Already familiar with CBTF procedures and looking for the FAQ?  It’s at the bottom of the page.

CBTF Procedures

If you’re a student in a class whose exams are administered in one of Cal’s Computer-Based Testing Facilities (CBTF), please read and understand these procedures before showing up for your exam. A CBTF is a room containing preconfigured workstations on which you take exams or quizzes. The most important thing to remember about CBTF testing as compared to traditional testing is that proctors have no association with the course(s) using the exam room, and therefore, are unable to answer any questions about the exam, make any adjustments due to late arrival or desired time extension, or do anything else related to your specific exam. Indeed, students from multiple different courses may be taking their exams in the same room at the same time as you. In general, reservations are one hour in length (2 hours for midterms/finals). The time limit for the exam itself may be less than the total length of your reservation slot and is up to the course instructor, in which case the exam will “close” automatically after the time limit has expired. You’re free to leave the CBTF early (and quietly) if you finish your exam before the end of your reservation slot.

TL;DR: most common student pitfalls/misconceptions about CBTF

• Arrive ~10+ minutes early for your appointment slot;  Not ten minutes after, not promptly at the start time, but early, so that you can get checked in & seated. Note for Summer 2023: Evans doors may be locked by around 5pm. This is lousy for everyone. (We are working on it!) If doors are not unlocked or propped open, students should wait for a proctor. (Note the advice above about arriving early!)
• “Instructor overrides” for taking exams outside their predetermined window are not an automatic right. Read the FAQ below for restrictions.
• The Evans space is B3A != B3. If exiting the elevators, turn right and then right. The uphill / Mining Circle side of the building is elevator-accessible to the room; the downhill / Memorial Glade side is not. (CBTF is in the basement in the Campanile end of Evans.)
• Once signed in to exam computer, access exams via the desktop shortcut. Typing URLs manually has resulted in multiple difficulties.
• Every student will be required to log in via CalNet/Duo, so each should be prepared with their Duo device (usually phone) to log in; after login, stow phone with belongings off to the side of the room.
• Proctors do not know anything about the exam and cannot answer questions about it. Students may submit an issue in the context of any specific question, and/or follow up with cs160 instructors after the exam.

1. Making a reservation: When is my quiz or exam?

(Note: we use “exam” to mean either exam or quiz.) You must have a reservation to take any exam in the CBTF—you can’t just show up. Most exams have a “window” of 1 to 2 days and your course will provide a link that lets you schedule/cancel/reschedule yourself into any available slot in any of the CBTF rooms during that window. CBTF hours vary but in general we try to provide daytime as well as evening slots spread over at least 2 days for any given exam.  Note that course staff (even the instructor) do not have the ability to make, see, or modify your reservations: only you can do that. Do not miss your reservation: you cannot reschedule missed reservations. A proctor on-site can delete your expired reservation, allowing you to reschedule; otherwise, contact your instructor as soon as possible. If no available slots fit your schedule, or if you miss your exam window entirely, you’ll have to ask your instructor to help make special arrangements.

2. Where are you going?

Please familiarize yourself with the locations of the CBTF rooms on campus before making your reservation, so you choose a room that is easy to get to on the day of your reservation.

3. Do you have DSP accommodations?

If you have an accommodation letter for extra time, reduced distraction environment, or other accommodation, please make sure your instructor knows as early as possible.

• “Extra time” accommodation: your instructor or TA needs to configure the scheduling software to allow you to make a longer reservation.
• “Reduced distraction” accommodation: all testing stations meet UC Berkeley DSP standards for reduced distraction, with visual partitions to block views, over-the-ear headphones at every station and a variety of music and white noise files you can play (you may not play from your own device), and optional noise-cancelling headphones available to borrow. If you believe these conditions do not meet your accommodation need, please have your DSP specialist contact the course instructor.
• Other accommodations (human scribe, assistive technology/software, etc.): let your instructor know as soon as possible since you may need to take the exam somewhere other than the CBTFs.

4. Got your Cal ID and phone, for 2-factor CalNet sign-in?

Your Cal ID card will be required for check-in. You will be denied entry if you can’t prove your identity with a valid Cal ID. (If you’ve lost it, a driver’s license or other official photo ID can be used.) IMPORTANT: Be sure the process for signing in with CalNet and the Duo two-factor phone app is working with your device. In particular, if you get a new phone between when you made your exam reservation and when your exam is scheduled, please set up/verify your Duo configuration or you won’t be able to login to the exam, since CalNet login is the only way to access the exam. Ensuring that your phone is set up to access campus “eduroam” wireless will give you another option to authenticate to CalNet with the Duo app if your phone is not able to connect to cellular data. Additionally, anecdotally, we have found that T-Mobile sometimes has spotty coverage in the CBTFs.

5. When you arrive

You should plan to show up 5-10 minutes early to your reserved test time. A CBTF proctor will be present to let you in (if you arrive while the previous session is still in progress, please wait quietly outside). Be sure you go to the correct room in which you made your reservation! Seating is assigned and you will not be seated in the wrong room, and if you arrive late you cannot be given extra time (though you can cancel and reschedule your exam time subject to availability). Also, every station is equipped with over-the-ear corded headphones, and several music and white-noise audio tracks are available on the Desktop after you log in (see below). A limited number of wireless noise-cancelling earmuffs are available but are prioritized for students who have a Reduced Distraction (RD) DSP accommodation letter. You may not listen to your own devices using any headphones, nor use your own headphones. Upon check-in, a seat will be assigned to you (it’s not open seating). If the hardware at your seat is non-functional, let your proctor know and they will assign you a new seat. Log into the workstation (using the proctor-provided username and password) when you arrive at your seat. Then, click on the desktop shortcut to log into PrairieTest using UC Berkeley SSO (single sign-on) and your CalNet credentials, so that you are ready to begin taking your exam once the proctor starts it. Find additional instructions below under “Starting your Test.” If you arrive late, no additional time will be provided. You will need to finish the assessment in the time remaining in your reservation. Proctors are not able to change these policies so please don’t ask them. Note that if there are future times available to take your exam, you may ask a proctor to cancel your missed start reservation, and you can select any future available reservation for your exam. After the exam you can talk to the course staff to try to make other arrangements. No exceptions to this rule can be made by proctors for any reason.

