AIWG Exam Integrity Best Practices

AY 2025-2026

Updated August 22nd, 2025

AIWG Proctoring Guidelines: aiwg.stanford.edu/guidelines

AIWG Proctoring Resources: aiwg.stanford.edu/docs

Assign student seating in the exam room(s)

 *(note this is required for Proctoring pilot participants)

Rationale:

• Provides a random seating order to reduce likelihood of students planning to sit near a partner
• Spreads students out, leaving at least 1-2 seats in between each student
• Allows proctors to easily note any potential concerns during an exam
• Allows instructors to easily find and review exams noted in proctor concerns along with exams of students sitting nearby, for comparison purposes

Implementation Tips:

• For small classes in which proctors can name all students in the class, you may simply have students sit down and then note their seats during the exam
• For larger classes, hand out student seat assignments as you check ID’s while students enter the exam room
• Additional tips, instructions, and seating templates can be found here aiwg.stanford.edu/seatingchart

Restrict Items in the exam room

Require students to place their items (ie, backpacks, phones) in the front, back, or side of the room

Rationale:

• If students’ belongings are away from their seat during the exam, potential cheating can be less ambiguous for a proctor to witness

Implementation Tips:

• Notify students ahead of time of this requirement so that they can minimize what they bring with, particularly valuables
• Make sure that there is a course staff member supervising the space where belongings are stored
• Check if the exam room has empty spaces ahead of time and consider hallways outside the exam room
• Be mindful that backpacks do not block exit paths or doorways

Course Reference Sheets

If students require a reference sheet, the course should provide a standardized copy of equations/information to students.  Do not allow students to bring their own reference sheets.

Rationale:

• There have been growing reports of students bringing in multiple reference sheets or writing additional information on reference sheets during exam breaks.  Providing a standardized course reference sheet eliminates ambiguity around what materials a student is using during the exam.

Implementation Tips:

• Inform students ahead of time whether or not a reference sheet will be provided.  Reference sheets may not be necessary for some courses.
• If students will be provided a course reference sheet, consider posting this ahead of the exam so students can familiarize themselves with the content provided.

Exam Break Sign Out Sheet

Require students sign out and in whenever exiting the exam room during exam time and have students leave their exam copy with a course staff member while they are gone. Students can also sign an honor code affirmation that they will not bring any paper or electronic devices (phone, smart watch, smart glasses, etc) out of or into the exam room and will not communicate with anyone other than the course instructional staff about the content of the exam.

Rationale:

• There are concerns of students taking multiple or extended breaks from exams to access unpermitted aid

Implementation Tips:

• Inform students of this policy ahead of time so they have a heads up
• When students leave the room in the middle of an exam, they must take their exam to a course staff member and complete the exam break log at the bottom of their exam cover sheet.  The course staff  should initial the exam break log when the student returns.
• Course staff may also keep a separate running list of all student exam breaks on a separate sheet, for reference.
• For example see our template exam cover sheet

Check Student IDs

Require students to show their ID before starting or after finishing their exam

Rationale:

• Students have raised concerns that another student in the course would ask someone who has taken the course before to take an exam on their behalf

Implementation Tips:

• Make sure to remind students prior to the exam that they should bring an ID with them to the exam (using both email and in-class announcements is helpful!)
• Any photo ID (Stanford ID, Driver’s License, etc) is fine, generally students always carry their Stanford ID because they need it for Dorm and Dining Hall access; as a back-up you can use the Photo Roster on Canvas if someone loses an ID right before an exam.
• If checking IDs before an exam, have several TA’s stationed outside or at the front of the exam room with pre-printed rosters or a laptop with spreadsheet; have students line up with ID’s out and then TA’s can quickly check the ID against the roster and hand students an exam (this is also a great way to make sure you only distribute one exam per student)
• Alternatively, have students show their ID as they hand in their exam at the end, with the TA checking to make sure their ID matches the name on their exam

Policy reminders BEFORE exam

Give a general announcement to the class before starting about course policies on exam integrity, such as what is permitted and unpermitted aid.

Rationale:

• To ensure students are aware of relevant policies and procedures that apply to the exam

Implementation Tips:

• Ensure all examination rooms receive the same information and instructions (consider writing a ‘script’ that is read by a member of the course staff to each different exam location)

Policy reminders DURING exam

Give a general announcement to the class upon witnessing potential violations

Rationale:

• To avoid confrontation with a student but still reduce the impact of potential cheating, provide a general announcement reminding students of course exam policies
• This may also reassure other students that you have taken note of potential violations in the room

Implementation Tips:

• Limit these announcements to once or twice during the exam to avoid being overly distracting and potentially do them concurrently with time reminders
• If there are concerns about a student potentially looking on to other student exams, but no formal case is filed, the student’s assigned seat can be moved to the front of the exam room on subsequent exams

Display Time

Project (or display) a clock for students to see during the exam

Rationale:

• Many exam rooms do not have easily visible clocks, and students will sometimes use their phones to check the time during exams

Implementation Tips:

• Use a spare laptop or phone and connect to the projector a basic digital clock with the time (no seconds)

Communication between proctors (only if part of proctoring pilot)

Only mention a specific student or behavior if trying to confirm a cheating suspicion 

Rationale:

• When asking another proctor to also observe suspected cheating, a proctor should either ask them to observe the specific student (without mentioning the specific behavior) or ask the proctor to observe a specific behavior in an area of the exam room (without mentioning the specific student) to avoid confirmation bias

Implementation Tips:

• Refer to seat numbers in an exam and cross reference with the seating chart to ask additional proctors to observe something
• Make sure this is done discreetly, such as by text, so it is not overheard or distracting to students testing