The Pre-clerkship exams are administered using an online testing company called Questionmark (QM). The examination will also be video proctored through QM Record and Review (Proctorio).

The examinations will take place on the dates set in the Pre-clerkship Calendars:

• Year 1: MD 2027 2023-2024 Calendar
• Year 2: MD 2026 2023-2024 Calendar

The date of the examinations will also be included in the students’ Elentra schedule.

All students will write each section of an examination in the same order, at the same time. The MCQ first, followed by the CDMQ and then the Practical (if applicable). This format allows for a standardized examination experience and, with a specific scheduled start and end time for each section, it ensures all students are treated equally in case of a technology issue.

You will have a 30-minute window to access the first section of an examination and a 15-minute window for subsequent sections. You will have a 15-minute break between each section. You must access the sections of an examination immediately at the start of the access period to allow enough time to go through the login process and receive assistance with technical issues. As soon as the access window has expired for a section of an examination, you will no longer have access to it. The Online Examination Support team is not authorized to allow a second access. The situation will be brought to the attention of the Office of Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) and action will be taken. If there is a problem, please call immediately 613-562-5488 or email [email protected].

You must start answering questions within the access period. This means that you will need to go to the bathroom, get some water, get comfortable and get ready before the end of the access period. If you do not begin to answer the questions within the access period, the incident will be brought to the attention of the Promotions Committee and action will be taken to this effect.

The exact schedule for each examination will be sent approximately 2 weeks prior to an examination.

If you have been granted an accommodation, each section of your examination will be programmed accordingly. Once connected, take the time to confirm your accommodation time displayed at the top right corner. If there is a problem, please call 613-562-5488 or email [email protected] immediately.

Detailed information will be sent to students at least 1 week prior to an examination.

It is your responsibility to have/find an appropriate location with an appropriate internet connection to write your examinations. You are advised to connect a cable directly to your router or if not possible, sit as close to your router as possible to ensure a good Wi-Fi connection. Cell phone hotspots are not recommended.

Please note: If you are scheduled to take an exam and are at RGN, you must properly connect to Eduroam Wi-Fi.

Students with accommodation can register with the SASS to write their examinations onsite. Those students must contact their SASS counselor for additional information. Students, with or without an accommodation, can reserve a CBL room to write online examinations. For information on how to book a CBL room, please refer to “CBL Room Booking”.

A tutorial is always available for all students through your Brightspace account. To access, use this link.

A short Test Simulation in an online examination application called Questionmarkwith video proctoring will be available.

Technical changes related to OS updates or updates to the exam software can impact the performance of the exam. For this reason, it is mandatory for all students to do this Test Simulation when it is scheduled to confirm your connections and to avoid access problems on the day of the examination. If you choose not to complete this mandatory task, the UGME office will not be responsible if you experience connection issues or any other issues that could have been resolved during the trial period. When these issues occur, you run the risk of not being allowed to access your exam.

The “Test Simulation Year Année X” has a limited time access period to the week prior to the examinations as of 8 a.m. on the Tuesday until 3 p.m. Thursday.

To access, use this link.

If you require technical assistance, please send an email to [email protected].

Please note that the Test Simulation is fictitious with no link to the content of the examination.

If you require an accommodation for this examination, please contact the Student Affairs Office.

The Faculty is obliged to assure accrediting bodies and residency training programs that the assessment of students’ performance is an accurate measure of their knowledge. It is for this reason that the Faculty decided to use the video proctoring service called QM Record and Review. Combined with other security features that are offered by QM, the Faculty should be able to assure all stakeholders that the results of the examinations are valid.

1. Go to the University of Ottawa login page.
2. Click on “Login with your organization credentials”
3. Once logged in, click on “My Assessments”, you will see each part of the examination. 

Note: We recommend that you save the URL as a favorite for a quick access on the day of the examination. Click on the “Home” logo to refresh your dashboard.

Yes, to access the questions, you will be required to agree to the non-disclosure statement, included at the beginning of each section of the examination. If you choose ‘no’, a message will inform you that you no longer have access to this section of the examination, and to contact [email protected].

No, if you need to use headphones or earphones instead of earplugs, please contact the Student Affairs Office prior to the examination to request an accommodation. You are permitted to use earplugs to reduce background noise.

