Definitions:

Examination Candidate

An individual who is engaged in an examination.

Examination

Written certification examinations, practical certification examinations, and level examinations, administered by or on behalf of ATCD in a designated trade or occupation under the Act.

Act

The Apprenticeship and Certification Act.

Unauthorized Electronic Devices

Include, but are not limited to, cellular phones, programmable calculators, smart electronic devices, MP3 players, personal digital assistants (such as Palm Pilots and Blackberries), pagers, electronic dictionaries, portable media players, and devices capable of capturing content (such as digital cameras, cellular telephones).

Unauthorized Materials

Include, but are not limited to, text books, notebooks, study aids, and other written materials.

 

Policy:

The Provincial Apprenticeship and Certification Board (PACB) recognizes that maintaining the integrity of certification exams is critical to ensuring a valid method of assessing knowledge and skill acquisition that meets industry standards.

This policy is intended to define and provide information on exam misconduct.

Exam misconduct means engaging, or attempting to engage, in a behavior or behaviors that are outside the standards or rules for examinations and includes, but is not limited to

• Copying or obtaining information from another examination candidate or an unauthorized source during an examination;
• Giving information to another examination candidate during an examination;
• Bringing into, or using within, an examination room any unauthorized electronic devices or unauthorized materials;
• Acquiring, possessing, sharing and distributing examination materials not authorized by staff of the Apprenticeship authority, prior to, during or following an examination;
• Representing oneself as another person or having oneself represented by another person in the taking of an examination;
• Beginning to write an examination before instructed to do so by an invigilator;
• Failing to stop writing the examination, or altering an answer(s) after the exam time limit has expired;
• Recording, in any format, of examination questions or responses other than on the approved paper answer sheet, calculation sheet or scrap paper provided during the examination;
• Removing a record of information, in any form, from the examination room respecting any questions on the examination or answers to any questions on the examination; and
• Colluding as an individual or group to document and discuss examination questions with other students, apprentices, employers, co-workers, instructors, etc., after writing the examination.

 

Limitations of the Policy:

Exam misconduct applies to level, certification, and practical apprenticeship examinations only.

 

Guidelines:

Exam misconduct is inappropriate behavior and appropriate penalties shall be imposed upon individuals found to be engaged in exam misconduct.

An individual suspected of exam misconduct during an examination sitting will forfeit the right to continue the examination and this will result in immediate dismissal from the examination room.

Penalties imposed by ATCD for exam misconduct will be documented on the examination candidate’s record.

Penalties will be reflective of the offense and will be determined through consultation of the Director of ATCD with the divisional management team.

Penalties shall include one or more of the following:

• A written warning;
• An incomplete grade but the attempt will still count;
• A failing grade;
• A one year delay before being permitted to challenge or re-write an examination;
• Forfeiture of any fees paid to ATCD or a training institution; and
• Notification of the penalty imposed to the examination candidate’s indentured employer and/or sponsoring entity.

Penalties may include one or more of the following:

• Suspension or cancellation of a certificate of qualification and/or endorsement already granted; and
• Suspension or cancellation of the current apprenticeship agreement.

If a criminal act is suspected, ATCD may seek legal advice on the appropriate response, and, where appropriate, refer the matter to the police.

A person may appeal a penalty to the Appeals Committee of the PACB, whose decision is final. The appeal must be submitted in writing within ten business days of the examination writing, or notification of the examination misconduct, whichever is later.