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. Not only is this a matter of policy, the software doesn’t allow them access to do these things. Indeed, students from multiple different courses may be taking their exams in the same room at the same time as you.

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 an exam in the CBTF—you can’t just show up. Your course home page will include schedule information: most exams have a “window” of 1 to 2 days (1 to 3 during finals week) and you can schedule yourself into any available slot in any of the CBTF rooms during that window. CBTF hours vary but can be seen here [link TBD]. Your course website will include a link to make and manage your exam reservations. Note that course staff (even the instructor) do not have the ability to modify your reservations: only you can do that. 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. 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 since there may be specific separate procedures for making reservations in such cases. In general, reservations are one hour in length (2 hours for finals). Your instructor decides if the exam fits into a single slot or requires a double-length or longer slot. In all cases, the time limit for the exam itself may be less than the total length of your reservation slot. If you miss your slot, no problem: just reschedule yourself to any available slot in the exam window without penalty. If no available slots fit your schedule, you’ll have to ask your instructor to help make special arrangements.

Important: Bring your Cal ID and phone to the exam, for Duo 2-factor!

Your Cal ID card will be required for check-in. You may be denied entry if you can’t prove your identity. 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. You should plan to show up 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). 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.

Arrival and Check-in

You can only take your test during the time you reserved it. Check-in will be conducted by showing your Cal ID card to the proctor. Proctors do not have the ability to override this and grant you exam access without a reservation. Upon check-in, a seat will be assigned to you. You must sit in the seat assigned to you at check-in. If the seat assigned to you (or the workstation at that seat) is non-functional, let your proctor know and they will reassign you a new seat. Log into the workstation (using the proctor-provided username and password) when you arrive at your seat. Then, 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 extend your time limit so please don’t ask them. 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.

Personal items & electronic devices must be off your desk

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. You may bring your own earplugs. 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. You may not wear headphones. NO access to devices during exam for any reason. NO exceptions. 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.

Scratch paper

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.

Please observe silence and courtesy

While entering 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). Of course, talking to other students is absolutely not permitted during the test.

Starting your Test

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

1. Open any browser and go to us.prairietest.com (if you get “No internet”, double-check URL! Lab firewall blocks connections to all other hosts)
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 the 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

Bathroom breaks are permitted during your test but 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.

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

• 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.