Exam procedure with evaexam

Examiners can request an examiner account by filling out the request form.

As soon as we have set up and activated your account, you can log in using your campus account. 

evaexam is accessible within the university network or via VPN at www.evaexam.unibe.ch. Thus, examiners are able to use it flexibly and independently.

We strongly recommend that all examiners allow sufficient time to prepare the exam with evaexam, especially before using it for the first time:

• Creating a concept for the exam before technical implementation
• Getting to know the user interface of evaexam
• Using manuals, if necessary attending a workshop
• Performing a test run with evaexam before the actual exam

evaexam allows for digital implementation of multiple choice exams. Fundamental questions about the exam concept should be answered beforehand to avoid redundant work, as it is not possible to change question types afterwards.

Here are a few tips for to keep in mind:

1. Analysis of the circumstances and general conditions (group size, examination regulations, etc.)
2. Design of the individual assignments (include transfer tasks in addition to reproduction tasks)
   • question type
   • level of difficulty
   • formulating the question 
   • answer options
   • scoring
3. Review: A review process among colleagues helps to improve the exam questions
4. Compilation of the entire exam
5. Check alignment of learning outcomes and exam questions
6. Formal design of the exam
7. Design of the sample solution with assessment criteria (based on the learning outcomes)

For more information on the exam concept, you can use the «Checkliste Prüfungskonzeption».

Additionally, the Learning and Development Unit offers courses on this.

The following question types are available in evaexam:

• Single Choice Question
• True/False Question
• (Multiple Choice Question)
• Open Question
• Segmented Open Question
• Kprim Question
• Matching Question

You can find information and sample questions about these question types in our Overview: Question Types (PDF).

Please note that when using the "Answer Sheet Only" option, only single choice questions can be selected. Since with this option you create the exam sheets in a different program, you are free to define the questions as true/false questions.

Open questions are useful if you expect longer texts as answers. evaexam recognizes open questions as answered only if at least 0.3% of the field has been filled by the examinee. If you expect short answers, please use the "Segmented Open Question". Provide guidelines on how long the answer should be (e.g. "Describe in three to five sentences....").

Multiple choice questions should be avoided due to potentially incorrect scoring. You can find more information on this here.

When the conception of the exam is completed, exam questions are implemented in evaexam. Since question type cannot be changed after a question has been implemented, it is important to complete the conception phase before the technical implementation.

• Questions can be stored in and retrieved from a question library. It is also possible to import questions using a csv template
• Exam sheets can be exported and imported

evaexam guides you step by step through the creation of the exam. It is possible to

• combine exam and answer sheets
• create separate exam and answer sheets
• create only answer sheets in evaexam and use an external program for the exam sheets

At the end of the process, the exam sheets are available for printing in PDF format:

• The sheets can be printed on the multifunction printers of the University of Bern
• Print double-sided
• Print only one page of the exam/answer sheets per page
• Ensure clear and sharp printing quality
• Double-check that the corner brackets and the barcode are shown on the printed sheets
• Avoid stapling
• To be safe, print more sheets than participants are registered for the exam

It is a good idea to conduct a test run before the actual exam.

• Create an exam that is clearly labeled "Test"
• Generate and print a few sheets
• Fill them out (including corrected answers), scan them and verify them 

This allows you to practice using evaexam and ensure that all steps are conducted correctly. It also allows you to check whether the scanner is configured correctly.

Inform the examinees on how to fill in the forms. Brief instructions are provided on the exam sheets, but in stressful exam situations, students tend to overlook them.

• They should use a black ballpoint pen or thin felt-tip pen 
• Crosses have to be inside the boxes; otherwise they will not be recognized by the scanner
• Corrections can be made by by coloring in the box and checking another box
• Open questions may only be answered within the designated box
• Notes are not registered by the system
• They have to provide their exam ID (matriculation number) and name
• They must not under any circumstances write over the corner stones or barcode

After the exam, collect and scan the sheets.

As soon as the sheets have been loaded into evaexam, you can start the verification process. The system only presents answers that cannot be clearly detected by the system (e.g. corrections, ambiguous crosses, missing answers). You can access the corresponding answer sheet at any time during the process.

When you have verified all unclear answers, the exam will be closed.

Grades may not be determined and recorded directly on evaexam for data protection reasons.

For this reason, you need to export the data to grade the exams. 

evaexam can output an overall report or individual reports for each exam as a PDF. The original sheets can also be viewed, so that a post-exam review can be conducted easily.

The exam can be closed when all sheets have been scanned. For backup purposes, export Excel and PDF reports and store them securely on the University of Bern server/faculty drive. Original exams also have to be stored securely. Examiners are responsible for compliance with data protection and archiving requirements outside of evaexam. 

Do not delete the exam in evaexam - it would not be recoverable. 

evaexam allows you to identify the potential for optimizing individual exam questions on the basis of the exam results. For each question, it calculates the discrimination index and difficulty. Examiners can use these values to optimize their exam questions.