Do not plug headphones or earphones in the computer; this will impede the review team from hearing your sound recording. Headphones and earphones will be flagged by the proctoring artificial intelligence as a suspicious activity.  If your sound icon is unavailable on an examination, you will be flagged.

You could see multiple choice questions and clinical decision-making questions (short-menu questions).

Yes, the examinations will be bilingual. For each question, the French version will be displayed first followed by the English version in bold typeface. The list of possible answers will also be in this format.

Yes, the normal values will be accessible within QM Record and Review. However, UG is in the process of embedding normal values within the body of the question. Some units, like Foundations, have already implemented this change whereas other units are in the process of updating their questions. For any question in which there is a discrepancy between the values in the table and the values embedded in the question, the values in the questions have priority.

Everything needed to interpret the orientation of the image will be provided in terms of landmarks and structural relationships students should be familiar with, based on objectives and views covered in the narrated lectures. A map, ‘superior vs inferior’, will not be provided.

Paper-based notes are not allowed. However, a comment box has been added to each question on the examination to allow you to insert your notes. The added benefit is that these notes are saved if the examination crashes whereas the “Quiz Tools” Whiteboard QM provides does not save.

You can highlight questions using the “Highlight Question” button.

The questions will be highlighted in yellow in the Assessment Navigator, you will not be able to highlight or strikethrough specific text.

Yes. While questions are presented one at a time on the screen, you will have the capability of navigating through the questions from the Assessment Navigator. You can also use the scroll bar.

Important information for MAC users to enable full scroll bar capability in QM Record and Review function, please read the guidelines by visiting this link: MAC user's: increase SCROLL BAR functionality.

Failure to follow these guidelines could lead to issues that will cause your video to be flagged for fraudulent behaviour.

Yes. The last question on the examination has been set aside for you to provide comments on specific questions. Please add the question number in addition to your comment so that staff and content experts can find the question. 5 additional minutes have been added to each section. The reports generated will be anonymous. Your feedback is very important in reviewing the quality of the examination. Comments will be reviewed by the content experts and brought forward to the Promotion Committee.

No. We highly recommend that you use the washroom before starting a section as once you start, you will not be able to pause. If you absolutely need to use the washroom, please indicate why you are leaving the room into the microphone and then leave.

Should you have a medical condition that requires you to use the washroom frequently, please contact the Student Affairs Office (SAO) before the examination to request an accommodation.

• Write your examination in a location where you will not be distracted. There should be no one else in the room with you.
• While looking away from the screen is a natural and acceptable behaviour, especially while thinking, avoid looking away from the screen frequently, for long periods of time or repeatedly looking at the same location. It might be best to shut curtains on windows to avoid the temptation to repeatedly look outside.
• Don’t get up and move during your examination or leave the view of the camera.
• If there are interruptions (e.g., family, pet, other), speak to the camera/microphone so that we understand what is happening.
• Water bottles will not be an issue but try to keep the bottle off screen, but still within easy reach (so you are not moving off screen to reach it).
• During the examination, the camera should be facing you from the front and your face and upper body should be centered as much as possible in the frame of your camera.  For example, it should not just be a picture of the top of your head. If you use a keyboard, it should be located in front of you. Click on the Webcam function in the Quiz tools (image below).
• Ball caps/hoodies can hide your face on camera and for this reason, we strongly recommend that you do not wear any hat or hoodie that may obstruct the view of your face.
• Have adequate lighting in front of you and minimize lighting and natural light coming in from windows behind you.  This will obstruct our view of you while taking the examination.

Important information

Navigating away from the examination is not allowed: All examinations in Questionmark Record and Review are completed in a lock down browser, this means that you are not able or allowed to navigate away from the examination. If you navigate away or search the internet, you are in danger of erasing all your saved answers.

If you click outside of your exam window, this warning will appear “CLICK HERE TO RESUME” in Google Chrome. If you wait too long, you will be booted out of your exam. Don’t worry, the exam will be saved and the timer will stop. You can resume your exam by closing all exam windows, going back to My Assessments and clicking on the refresh button.

Important information MAC users

If you own a MAC laptop, avoid the use of the force press and two or three finger swipes.

Please read the guidelines to disable this feature:

1. Go to System Preferences
2. click on Touchpad to allow you to remove the problematic 2-finger swipe (Swipe between pages).

Only the first option (Swipe between pages) can cause problems and will bring up the Google message.

