assessments leading to certification are usually recorded. In the case of CertAcles exams, recording is mandatory, with the candidate's consent. The recordings may be used in the event of an appeal, or to train examiners.

The candidates can view their exam results on the UAB Idiomes website. The official date for posting grades is given in the information for each exams period, and it is never later than one month from the date of the first exam. To access the grades application candidates must input their national ID or passport number and their date of birth.

The examinee has the right to review the distinct results given in the final examination. The review session is normally personal and individualised but may also be carried out in small groups.

The period for reviews and appeals is published jointly with the specific information for each exam session. The timetable for reviews is detailed for each exam session and may be consulted on the Language Service website, on which it will be posted at least one day before the date of publication of results.

The purpose of the review is to explain the examination grades awarded to the examinee. In addition, if necessary, the specific requirements of each of the tests, the grading criteria and procedures, and the criteria for passing the examination are also explained. No changes to grades are made during the review session, except if an error in calculation is identified. After the review session, if the examinee is not satisfied with the overall or partial grades awarded, they may then lodge a complaint.

Under no circumstances can the examinee remove or photograph any material shown in the review session.

The period for reviews begins on the date of publication of results and lasts a minimum of two working days.

After the corresponding review session, and in the event of disagreement with the overall or partial grades awarded, the examinee may submit a written appeal to the administrative offices of UAB Idiomes, addressed to the management.

The period for submitting an appeal concerning the overall or partial result of an exam begins on the date of publication of results and lasts a minimum of two working days.

Appeals are resolved by an appeals board, consisting of the Director of Studies, specialists from the Language Service’s Evaluation and Certification Unit, and the coordinator of the language concerned (an examiner from the section of the language concerned may also be requested to attend). Appeals are resolved within a maximum period of four weeks, given that the final grade rosters are posted within one month of the publication of the grades.

All documentation generated or received must be duly identified and filed in the administrative offices of the UAB Language Service.

With respect to inter-university exams, the reviews and appeals process is governed by inter-university regulations.

UAB Idiomes students doing a course with a final CEFR exam

Candidates enrolled as part of their UAB Idiomes course who wish to be excused from taking the exam on the scheduled dates on medical, academic (overlap with other university exams), work-related, religious or compassionate grounds may request a change of date, submitting the corresponding supporting documents. If the request is granted a new date is offered, which always falls within the same exams period. If it is not possible to do the exam within the exams period a change of period may be granted. Changes of date must be requested at least one week beforehand, though this requirement can be waived in exceptional circumstances such as candidate's sickness.
 
Candidates enrolled as part of their UAB Idiomes course who are not able to attend at any time within the set exams period may request a change of exams period (for example, September instead of June). The request must be submitted at least three working days before the first day  of the exams period. Once the exam session has started, only requests for a change of session as a result of unforeseen circumstances will be accepted, such as hospitalisation or accidents, submitting the corresponding supporting documents. Under no circumstances will requests made after the date of publication of the grades be accepted. 

Any request for a change of exam date or date of exam session must be addressed in writing to the Administrative Office of the UAB Language Service, either through the following application form (Campus) or by e-mail to info.idiomes@uab.cat (Barcelona).

 

 

Independent examination enrolment

Students who enrol only to take one of the UAB Language Service exams or one of the exams organised by the Language Service for other entities, once individual enrolment is completed or, in the case of exams that the Language Service organises for other entities, once the list of candidates has arrived, no changes of exam date will be possible, except as a result of unforeseen circumstances which are duly documented, such as hospitalisation or accident. Under no circumstances will requests be accepted if they are received after the date of the first part of the exam.