6. Personal items, electronic devices, scratch paper

Personal items such as wallets, keys, watches, phones, pencil cases, eyeglass cases, sweaters, hats, electronic devices, food, water bottles, etc., should be kept in your backpacks and kept off of the desk where the exam computer is located; NO access to devices during exam for any reason, NO exceptions. You may bring your own earplugs but you may not wear headphones. Electronic devices, such as phones, smart watches, calculators, etc., are not allowed during the test. Cellphones must be put on silent and stored in your backpack or left with the proctor. Any device not properly stowed will be taken and stored at the proctor’s desk at the front, and reported to your instructor. If someone’s phone rings, a proctor must come silence it. You must take the exam on the lab’s computers—you may not use your own devices to take the exam. Proctors have scratch paper; you’re not allowed to bring your own. Please take only what you need. All scratch paper must be returned to the proctor once you’re finished with the test and no scratch paper may leave the CBTF.

7. Starting your Test

After signing in to the generic CBTF account (credentials provided by proctor):

1. Open any browser and double-click the desktop shortcut to go to us.prairietest.com. (Firewall blocks connections to all other sites.)
2. You will see one of the following messages:

• If you see “You need to be checked in …”:  Ask the proctor to check you in. (You’ll also see this if you try to open the exam link outside of the exam room.)
• If you see “Your exam is starting soon in [room]…”: All is well, your proctor will start the exam at the designated exam start time.
• If you see “Your exam is now ready”: click the Start Exam button to get access to the exam.

4. Once you click Start Exam, you will get the link to your exam. Open the link and start taking the exam. The instructor-specified exam time limit begins when you click Start Exam, but if you start late and the CBTF session is over, you cannot stay beyond the end of the session.
5. When you complete your exam, go back to us.prairietest.com and click End Exam for self-checkout.
6. If you require the full time and the exam closes automatically, any unsaved answer will not be graded, but any answer that was selected for “Save without grading” will be automatically changed to “Save & grade”. Be sure to submit every response before the exam time ends.
7. Log all the way out of the exam workstation.
8. A proctor will confirm that you checked out from the exam correctly before you leave the exam room.

The exam will close automatically at your exam end time, which is defined by the exam start time plus the exam duration defined by the instructor (which may be different among students due to accommodations, etc.; students can find their exam scheduled duration from the Reservation panel in PrairieTest.) Bathroom breaks are permitted during your test but you may not take anything with you. Please do your best to use the washroom before you start your assessment in the CBTF. Unfortunately, we cannot provide extra time for washroom breaks.

8. Please observe silence and courtesy throughout

While entering or leaving the CBTF room please be quiet and avoid distracting behaviors, as some students might still be taking tests from the previous session (some courses have longer exams). When you’re finished, or if you finish early, please ensure you’ve logged out completely, then quietly gather your belongings and let the proctor know you are leaving.

Student FAQ

• If my course is listed as having CBTF exams but I am out of town/at an internship/etc., can I take those quizzes/exams remotely instead? This is up to the instructor of each individual course. Please check the course’s home page and/or contact the instructor(s) directly to ask.
• Can I bring my own computer to take the exam in the CBTF instead? No.
• I have an accommodation that prevents me from effectively using the computers in the CBTF as configured. Talk to your instructor once the accommodation letter has been provided, to make alternate arrangements.
• Can I take a computer-based exam remotely, or in another room/location, instead of the CBTF? No, unless you have specifically asked your instructor and they have made and confirmed in writing special arrangements for you. 
• I will be traveling during the entire window for one or more exams. Talk to your instructor.
• My instructor allows cheat sheets—can I bring these to the CBTF? No. Any CBTF exams will have cheatsheets built in to the exam. Absolutely no papers are allowed on your desk during the exam except scratch paper provided by proctors. Instructors using the CBTF do not have the authority to override this.
• Can I bring scratch paper? No, proctors will provide scratch paper as needed.
• Can I take home/turn in to my instructor my scratch paper for partial credit? No paper may leave the CBTF. If your instructor has made specific arrangements to allow scratch paper to be turned in for partial credit, the proctor will provide a secure bin for you to deposit your scratch paper, which should clearly include your name, email, and SID#.
• I will be late/I’m ill/I will otherwise miss my slot. Just reschedule. We cannot extend your time or otherwise accommodate late arrivals. If you arrive late and choose to start the exam with reduced time anyway, that is between you and your instructor. You may ask an on-site proctor to cancel your late/missed reservation, which will allow you to reschedule a later time for that exam — if there are any futures reservation times open.
• I’ve missed or was late for my slot, and I cannot find any other remaining reservations available to reschedule into. Should I ask my instructor to make special arrangements? This will only be done for unexpected/unforeseen/reasonably unforeseeable circumstances. Being late or missing a slot is not unforeseeable in and of itself. Instructors reserve the right not to make repeated special arrangements for students abusing the privilege. In that case, the result will be the same as if you miss that quiz entirely.