If you click outside of your exam window, these two warnings will appear in Google Chrome : ”CLICK HERE TO RESUME” and ” LEAVE THE WEBSITE ”. Do not select the option “Leave”, this will cause exiting your examination and erasing all your saved answers.

**Please note that it will cause you to start back from the beginning and that the time allowed will have reset also.

You will have access to an online “Quiz Tools” within QM Record and Review (image below). These are the only functions permitted during your exam.

Important: do not use the “Chat Help”, send an email message to [email protected] or call 613-562-5488.

Yes. You can enlarge an image, however, you must use the Zoom function buttons located in the “Quiz Tools”. Do not use your control + on your keyboard or trackpad or command + functions because this will cause QM Record and Review to freeze or exit from your examination. Do not double click an image because this will also cause the exam to exit.

Mobile devices like tablets or smartphones are not supported. Students will need a computer (Mac or PC) that meets the minimum requirements, a (reliable) high-speed internet connection, and the Chrome browser. If you do not have the Chrome browser, it is downloaded when you start QM Record and Review.

You will also need a webcam with microphone. These are features built into most laptops. If you are using a desktop computer, you may need purchase a webcam with a microphone. You will also need an ID card with picture (preferably your uOttawa student ID card). It is your responsibility to ensure these requirements are met. To ensure, your computer can access the examination, it is highly advisable that you do the practice examination.

The following chart displays the minimum requirements that you will need:

¹ This is the minimum amount of ram assuming at least 25% of the memory is not in use by other applications. We strongly recommend you double this number to avoid system crashes while in exams.

² Depends on the exam settings, Secure Browser exams have no upload speed requirement.

³ Only required for proctoring, secure browser functionality does not require audio/visual recording.

Note: In most cases, Proctorio's modest requirements can accommodate devices as old as 10 yrs. and it should be noted that the Operating System version requirements do not coincide with the devices' age. For security & functionality, it is generally recommended that test-takers update their systems to the most recent OS possible.

MAC users only

It is recommended to update your OS to Ventura 13.3.1 in order to implement a patch to Questionmark Proctorio. We are not responsible for any resulting incompatibility with any of your existing software or applications. Please note that this is not mandatory, the exams will continue to be delivered effectively without the update. You should complete the test simulation after the update, if you have any issues send an email message to [email protected] or call 613-562-5488.
 

An internet connection with a minimum upload speed of 0.092 Mbps - 0.244 Mbps2is required. To confirm whether your internet connection is fast enough, you may run a free connection speed test.

This test, of course, does not account for potential connection outages during an examination but will confirm whether your connection is fast enough.

• Connect directly to your modem: most Wi-Fi connections are variable. This means that you may get disconnected during your examination simply due to a fluctuation in the quality of the Wi-Fi signal. If possible, connect your computer to the router using an Ethernet cable. If that is not possible, sit as close to the router as you can. If the examination does crash due to an unstable Wi-Fi, you will be able to resume by logging back into your dashboard and clicking the resume button. Note that in some circumstances, you may need to restart your computer.
• Optimize your computer function: it is recommended that you install the latest OS updates available and quit any application that you are not using for this examination. Doing so will free up both RAM and CPU space. To see what is running you can use Task Manager for Windows users and Activity Monitor for Mac users.
• Screen sharing: Proctorio will ask you to share your screen. For some MAC users, you may need to go into system preferences to allow screen sharing for Chrome specifically.
• Do not double click on images: If an image is double clicked, the examination will assume you are trying to exit and will potentially crash.
• Do not use the force press on a Mac laptop: This feature can cause the examination to load webpages, and potentially exit the examination unexpectedly.

On the day of the examination, if you encounter technical difficulties or connection issues, you can send an email message to [email protected] or call 613-562-5488. Please do not use the Proctorio chat function in the Quiz Tools. It is unlikely that Questionmark can solve an issue in a timely manner and the chat is not logged so there will not be a record of the issue.

The examination autosaves every five minutes but you can also save at any time. If your connection drops during the examination, simply log back in and it should take you back to where you left off.

Note, when relogging, you will be required to show your ID card (same one you showed at the start of your examination).

All possible steps will be taken to help you restore your access. In the worst-case scenario, if this is not possible, the codirectors will be informed and will work with you to find a solution.

As long as you have not installed an update to your operating system between examinations, you will not need to reinstall the Proctorio extension. However, it would be wise to run the simulation before every exam to ensure you will have access to the exam.

Note that sometimes, an update can affect the sound recording during your examination. Please go through these various steps to confirm that your computer will allow the review team to hear your sound recording. First, make sure that no headphones or earphones are plugged into your computer.

Secondly, for MAC users go to System Preferences then go on sound in order to confirm that the Output sound type chosen is Built in.

You can also check in your Google chrome advanced settings to allow sites to play sound.

Here are the 3 indicators that your screen sharing option is still on:

1. check if you can still see the quiz tool bar,
2. check if you can observe a red dot on your web browser tab,
3. you can see a green frame all around your screen.

A security and a privacy impact assessment has been conducted by uOttawa Central IT in collaboration with MedTech, and by the Access to Information and Privacy Office.

The University of uOttawa has a strict security assessment protocol that all its suppliers must go through to make sure that students’ data is well protected. Questionmark successfully passed this protocol by providing all the required proofs and guarantees in regards of data safety and privacy such as:

• A detailed Network architecture
• PCI-DSS report
• Third party security and vulnerability scans
• Privacy compliance report
• SOC 2 infrastructure report (Microsoft Azure)
• GDPR compliance

The above steps were aligned with the zero-risk tolerance at the University towards data breaches and vulnerabilities, hence it was approved to be provided and used by our students.

Please be aware that personal information collected by QM may be subject to international transmission. Steps have been taken to ensure that this information is compliant with various international privacy legislations that may apply in cases where cross-border transfers occur.

Upon review by the uOttawa Privacy Office, it was deemed that Questionmark was in accordance to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) of Ontario.

The following personal information will be collected from students when using QM Record and Review:

• audio taken from microphone;
• video captured from a webcam;
• IP address;
• physical location;
• identification (student id card);
• computer’s clipboard;
• mouse location;
• browser size;
• tabs and windows;
• head movements;
• eye movements;
• mouth movements,
• entire computer screen;
• websites visited;
• other applications running,
• and number of screens connected.

Prior to starting a section, you will be required to read and confirm that you have read the Notice of Collection of Personal Information.

First, with regards to privacy of your information: prior to the procurement of the online examination management platform, the University certified security expert conducted a detailed and thorough assessment of the vendor and its software platform, including all third party and ancillary components. This assessment concluded that there were no security issues and that the vendor provided evidence of having proper and tested controls in place. Second, with regards to the extension serving as a conduit for malware and spyware: Questionmark has assured us that the extension only turns on at the beginning of the examination and is only active during the duration of the examination. The extension does not monitor network activity outside of the examination or any other device that is connected to the network as it only works on the examination page and on the device, it is installed on.

If you are concerned that the Proctorio extension is operating outside of the examination, it is possible to disable to Proctorio extension once the examination has been completed. To disable the Proctorio extension:

1. start Google Chrome,
2. click on the three-dot icon in the top right-hand corner of the Google Chrome browser,
3. click More tools,
4. click Extensions,
5. select the Proctorio extension,
6. click Remove.

Note that if you remove the extension, you will need to reinstall it before attempting another Questionmark examination that is video proctored.

Neither QM nor Proctorio have access to your videos once they are stored on the QM server. The only people privy to view the videos will be the members of MedTech, UGME support staff and Directors who are supporting the scoring of that specific examination. In cases of academic fraud, the UGME Vice-Dean may also see the videos. Your videos will be viewed solely for the purposes of reviewing activities flagged by the artificial intelligence of QM Record and Review. However, if you wish to challenge your examination results, you will have ten (10) days after the release of results to inform the UGME Office in writing.

First, be assured that all videos that are flagged by the examination software are reviewed by staff to ensure the flag was not a false alarm. If, after review, staff still have concerns, the video will be reviewed by the Director of Student Assessment and Faculty Evaluations (SAFE) and/or the appropriate director. In most cases, the suspicious behaviour will be related to issues that may be deemed minor (see the above FAQ on activities to avoid) and will lead to a warning letter to ensure the behaviour is not repeated on future examinations. Although considered minor infractions, please take this warning letter seriously because it will prevent issues on future examinations that could lead to an allegation of academic fraud. In a small number of cases, the behaviour that was observed on video may not be viewed as a minor infraction and in that case will warrant an allegation of academic fraud. Please refer to the following link for the University’s policy on academic fraud.